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Barbajo’s Excellent Scottish Golfing Adventure


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No kidding... perfect place if you ask me.

 

looks "nasty".... :lol:

DriverCobra  Aerojet LS
Woods-
Cobra  LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*,  F9 24* 
Irons- XXIO X (6-A)

Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58)

Putter- Bettinardi BB56
Ball- Maxfli Tour X/Wilson Triad
Buggy- Clicgear 4.0
Bag- Callaway Org 14/Fairway C

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So you guys figured it out...

 

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Yep - a rainy wet Scottish round at Carnoustie! What an awesome day - still haven't put a good round together but considering playing the back tees (not the Open tees, but plenty long), I'm happier than hell with an 87.

 

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It rained - not horribly but we got wet enough. It was a tough golf course, but a real treat to play, especially with the stands and signage from the Open still up. Also, it was real easy to drop some $$ at the Pro Shop

 

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And not for nothing, I thought this was an odd name for a bathroom fixture at a golf course...

 

And here's a preview for tomorrow...

 

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Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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You are the luckiest Spy in the world

 

Sent from my SM-G960U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

"Obviously my iron play is incredible, and when I get going I can get hot, but this course just fits my eye. The shaping of the holes, and just a couple of the doglegs, I'm able to shape shots."

 Bryson DeChambeau

 

In my  :ping-small: Hoofer Lite

 

:srixon-small: Z765 9.5 with Miyazaka Kaula Mizu 6 Stiff Shaft (TrueGolfFit Recommended!!!)

:cobra-small: F8 3-4 wood 16* Aldilla Blue 70 Stiff shaft

:taylormade-small: Rescue mid 2 iron 16*

:cobra-small: One Length Forged Tec 4-GW with AMT Black shafts

:cameron-small: Futura Phantom 2

:bridgestone-small:Tour B330 RX

 

Like Bass Fishing? Check out my one and only article!!!

https://www.bassresource.com/beginner/get-started-bass-fishing.html

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What a site that is at night. I suppose you are in line right about now or about to head over.

 

Hope it works out.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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In line, we'll see....

 

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Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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I would have loved a golf holiday like that.

 

I've been to the UK on a couple of occasions but sadly not to play golf.

 

There a golf course very close to my home--there are actually several-- but this one is called Scottish Highlands.

It struck me odd that they chose that name. People don't talk that much about Scottish Highlands golf.  Everybody talks about Scottish sea level golf.  But I bet that the highlands golf is good too.

 

 

 

 

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Bucket list stuff right here....

 

Carnoustie and St Andrews in the same trip?!?!?! Awesome.

Driver:  :callaway-small:Epic Speed 9* (set -1) MMT 70X
3W:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR Recoil 760ES
3H, 4H: :bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR 19*, 23* Recoil 780ES
4-AW:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR HF2 Modus3 Tour 105
SW: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Black Satin 54*
LW:Sub70: TAIII Black 58*
Putter:ping-small: Scottsdale TR Senita
Bag: BigMax Dri Active Lite
Ball:taylormade-small: TP5x or :titleist-small: AVX (yellow)
Pushcart: BigMax iQ+

Testing Complete, Final Review PostedSub70 TAIII Forged Wedges

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Really great pictures! I'm very happy for you. It looks as if Carnoustie has turned the watering system back on.

 

Safe travels home.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Taylor Made Stealth 2 10.5 Diamana S plus 60  Aldila  R flex   - 42.25 inches 

SMT 4 wood bassara R flex, four wood head, 3 wood shaft

Ping G410 7, 9 wood  Alta 65 R flex

Srixon ZX5 MK II  5-GW - UST recoil Dart 65 R flex

India 52,56 (60 pending)  UST recoil 75's R flex  

Evon roll ER 5 32 inches

It's our offseason so auditioning candidates - looking for that right mix of low spin long, more spin around the greens - TBD   

 

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So the Old Course didn't happen - I was #21 in line and the tee sheet was pretty full. Only a handful of the guys ahead of me got on. I did get the money shot tho...

