Meridian Golf Tours Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi I have just joined and my name is Ian and I am from near St Andrews in Scotland. I am member of Leven Golfing Society which is the 11th oldest golf club in the world, formed in 1820 and celebrating its 200th anniversary in 2020. I retired a couple of years ago and caddy a little during the summer months at Fairmont St Andrews where you will find two fine courses, the Kittocks and the Torrance. I also started a golf tours company offering Scotland Golf Trips, so if anyone needs any information on Golf in Scotland feel free to ask away and I will do my best to help. Exceptional Golf In Scotland www.meridiangolftours.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fozcycle Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Welcome to MGS Ian, where you can learn and have fun at the same time. Driver: 0311 XF 10.5* w/Project X Cypher 40 gram Senior shaft or 0811 XF 12* w/Evenflo Riptide CB Senior shaft Fairways: 0211 5W & 7W w/ Evenflo Riptide CB regular shaft and Tour Edge E521 9W w/Fubuki HD50 regular shaft Hybrid: None in bag at the moment Irons: Titleist T300 5-PW w/Fubuki MV Senior graphite shafts w/Golf Pride Tour Wedges: Edison forged 49*, 53* and 57* wedges with KB PGI Senior shafts(80 grm). Putter: 33” Evnroll ER6R or ER2 or Bellum Winmore Model 707, or Nike Method Core Drone w/Evnroll Gravity Grip Bag: Vice cart bag(Black/Lime). Ball: Snell MTB Prime X, Maxfli Tour/S/X CG, Titleist Pro V1x or Titleist TruFeel Using Shot Scope X5 and Pinned Rangefinder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy Barbajo Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Great to have you, Ian! A Scotland golf trip is definitely on the bucket list... What's in the bag: Driver: TSR3; DynaPWR Carbon FW Wood: DynaPWR 3-wood; TSR 2+ Hybrids: PXG Gen4 18-degree Utility Irons: ZX MkII 20* Irons:; 699/699 Pro V2 Combo; D9 Forged; MT86 (coming soon!); VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; Wedges: RTX6 Zipcore Putter: HB Soft Milled 10.5; Newport Special Select; Willamette, BB8; 8802; MATI Monto Ball: Tour B RXS; Z-STAR Diamond; Triad Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: Follow @golfspybarbajo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenny B Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Welcome! Wish I had played golf back when I visited Scotland in 1978! “We don’t stop playing the game because we get old; we get old because we stop playing the game.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmwils81 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Welcome! I don't know what I would do if I loved near St Andrews... maybe run more so I can take in the beauty. **May the fade be with you** Driver - SLDR 9.5 Paderson KINETIXx IMRT Green Stiff / 255 cpmFairway Wood - 910F 3 woodHybrids - Big Bertha Diablo 21degIrons - 710 AP2 4-PW Standard Lie/FlexWedges - XFT 50, 54, 60Putter - California MontereyBall - FG Tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY ZINGER Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Scotland is a bucket list trip for me. What is the best time of year to go? What's the minimum amount of days? What should you plan for as far as a total trip cost? What mistakes should people avoid when making the trip? Finally, how is that new trump course? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian Golf Tours Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Scotland is a bucket list trip for me. What is the best time of year to go? What's the minimum amount of days? What should you plan for as far as a total trip cost? What mistakes should people avoid when making the trip? Finally, how is that new trump course? Hi there. Best time is between April and September, with June, July and August normally having the best of the weather. Saying that you have to come prepared for all types of weather, even in August. I would recommend a minimum stay of 7 nights. Cost would obviously depend on the standard of accommodation and the golf courses you choose to play. You could stay in reasonable accommodation, play some wonderful links courses that don't charge the earth and rent a vehicle for around £900 (less than $1400 at £1=$1.51). Then you would have flights on top of that. At the other end of the scale, if you play all the top courses you would be looking at around $1,500 just for 6 rounds of golf. 5 star accommodation such as The Old Course Hotel can be over $1,500 and with chauffeured transport and caddies every day you would be looking at $4,000 excluding flights. For a middle of the road tour with reasonable Hotel, 3 top courses and 3 value courses and self drive vehicle, you should budget around $1800. Some mistakes that should be avoided is planning to play in several areas of the country. Travel times from Turnberry to St Andrews can be almost 3 hours. St Andrews to Royal Dornoch another 4 hours. If you do not plan it sensibly, you will spend half of your golf trip travelling. If you wanted to see a number of areas plan to play at least 2 courses in each area, Turnberry and Royal Troon, Muirfield and North Berwick and St Andrews and Kingsbarns. Alternatively, Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart, Cruden Bay and Trump Aberdeen, Carnoustie and St Andrews. A great website is Via Michelin, where if you go to the route planner and enter two locations and it will give you both the distance and estimated driving time. Book your tee times for the more popular courses well in advance to secure the times that you would prefer. If you want to play the Old Course there are several ways to try and secure a tee time. I will cover that in a separate post. If you are planning to enter the ballot every day, it would be wise to base yourself in the St Andrews area for most of your trip. Also check out the busy days for the Old Course. You will find that September is the worst month to try to get a St Andrews Old Course tee time as most days are busy will Club Competition finals the entire month. Finally, the new Trump course. I have not had the pleasure of playing it yet, but will be this coming season. I can report that one of the guys I play golf with who is a 5 handicapper and has played all over Scotland and abroad played it in the autumn and said it was one of the finest golf experiences he has ever had. Hope this helps. Ian Exceptional Golf In Scotland www.meridiangolftours.