Hey Anthony Pioppi, what about great GB&I 9 holers?

[Lloyd_Cole]

I wouln't mind another bash around Baron Hill on Anglesey

Mark
We tried to rent clubs when we were in town a couple of years ago, but there were none to be had. It looked so good we almost offered some local kids $$$ for theirs for a couple of hours, and then worried that we'd come across like the Americans wanting to take bridges home with them.. we ended lawn bowling all afternoon which was surprisingly great fun!

[ForkaB]

If you are going to play 9-holers in Scotland, I think you have to rate them by where they are rather than what they are.  None are great, but some of the locations are great and the getting to and from the locations even greater!

A very simple tour mivbght include:

--flying into Edinburgh, playing Old Musselburgh (and maybe the ponies) and visiting Edinburgh for a few days
--driving to Anstruther, playing their course and having some of the best fish and chiops on the planet.  If lucky,m also spend a day playing the 9-hole at Elie and watching/playing some beach cricket
--north to Dalmunzie, the Mackenzie gem in the middle of nowhere.  The hotel is worth a day or two by itself.
--norther to Dornoch where we will stay, but play Helmsdale, which if it matches the town will be full of funk.
--then ever more norterer to Durness, where John Lennon used to holiday whilst a Beatle.  Lloyd can shed a tear and play a tune.

On the way back, if we ever get back, there is (are?) Traig, Fort Augustus and probably many more venues I don't even care to remember.

Sounds possible......

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Rich,

I love the itinerary.

We also have to go to St. Andrews. I have friends there. We can play the 9 in Crail.

By the way, it's 18 F here today with a biting wind.

Anthony

[Alfie]

Mark,

Thanks for that link to Ffestiniog ! Kind of reminded me of Leadhills but Ff looks far more interesting.

Anthony,

I'm a Life Member of our local museums' and we have an old Albion bus from the 1910's that still goes (somewhat ?) and I'm sure we could have it for our mission. Bring your own bum cushion !
Glad to hear you're off to do some sock shopping. But please, please, just let the attendant pick them for you.  

Lloyd,

Lawn bowls ? Lawn bowls ? What colour are YOUR socks ?

Alfie.

[Phil McDade]

Rich:

Is Dalmunzie a Mackenzie? I've heard conflicting reports about whether or not it is. Lybster is also a possibility on the way to Durness.

I can hardly forgive myself for NOT mentioning Traigh in my first posting. A great little course, with some really first-rate holes, and absolutely stunning views of the western isles. An absolute slog to get there, though -- you get to Fort William, then head west on what quickly becomes a one-lane road for what seems forever, and then, there it is. Cute little white clapboard clubhouse -- you can even buy golf balls there with Traigh Golf Club engraved on them.

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Phil,

Looks like a fantastic place.

http://www.traighgolf.co.uk/

If you know the way, then you'll have to drive the bus.

Anthony

[Phil McDade]

Gladly.

Traigh is a neat place. Some blind holes, a fun death-or-glory par 5, par 3s with stunning scenery, a couple of nifty short and gambling par 4s, and a very edge-of-the-world quality to it -- the kind of place you know very few people get to, because it's so out of the way. Fun stuff.

[Paul_Turner]

Expanding on Rich's suggestion, Fort Augustus.  

Probably Harry Colt's most rudimentary course but in such a majestic setting it'll stick in the memory forever.

From Frank Pont's GREAT web site www.golfarchitecturepictures.com

Some thick, purple, heather here.

[Phil McDade]

Paul:

Is Fort Augustus a Colt? I have some information that suggests Braid, and Braid was quite prolific in rural, out-of-the-way places in Scotland, and wasn't afraid to do 9-holers or somewhat rudimentary courses.

[ForkaB]

Anthony

There are two 18-holers at Crail, but no 9-holer that I know about.  Another good alternative for NE Fife is St. Michaels, designed by OTM and on the road from Anstruther to Dalmunzie.

Phil

When I was at Dalmunzie a few years ago, I spoke to the Captain of the Club and he was pretty sure the old Doctor had been there.  That being said, it's hard to see any MacK in what's on the ground now, although the bones of a neat green can be seen in the middle of the 5th(?) fairway.  Regardless, it's worth the experience.

A few other thoughts, all on the "Bridge" theme:

Bridge of Alan (as Phil mentioend above).  One of the least untouched of OTM's designs and lots of fun.
Bonar Bridge--some beautiful views over Loch Migdale near Dornoch, but overpriced and "graced" by the least freindly clubhouse manager I have ever seen.
Bigadoon--magical, but it only appears every 100 years.....

Rich

[Paul_Turner]

Phil

I've seen Braid linked to the course too, but I'm pretty sure that's wrong unless he redesigned it which seems unlikely for an inexpensive course like Fort Augustus.  

The club has letters from Colt and he lists the course as one of his (he sent out ads to prospective clients.)

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Rich,

My mistake. I thought I saw in one of the other posts that there was a 9-holer in or around Crail.