 

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Did walk down the 18th and onto the Road Hole early in the AM - was struck by how tight and lush the fairways are - just gorgeous. And holding the green on the Road Hole looks borderline impossible.

 

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Wound up playing the New Course - not as famous or as manicured but a pretty decent course. Very windy - around 25 mph throughout much of the afternoon , making the final 7 or 8 holes returning to the club house into the teeth of the gale.

 

Like most of my rounds - the first 5 or 6 holes were fine - but a triple and a few doubles spoiled the round. My caddie Chris was awesome and proved to be a big help - although some of my putts had a bit too much power to them.

 

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Finished up around 4 or so (quick round!) and met the wife and her sisters for a little shopping and dinner. We're waiting on the bus to take us the train, which takes us back to Edinburgh. We leave for home early tomorrow!!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Wow, what a fantastic experience! Thanks for sharing!

 

MDGolfHacker

TSssWhat's In This Lefty's Bag?

Driver: :titleist-small: TSR2 11° Project X HZRDUS Black 4G 60g 5.5 Flex

Fairway Woods: :cobra-small: F8 3W Project X Even Flow Blue 75g shaft

Fairway Woods: 

Hybrid: :titelist-small: TSR2  18° Graphite Design Tour AD DI-85 Shaft

Irons: :titelist-small: 2021 T200's 4-GW AMT RED shafts Regular Flex

Wedge: :cleveland-small: Tour Satin RTX 4 Wedges in 52° and 56° 2 Dot

Putter: :nevercompromise-small: Gray Matter TDP 2.2 32.75"

Bag: :1590477705_SunMountain: Three 5

Ball:  :titelist-small:  PRO V1 / :srixon-small: Z*Star

RangeFinder:918457628_PrecisionPro: In search of new range finder

Social Media:

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Twitter:        @mdgolfhacker
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Wow! What a trip! Congrats to you and thanks for sharing with us!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

WITB:

Stan Thompson “Reactionizer” persimmon woods 1-4

Spalding Tour Edition 3-PW

Spalding Top-Flite E.V.A. Sand Club

Rife Legend Z Putter

 

 

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There is one thing that you absolutely must eat there- well, two things -first is Haggis - it is really good, especially if you like scrapple (i do)... the second is Sticky Toffee Pudding- I think I had one at every place we stayed - and they were all very VERY Good!!!

 

Enjoy!

Trust me I am a Southern born and raised boy but I will eat Scrapple and Souse meat in the drop of a hat. I learned to like Scrapple when I was trucking up north especially in Pennsylvania. I know what we call Souse meat down South the guys in Michigan call head cheese

Driver ---- Callaway Big Bertha Alpha  Speeder 565 R flex- 5W TM V-Steel Fubuki 60r--- 7W TM V-Steel UST Pro Force Gold 65R----- 9 W TM V Steel TM MAS stiff---- Irons 2015 TM TP CB Steel Fiber 95 R--- GW Callaway Mack Daddy 2 52* shaft unknown junk pile refugee. SW Callaway PM Grind 56*  Modified sole grind--- KBS Tour Wedge-- LW Vokey 58* SM5 L grind--- Putter Ping B90I Broom Stick 

 

 

 G

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Trust me I am a Southern born and raised boy but I will eat Scrapple and Souse meat in the drop of a hat. I learned to like Scrapple when I was trucking up north especially in Pennsylvania. I know what we call Souse meat down South the guys in Michigan call head cheese

Haha scrapple! My first job was washing dishes at a little diner in PA, I had to wash the scrapple pans! 🤢

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

WITB:

Stan Thompson “Reactionizer” persimmon woods 1-4

Spalding Tour Edition 3-PW

Spalding Top-Flite E.V.A. Sand Club

Rife Legend Z Putter

 

 

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Enjoy reading about your trip! Great pics!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Titleist 917D2 10.5

Ben Hogan GS53 3 Wood

PING G425 MAX 5 Wood

Cleveland UHX Launcher 3 Iron

PING G30 5-PW

Cleveland RTX 3.0 50/10 V-MG

Cleveland RTX 3.0 54/14  V-FG

Cleveland RTX 3.0 58/12 V -FG

EVNROLL ER-3

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What a trip. Thanks for sharing it with us.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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Greetings from some 40,000 feet over the Atlantic! We're about halfway home and I wanted to share some parting thoughts with you about the trip...