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian Golf Tours Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 Re Old Course St Andrews Tee Times There are several ways to try and secure St Andrews Old Course Tee Times. Here is a link to some information on how to get tee times St Andrews Old Course Tee Times Ian Exceptional Golf In Scotland www.meridiangolftours.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BK in TEXAS Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Welcome aboard. MENTOR, L4 COACH & TRAINER FIRST TEE GREATER HOUSTON HDCP: 8.3 (GHIN: 3143312) In my bag, April 2023 TS3 Driver & 4 Wood Hzrdous Smoke Shaft (Stiff Flex) TS2 Hybrids Mitsubishi Tensei Shaft (Stiff Flex) MP-59 5-PW; KBS Tour (Regular Flex) SM8 Wedges EVNROLL ER2 Putter SRIXON Z-STAR DIAMOND BALL Sun Mountain Cart Bag 4.0 Push Cart (I'm walking 9 outta 10 rounds!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick K Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Hi Ian, Its nice to have another voice from this side of the pond. I have to admit I have not yet had the chance to visit Scotland to golf but it certainly is on my list of things to do. Nick Why is it that fools and fanatics are always so certain, but wise men are never so sure. Shipley Golf Club - West Yorkshire- UK A hidden gem designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, opened in 1921, a beautiful, mature wooded valley course R5 RBZ 3 wood Mizuno JPX 825 5 Wood Diablo 3 Hybrid 21 degree JPX 825 5 Hybrid Big Bertha 2008 6 to PW MP T11 52 degree, 56 degree Tiger Woods forged wedge 60 degree Corsa Ghost Putter + Superstroke Slim Supersoft or D2 Nexus 2014 Stand Bag Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPY ZINGER Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Wow! Thanks for the details, Ian, much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 First of all, welcome to the forum, Ian. I'll be really interested to read your contributions. Zinger, Ian has given some great advice. I'll add that I've planned two golf trips to Scotland (2011 and 2012) without using a tour operator. I have nothing against the tour operators, I just wanted to do it on my own, and enjoyed doing it that way. We estimated that we would be spending on the order of $5000 for a week, including airfare. I never did add it all up at the end of the trip, I was afraid to really know. If you're interested in more of my experiences, please get in touch. The most important thing, if you really want to play the Old Course, be ready to apply for advance tee times in September. Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furu Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 I've played Kittocks Welcome to the forum. More Europeans is never a bad thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wbealsd Posted January 27, 2015 Share Posted January 27, 2015 Welcome to MGS Ian! Great info for a Bucket List trip I really hope to make someday. What's In the Bag Driver - GBB Hybrids Halo XL Halo 18* & T-Rail 20* Irons T-Rail 2.0 Wedges 60* TS / SCOR 48* 53* 58* Putter Ball Bag Datrek DG Lite Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian Golf Tours Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 First of all, welcome to the forum, Ian. I'll be really interested to read your contributions. Zinger, Ian has given some great advice. I'll add that I've planned two golf trips to Scotland (2011 and 2012) without using a tour operator. I have nothing against the tour operators, I just wanted to do it on my own, and enjoyed doing it that way. We estimated that we would be spending on the order of $5000 for a week, including airfare. I never did add it all up at the end of the trip, I was afraid to really know. If you're interested in more of my experiences, please get in touch. The most important thing, if you really want to play the Old Course, be ready to apply for advance tee times in September. Hi Dave Many thanks for you kind comments. Great piece of advice you have given regarding using the advance reservations method for those wishing to play the Old Course. Here is the link to the webpage Advance Reservations webpage for any golfers looking to play in 2016. Advance reservations are now complete for 2015, but will open up last week of August 2015 for 2016 season Tee Times. Exceptional Golf In Scotland www.meridiangolftours.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meridian Golf Tours Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've played Kittocks Welcome to the forum. More Europeans is never a bad thing Thanks. What did you thinks of the Fairmont Kittocks Course. It is one of my favourites in the area and much prefer it to the Fairmont Torrance Course. I could play it every day and not get bored. Not a true links course but great views and tremendous variety of holes. Exceptional Golf In Scotland www.meridiangolftours.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
furu Posted February 8, 2015 Share Posted February 8, 2015 Thanks. What did you thinks of the Fairmont Kittocks Course. It is one of my favourites in the area and much prefer it to the Fairmont Torrance Course. I could play it every day and not get bored. Not a true links course but great views and tremendous variety of holes. Some very good holes on Kittocks. I remember a par 4 with a ravine in front of the green. We played into the wind. Hit driver, 4 wood, wedge - still 10 yards short The stretch of holes down by the cliffs is excellent. I really liked it. Could play it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sh34rer Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Good to see another Scot, I feel that we dont appreciate how good we have it some times - just heading up for my 11 oclock tee time on the old course guys. What's Inside My Ping Hoofer Driver: TMaG R9 SuperTri TP Aldila Voodoo SvS6 FW Wood: Callaway xHot 3 deep Pro Projext X 6.0 2 Iron: Callaway x Utility Proto 18 deg Project X pxi 6.0 Hybrid: TMaG Rescue 09 21 deg Motore F1 Irons: 4 - PW Callaway X Forged 13 KBS Tour S Wedges: Titliest Vokey 52' 56' Putter: Scotty Cameron GoLo S Grips: Golf Pride Decade Multi-Compound Cord Ball: Titliest ProV1x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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