North Berwick

[Tommy_Naccarato]

A friend of mine sent these to me yesterday, catching North Berwick on a typical Scottish summer day. While it rained for a few holes during the round, and since he didn't wear any rain gear out there at the start because he didn't think it would rain,   the result was worth getting drenched.

If anyone can't fathom the existence of the concept of heaven, well then you've never been to North Berwick.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Who is your friend... Aidan Bradley or David Scarletti?

I was in heaven not long ago this year...
While there I also saw Rihc in smatterings of hell!

[Tom_Doak]

Tommy:

While we've been working on The Renaissance Club at Archerfield, Don, Bruce, Brian, Brian, Kye Goalby, George Waters and Mike McCartin have all taken turns living in apartments which are a quarter-mile walk from the first tee at North Berwick.

There has been a lot of late-evening golf on the West Links.  I got in a little myself on that last trip, too.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

That's David Scaletti and no it wasn't David nor Aidan Bradley.

This person is an artist by nature, and his ability to capture these images just blew me away.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Tom,
I could see where there might be an attempt by some of the guys would want to make Archerfield on a standard of the courses around it. Especially after seeing pictures such as these.

[Jeff_Mingay]

Tommy,

Looks like the handiwork of Mr. Waters to me. A fellow Canuck  

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Nope. No George Waters! But your right though, George is has an outstanding eye. He knows his Mexican food too!

[Bill_McBride]

Spectacular photos with the rainbow and wonderful shadows.  Mike Benham's signature photo is of the 18th with clubhouse and rainbow behind.  My favorite golf course outside the US!  Thanks for posting these, the Perfection green with Redan in the background is now my desktop background photo!

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thanks Tommy. Just about now in 21 days time I will be collecting the keys to our apartment in Market Square, I was excited but now I'm   .

I had though that I would try and only take 'atmosphere' photos as we've all seen shots taken while playing the round, but the standard these set are so very high.  If your frined has any more please urge him to post.

[JSlonis]

Thanks for the truly spectacular photos.  North Berwick West is definitely a golf course that must be seen if you have even a passing interest in golf.

[mike_beene]

Maybe its just me,but these pictures remind me of something that has puzzled me on my 3 or 4 visits:there is something strange about the way the sunlight hits NB.It is beautiful but I have no depth perception there.

[Gary Daughters]

Tommy,

Thanks for the pictures.  You've given me something to do tonight.. plan for the next trip!

[Mark_Fine]

Great photos.  I was just there in May.  NB is one of my favorite all time courses.  Made one my most memorable birdies on the Redan hole hitting a 2I in there to 20 feet  

[T_MacWood]

Wow.

[Mike Benham]

Mike Benham's signature photo is of the 18th with clubhouse and rainbow behind.  

As I read Tommy's post, my first thoughts was "rain = rainbows at North Berwick" and WOW ... thanks for remember Bill although these photos have more dramatic effect than mine ...

Ps:  And Bill .... GO GIANTS !!![/i][/color]

[Bill_McBride]

Mike, your photo fits right in with those other beauties, and makes me so homesick (dare I say that?) for North Berwick.  I could happily spend a week there every summer for the rest of my life.

And yes, the Giants are hanging in there.  Of course, they would be 20 games back in the AL Central!  Thank heavens they are in the NL West, the persistent weakies of baseball ever since the Braves went bye bye.  All the crybaby Dodger fans can kiss my tookus, the Giants will blow them away as usual.  

[Michael Whitaker]

Tommy - I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of adjusting the contrast of your photos to bring out the details.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Michael, I like them better with the dark shadows and such. That's what makes them so dramatic!

And listen you to Bay Area Bozos. Yes, The Dodgers really stunk it up today on part because of our two-timing, philandering husband, starting pitcher, Derrick Lowe. But what was your excuse the night before when "Nomah" hit the game winner off of the back of the bullpen wall? (which I personally witnessed from the loge level 3rd base side, four rows from the rail!)

[TEPaul]

As I've said a number of times on here I've only been to North Berwick and played the course one time---in the summer of 2003 which was extremely dry over there. I played one round with USGA Exec member Craig Ammerman, and still today Ammerman reminds me that in his opinion he doesn't think any course he's ever played topped that one and that day for "cool". I sort of feel the same way and I'd be glad to describe some of my feelings as we proceeded through the golf course coming upon those holes, one after another that we'd heard about and read about. There were a lot of "OH MY GODs, as we proceeded through the course but I do remember when we came up to #16 green we looked at each other and said if we saw nothing else than just that green it would've made the entire trip over there more than worth it.

[TEPaul]

I can guarantee you that when I stand in a place on that golf course that is generally one like the one from which the first photo was taken (#16 ), even though am and not a superstitious or spriitual man at all---I do tend to almost palpably feel the spirits and hear the whisper of voices of all that have come before me in that place. Those are the rare times and places where the entire time-span of the history and evolution of golf sort of sweeps through your body and actually makes you shiver.

[James Bennett]

TE Paul

re North Berwick #16 green.  Where was the pin when you played it - front green or back green?

I'm not sure who I was talking to (a local, Rihc or FBD) but the chat was that the front green is more difficult.  I think the chap talked about when a couple of famous notables (?Mickelson and another US player, can't recall who) who in their earlier days had to pre-qualify at North berwick (presumably for an Open title at nearby Muirfield).  These players came to grief on #16, going from side to side before finally holing out and failing to qualify.

The risk of side to side play apparently is higher at the front green, although the rear green is quite severe.  I imagine the number who actually 'hit' the wrong green and can then have a legitimate play through that swale/valley/crevasse would be few indeed.

James B

[Michael Whitaker]

Tommy - I like the dark ones, too. But, I wanted to see more of the crumpled ground!!!

[Bill_McBride]

That photo of #16 ("The Gate", not sure where that name came from, maybe there was a gate in the wall you want to be sure not to hit with your tee shot!) was taken from about where I hit my third shot the first time I played the hole.  I pushed my second and it ran up into closely cut grass over there.  I looked over the shot but failed to notice that little valley that cuts in there and joins the big valley.  Hit a putt to the pin, which was in the back of the front half, and thought it looked pretty promising, until it reached that little valley and SWOOSH!! dove off to the right and down into the big swale!  

Luckily I was able to two putt from down in the swale and salvaged a bogey, but that was a really wild experience!    What a green.  

Tom's guy is right, the trip is made worthwhile by that green itself.  And then of course it's preceded by Redan, and Perfection before that, and the Pit before that...........

[Mike Benham]

Thank heavens they are in the NL West, the persistent weakies of baseball ever since the Braves went bye bye.  

Interesting stat for those claiming the weakness of the NL West, the collective records to the team in the West is the 3rd best only behind the AL East and AL Central.  With all five teams in contention, you can make the argument that it is one of the toughest divisions having to play division opponents with winning records.  The Red Sox and Yankees get to play Tampa Bay 18 times, the Tigers and White Sox get to play Kansas City 18 times.

Remember the Red Wings from this years NHL, they had the best record throughout the regular season but in their weak division, they steamrolled the pathetic Blackhawks and BlueJackets umpteen times and the got stepped on in the first round of the playoffs.

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Take that you Bay Area Bozos!

HAH!

Here are the totals for you two yoyo's:
Los Angeles Trolley DODGERS 3[/color]

San Fransucko gnats 1