 

1. First and foremost - a huge thank you to Gavin, David, Scott, Michael and Jen from Shot Scope for being outstanding golf partners! I can't tell you how much fun I had playing with these guys over 3 days - each one of them is a playah (Gavin played Walker Cup and played professionally on the European Tour, Michael is a +handicap and won his club championship 3 years running, Scott is a former pro and a scratch golfer, and Jen played in college and is one of the steadiest golfers I've ever seen! David is a recovering 4 handicap - living proof that the better you are at business, the more your handicap drifts up a bit!)

 

2. Gavin had the misfortune of teaming up with me in our 3 matches - We went 1-1-1, although I should probably say Gavin went 1-1-1 and I kept us from going 3-0. Seriously, 3 missed putts at Carnoustie (2 lipouts, one left a wee short) would have turned a halved match into a laugher. Gavin was nice about it, but I'm pretty sure he wanted to go upside my head with a 7-iron on more than one occasion.

 

3. It's never a good sign when your partner says "Oh Dear" after you hit your tee shot.

 

4. We played with the assistant pro at Carnoustie on Monday - Keiran (I can't remember his last name) is an old friend of Gavin's (they wen to college in Florida together). I don't know if you've ever played golf with two professionals, but my God is was fun watching them go at it.

 

5. One set of tees at Carnoustie and at the Old Course (from what I could see) and the New Course. We didn't play from the tourney tees at Carnoustie, but we did play from the tips - I'm pretty sure I broke 90 (IF you invote the ESC!!!!!)

 

6. It seems just about every town has a golf course (or two) in Scotland -- plenty of hidden gems the tourists never really see or play, but they're really solid courses. Some are above solid.

 

7. That said, they're running into a bit of a supply-demand problem. A lot of courses and not as many players taking memberships, so some courses are having issues with having enough $$ to perform necessary maintenance and improvements.

 

8. Membership at these courses is, for the most part, very reasonable. Longniddry, for example, charges about 600 pounds for a membership, which is about $1,000, for all the golf you can play. It's a nice little seaside course - no par 5's so it's only a par 68, but it's plenty challenging.

 

9. A visit to St. Andrews is a must - even if you get get on a golf course. It's a beautiful town right on the ocean, with plenty of activity. The St. Andrews golf complex is incredible, with 6 courses right on the property, and a 7th course about a 5 minute drive south of the city.

 

10. Tried to get on the Old Course as a walk-on -- woke up at 4:30 and walked down the course to wait in line. I was #21! The guy who was first in line slept there - he showed up around 10:30/11 the night before, but he got to play!

 

11. Walking around the first tee and 18th green is downright magical. The combo fairway gives new meaning to the term "tight lie," to the point where it seems like the whole thing was carpeted. Got my picture on the Swilican Bridge, and got to check out the Road Hole green and bunker. How the hell anyone can hold that green on the fly is beyond me.

 

12. Did get to play the New Course - went out alone with my caddie Chris - and we finished up in about 3 hours (lots of groups let us play through). It doesn't get the press of the Old Course, but at less than 1/2 the price, it's still a great golf course. Lots of memorable holes and when the wind is blowing like it was yesterday, bogey on the 6 inbound holes is a good score.

 

13. I did not shoot a good score - 2 pars, 2 bogeys, 2 doubles....

 

14. They have a three-day unlimited golf pass at St. Andrews - all the golf you can play at any of the courses that aren't the Old Course for around 200 pounds. You could easily play 36 a day and turn it into a bargain.