The Old Tom Morris 9s would be fantastic and since I have a degree from a St. Michael's, I think that St. Michael's is a must.

Anthony

[Phil McDade]

Anstruther is all of 10 minutes from Crail; I also think there is a 9-holer seaside links near Elie, but I don't think it's associated with Golf House Club.

Also worth noting (historically, perhaps) is the Lundin Ladies Club, near the well-known Lundin Links, a club dating to the late 1890s and designed by Braid; and Leslie, near Glenrothes and an easy drive from St. Andrews, and an Old Tom Morris design to boot.

[Andrew Mitchell]

Anthony

There are two 18-holers at Crail, but no 9-holer that I know about.  Another good alternative for NE Fife is St. Michaels, designed by OTM and on the road from Anstruther to Dalmunzie.


Rich

Rich
Is St Michaels the one just outside Leuchers?  We arranged to play there a few (five?) years ago en route from Dundee to Crail and had booked tee times on both courses on the understanding it was a 9 holer.  When we got there we found it had been extended to 18! We played the old 9 (the front 9 if I remember correctly and found it excellent.

[ForkaB]

You are correct, Andrew.  9 holes were apparently added in 1996 when I wasn't looking!

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

         BASTARDS! HEATHENS!

[Tony_Muldoon]

I SHARE YOUR ANGER ANTHONY, BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE.

In 1877 Old Tom laid out 9 holes in a place called Dornoch, I'll bet they were excellent.  Was there last year and the BASTARDS have completly desecrated his work!


We better get that bus on the road before it's too late.

[Andy Levett]

Eyemouth, just over the border from Berwick-on-Tweed, linksy.

Hate to truncate the list still further but Eyemouth has been 18 since 1997. It's still distinguished by possessing the most extraordinary hole in Britain, as chosen by the authors of the book Britain's 100 Extraordinary Golf holes. (A par 3 over an inlet of the sea).

[Scott Whitley]

Cruit Island is certainly the best nine-holer in Ireland, IMO.

Other candidates:

Bushfoot, Co Antrim

Mulranny, Co Mayo

Connemara Isles (mentioned previously)

Spanish Point
http://www.spanish-point.com/

Castlegregory
http://www.castlegregorygolflinks.com/

Coosheen (10 holes)
http://homepage.eircom.net/~coosheengc/

Sutton
http://www.suttongolfclub.org/

Rush
http://www.rushgolfclub.com/

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

I didn't want to say anything but then I saw the latest post and I felt forced to share - I had another dream.

I was watching television on my couch - I think it was a college hockey game - and I dozed off on my couch. From what I can remember we were all in the van and I was driving. Lloyd was asleep in the back after playing a 14-encore gig the night before at The New Inn -- my favorite pub in St. Andrews. Alfie was behind me yelling out directions, "left," "right," "straight," "the other left you twit." The next think I know we are at some 12 1/2 hole golf course well north of Brora about to play a match with a bunch of locals who keep touting the virtues of their local version of "Scottish wine." I was in the last group out, everyone else was on the course, when I took a sip of the "wine". I awoke - in the dream - on a couch in the back room of a club in Singapore and I was being reprimanded up because I was the trumpet player in an all-girl cabaret and I had to go on stage for the midnight show.

When I awoke for real, the television was off and I was in the dining room under the table.

Anthony

[Tony_Muldoon]

Scott great stuff.  How did someone with your name become an expert on Irish 9 holers?

It looks like Sutton could be reached via the DART. 20 mins to Dublin City Centre?


Anthony, in my younger days I wouls have suggested putting you in charge of the medication on the bus. However a holiday may be now overdue and you'll need your strength up for the trek to pastures unknown.

[Jack_Marr]

I have played Sutton many times. A very enjoyable track - although not the most difficult links in the world

Apart from those already mentioned, Borris is famed in Ireland to be one of the best nine holers. Coolattin used to be, but it was turned into an 18 holer.

Foxrock golf club is another, but they will probably be developing it into a housing estate (members getting 700,000 euro each!)

A book on nine-holers sounds great - so good you'd read it twice. The Lloyd angle sounds good - unfortunately, it's too late for me to become an 80s celebrity.

John

[James Bennett]

funniest thread I have read for a while.  Those pictures from Frank Pont's website broke me up.  There should be a second cartoon caption contest, but this time using the 5 sheep in a bunker photo, and pehaps the little sprinkler on the last green!

Absolutely priceless.

Oh, and Anthony Pioppi, what do you drink late at night?

James B

[ANTHONYPIOPPI]

Jack,

Don't sell yourself short. You can play the role of an aging 80s nobody! I think the script calls for one of of those. Can you drive a van?

James,

I'm not sure, let me check the police report.

Anthony

[Marty Bonnar]

Here's the Fife contingent:

Anstruther


Auchterderran


Cupar


Falkland


Leslie


Lundin Ladies (top right corner)


Saline


Also (sorry, I don't have the aerials) Cluny and Lochore Meadows.

I had never realised just how many we have!

FBD.