 

15. St. Andrews is a 90 minute train/bus ride from Edinburgh - the train ride is very scenic and the public transit system as a whole was pretty convenient. Apparently they were having some issues in other parts of the country, but our train trips were flawless. We used Uber a lot to get around Edinburgh and to and from the airport, and our apartment location made getting around very easy.

 

16. We rented a 2 bedroom apartment through VRBO - it was awesome. Great location, very modern, clean and comfortable. We were there for almost a week, and living in an apartment was a lot more comfortable than being stuck in a hotel room. We had a full kitchen, laundry facilities, a TV with a DVD player (and a nice selection of DVD's) and all the other comforts of home.

 

17. When it came to sheer fun, it's hard to beat North Berwick. It's a 1/2 hour train ride from Edinburgh (5 minute walk from the station to the course), and is right on the ocean. Loved every round I played in Scotland, but for shear fun, it's hard to beat North Berwick.

 

18. Very much want to go back and do it again. Wondering if a MyGolfSpy Community Trip to Scotland would be of interest?

 

Thanks again for letting me share the trip with you guys. My wife says I was acting like a 9 year old on Christmas morning during the entire trip - which is an improvement because she says I usually act like a 9 year old anyway....

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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And one more thing -- apparently driving ranges are not a thing at Scottish golf courses. St. Andrews had a range you could use at it's Golf Academy, and each stall was equipped with a Trackman that you could use for free. But like to hit a small bucket to get grooved before teeing off? Ain't gonna happen....

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
Follow @golfspybarbajo

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Great adventure of a lifetime and golfer would dream about. Thank you for sharing

 

#PowerToThePlayer

WITB:

 

Driver:   :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max w/ Fujikura Motore X F3 shaft

FW Wood:   :cobra-small:  F9 wood 14.5* 

Hybrids:  :taylormade-small: Sim2 Max 3 Hybrid & :nike-small: Vapor Flex 4 hybrid  

Irons:  :srixon-small: Z565 - 7 thru PW & ZU85 - 5 thru 6 with Recoil ZT9 F4 shafts                                            

Wedges:   :cleveland-small: RTX4 52*, 56*, 60* 

Putter:  Scotty Cameron M2 Newport

Ball:  :Snell: Black & :titelist-small: Pro V1

Bag: 2018 MyGolfSpy stand Bag & 2021 Greenside Golf stand bag

 

 

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Man that sounds like a fantastic trip!

Driver:  :callaway-small:Epic Speed 9* (set -1) MMT 70X
3W:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR Recoil 760ES
3H, 4H: :bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR 19*, 23* Recoil 780ES
4-AW:bridgestone-small: Tour B JGR HF2 Modus3 Tour 105
SW: :cleveland-small: RTX Zipcore Black Satin 54*
LW:Sub70: TAIII Black 58*
Putter:ping-small: Scottsdale TR Senita
Bag: BigMax Dri Active Lite
Ball:taylormade-small: TP5x or :titleist-small: AVX (yellow)
Pushcart: BigMax iQ+

Testing Complete, Final Review PostedSub70 TAIII Forged Wedges

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18. Very much want to go back and do it again. Wondering if a MyGolfSpy Community Trip to Scotland would be of interest?

 

 

You had me at Wondering!!

:ping-small: G430 Max 10K 

:titelist-small: TSiR1 15.0 Aldlia Ascent 60g

:titelist-small: TSR2 18.0 PX Aldila Ascent 6og

:titelist-small: TSi1 20 Aldila Ascent Shafts R

:titelist-small: T350 5-GW SteelFiber I80 

:titelist-small: SM10 48F/54M and58K

:ping-small: S159 48S/52S/56W/60B

:scotty-cameron-1: Select 5.5 Flowback 35" 

:titelist-small: ProV1  Play number 12

 

 

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So you guys figured it out...

 

Yep - a rainy wet Scottish round at Carnoustie! What an awesome day - still haven't put a good round together but considering playing the back tees (not the Open tees, but plenty long), I'm happier than hell with an 87.

 

87 from the back tees out there is solid!

 

I'm now 6 years removed from my own Scotland adventure and didn't want to muddle the thread while you were still in country, but it inspired me to relive my trip via old photos, scorecards, yardage books, etc...

 

A couple pics from my day at Carnoustie after the the fog relented - top: trying (unsuccessfully) to muscle a deuce onto the 245 yd Par 3 16th (Barry Burn); below: van de Velde crime scene photo (you may also just be able to make out the shiny pearl parked ~6 feet from the hole... tweet tweet)

 

Barry Burn Notice.jpg

 

When you make it out there again, the experience awaiting you at this little gem cannot be overstated.

 

Kingsbarns.jpg

 

 

 

:cobra-small:______S9-1 Pro D - Matrix Ozik XCON 6 S
:cobra-small:______S9-1 Pro 15* - Matrix Ozik XCON 7 S
:nickent-small:________3DX 17* - Matrix Ozik Altus Hybrid SG
:Hogan:______ICON Black 4-PW - KBS Tour V S
:cleveland-small:__________588 RTG 49  RTX 52.10  56.12 - DG S400
BobbyGrace.png.1dc40002fcec0eee8603b71b3e706e89.png______Amazing Grace NYC Tour CS
:taylormade-small:_______'19 TP5X
(the preceding have all been gamer approved)

"The most important shot in golf is the next one“ - Ben Hogan

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Greetings from some 40,000 feet over the Atlantic! We're about halfway home and I wanted to share some parting thoughts with you about the trip...

 

1. First and foremost - a huge thank you to Gavin, David, Scott, Michael and Jen from Shot Scope for being outstanding golf partners! I can't tell you how much fun I had playing with these guys over 3 days - each one of them is a playah (Gavin played Walker Cup and played professionally on the European Tour, Michael is a +handicap and won his club championship 3 years running, Scott is a former pro and a scratch golfer, and Jen played in collecte and is one of the steadiest golfers I've ever seen! David is a recovering 4 handicap - living proof that the better you are at business, the more your handicap drifts up a bit!)

 

2. Gavin had the misfortune of teaming up with me in our 3 matches - We went 1-1-1, although I should probably say Gavin went 1-1-1 and I kept us from going 3-0. Seriously, 3 missed putts at Carnoustie (2 lipouts, one left a week short) would have turned a halved match into a laugher. Gavin was nice about it, but I'm pretty sure he wanted to go upside my head with a 7-iron on more than one occasion.

 

3. It's never a good sign when your partner says "Oh Dear" after you hit your tee shot. 

 

4. We played with the assistant pro at Carnoustie on Monday - Keiran (I can't remember his last name) is an old friend of Gavin's (they wen to college in Florida together). I don't know if you've ever played golf with two professionals, but my God is was fun watching them go at it. 

 

5. One set of tees at Carnoustie and at the Old Course (from what I could see) and the New Course. We didn't play from the tourney tees at Carnoustie, but we did play from the tips - I'm pretty sure I broke 90 (IF you invote the ESC!!!!!)

 

6. It seems just about every town has a golf course (or two) in Scotland -- plenty of hidden gems the tourists never really see or play, but they're really solid courses. Some are above solid.

 

7. That said, they're running into a bit of a supply-demand problem. A lot of courses and not as many players taking memberships, so some courses are having issues with having enough $$ to perform necessary maintenance and improvements. 

 

8. Membership at these courses is, for the most part, very reasonable. Londniddry, for example, charges about 600 pounds for a membership, which is about $1,000, for all the golf you can play.  It's a nice little seaside course - no par 5's so it's only a par 68, but it's plenty challenging.

 

9. A visit to St. Andrews is a must - even if you get get on a golf course. It's a beautiful town right on the ocean, with plenty of activity. The St. Andrews golf complex is incredible, with 6 courses right on the property, and a 7th course about a 5 minute drive south of the city. 

 

10. Tried to get on the Old Course as a walk-on -- woke up at 4:30 and walked down the course to wait in line. I was #21! The guy who was first in line slept there - he showed up around 10:30/11 the night before, but he got to play!

 

11. Walking around the first tee and 18th green is downright magical. The combo fairway gives new meaning to the term "tight lie," to the point where it seems like the whole thing was carpeted. Got my picture on the Swilican Bridge, and got to check out the Road Hole green and bunker. How the hell anyone can hold that green on the fly is beyond me. 

 

12. Did get to play the New Course - went out alone with my caddie Chris - and we finished up in about 3 hours (lots of groups let us play through). It doesn't get the press of the Old Course, but at less than 1/2 the price, it's still a great golf course. Lots of memorable holes and when the wind is blowing like it was yesterday, bogey on the 6 inbound holes is a good score. 

 

13. I did not shoot a good score - 2 pars, 2 bogeys, 2 doubles....

 

14. They have a three-day unlimited golf pass at St. Andrews - all the golf you can play at any of the courses that aren't the Old Course for around 200 pounds. You could easily play 36 a day and turn it into a bargain.

 

15. St. Andrews is a 90 minute train/bus ride from Edinburgh - the train ride is very scenic and the public transit system as a whole was pretty convenient. Apparently they were having some issues in other parts of the country, but our train trips were flawless. We used Uber a lot to get around Edinburgh and to and from the airport, and our apartment location made getting around very easy. 

 

16. We rented a 2 bedroom apartment through VRBO - it was awesome. Great location, very modern, clean and comfortable. We were there for almost a week, and living in an apartment was a lot more comfortable than being stuck in a hotel room. We had a full kitchen, laundry facilities, a TV with a DVD player (and a nice selection of DVD's) and all the other comforts of home.

 

17. When it came to sheer fun, it's hard to beat North Berwick. It's a 1/2 hour train ride from Edinburgh (5 minute walk from the station to the course), and is right on the ocean. Loved every round I played in Scotland, but for shear fun, it's hard to beat North Berwick.

 

18. Very much want to go back and do it again. Wondering if a MyGolfSpy Community Trip to Scotland would be of interest?

 

Thanks again for letting me share the trip with you guys. My wife says I was acting like a 9 year old on Christmas morning during the entire trip - which is an improvement because she says I usually act like a 9 year old anyway.... 

I'd like to hit the "like" button a dozen times if I could! Great story and fantastic write-up to end the trip! What a GRAND adventure and I'm glad you shared it with us-Thank-you!

In my       :ping-small: DLX Cart Bag:
Driver
:    :ping-small: G410 SFT, set to 9.5*, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Orange 60, stiff (MGS Official 2019 Tester)
3W:          :ping-small: G-Series SF TEC, set to 16*, Aldila Tour Blue ATX, 65g, stiff
5W:          :ping-small: G400 SFT, set to 19*, Aldila Tour Blue ATX, 65g, stiff
7W:         :ping-small: G410 SFT, set to 22*. Alta CB 65 Red, stiff

Irons:       :ping-small: GMax, Green Dot, 5-PW, Project X Graphite Blue 6.0, 80-90g , stiff
Wedges: :ping-small: Glide 2.0 Stealth, 50* SS, 54* ES & 60*/8 Forged MGS Special from the Wedge Wizard, Green Dot, Alta CB graphite, 84g, stiff
Putter:     :ping-small: Vault 2.0 B60 Copper, 33", black dot w/GP SNSR grip (PING Sigma 2 Fetch under "see-trials")
Ball:       :Snell: MTB BLACK (MGS Official 2018 Tester for the :Snell: MTB RED)
Shoes:     :footjoy-small:  Classics Tour w/Black Widow Softspikes

Disabled Marine Veteran. Semper Fi!

#No apologies, just Play Your Best
#Powertotheplayers

 

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There is one thing that you absolutely must eat there- well, two things -first is Haggis - it is really good, especially if you like scrapple (i do)... the second is Sticky Toffee Pudding- I think I had one at every place we stayed - and they were all very VERY Good!!!

 

Enjoy!

 

We did have the sticky toffee pudding on our last night in St. Andrews -- it's a thing there, and you're right - it's VERY VERY good. 

As for Haggis, whenever I'd ask someone what's in it, they went "uhhhhh...." 

 

So that was that.... ;-)

 

What's in the bag:
 
Driver:  :titelist-small:TSR3; :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR Carbon
FW Wood: :wilson_staff_small: DynaPWR 3-wood; :titleist-small: TSR 2+
Hybrids:  PXG Gen4 18-degree
Utility Irons: :srixon-small: ZX MkII 20* 
Irons:;  :Sub70:699/699 Pro V2 Combo; :wilson_staff_small: D9 Forged;  :macgregor-small:MT86 (coming soon!); :macgregor-small: VIP 1025 V-Foil MB/CB; 

Wedges:  :cleveland-small: RTX6 Zipcore
Putter: :cleveland-small: HB Soft Milled 10.5;  :scotty-small: Newport Special Select;  :edel-golf-1:  Willamette,  :bettinardi-small: BB8; :wilson-small: 8802; MATI Monto

Ball: :bridgestone-small: Tour B RXS; :srixon-small: Z-STAR Diamond; :wilson_staff_small: Triad

Stat Tracker/GPS Watch: :ShotScope:


 
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Some other sites from Edinburgh...

 

A hot Turkish shave...

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6416.JPG

 

Scott's Tower - entrance to Old Town...

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6424.JPG

 

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attachicon.gifIMG_6432.JPG

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6434.JPG

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6439.JPG

 

Didn't buy the kilt, but did find a place where they rent them...

 

This Jaguar set up for off-riding was parked outside our apartment. Seriously want to take it for a spin...

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6470.JPG

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6471.JPG

 

Apparently duck eggs are a thing in Scotland - made a couple for breakfast...

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6474.JPG

 

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Something tells me I don't want to eat here...

 

attachicon.gifIMG_6418.JPG

 

More to come...

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

Dang! They shave your FOREHEAD in a Turkish shave??? Yikes!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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So cool!!! Awesome to be able to make that trip!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Driver: Ping G430 Max 9*, Ping Tour 70X

Fairway: Ping G425 15*, Ping Tour 70X

Hybrid: Ping G425 22*, Ping Tour 80X

Irons:  Ping i230 4-GW, TT DG X100

Wedges: :edel-golf-1: SMS 50D/54V/58D:Nippon:Modus 130 stiff, +1”

Putter:  :edel-golf-1: EAS 1.0

Ball: Titleist 2023 AVX

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Glad you enjoyed your visit, really enjoyed your pictures and blog over the last week. Showcasing my country and local courses. 

WIMB

Driver Callaway Epic 10.5' Fujikura Stiff

3W Callaway Epic 15' Fujikura Stiff

3-AW Srixon Z565 Nippon Stiff

52', 56' Cleveland RTX 585 Wedges

Putter Taylormade Rosa Daytona

Bags 2017 Callaway Org14 Cart bag or 2018 Srixon Z start Carry bag 

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Dang! They shave your FOREHEAD in a Turkish shave??? Yikes!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

You have to remember, John has Italian blood...hairy, very hairy.  :lol:

In the bag:
Driver: :titelist-small: TSR2 Project X HZRDUS Black 5.5
Fairway: :callaway-small: Apex UW 19° & 21° Project X HZRDUS Smoke RDX Black 5.5

Irons: :mizuno-small: JPX 923 HMP 5-PW UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Wedges: :mizuno-small: T-22 Denim Copper 48°, 52° & 56° UST Mamiya Recoil 95 F4
Putter :Sub70: Sycamore 005 Wide Blade
Bag: 
:Ogio: Alpha Convoy 514
Balls: :callaway-small: Chrome Soft X

Cart: :CaddyTek: CaddyLite ONE Ver. 8


God Bless America🇺🇸, God save the King🇬🇧, God defend New Zealand🇳🇿 and thank Christ for Australia🇦🇺!

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