A Quickie in Fifeshire

[Mike Hendren]

Since the treehouse never tires of offering Scotland advice, I need some direction.

I won round-trip airfare to Scotland, two nights accomodations and a round of golf.  All plans are at my discretion.  

I'm looking at flying into Glasgow and staying two or three nights at the Dunvegan in St. Andrews.  Ms. Sheena and I have already corresponded.  I plan to arrive before noon on Sunday and walk TOC.   As a single, I'll count on my lodging hosts and fellow guests to get on TOC and the New as well as a couple of locals such as Elie or Crail.  I don't envision booking any tee times in advance.  I'm looking at late September or early October.  

Here's the rub - I'm jonesing to get to Cruden Bay - bad.  Yeah, save all the talk about me going back some day and not OD'ing on golf, but it looks to be 2+ hours from St. Andrews and doable.  What about staying near Cruden Bay for my third night, playing 36 the next day and heading toward Glasgow for the plane home the next morning?  Should I consider flying into Aberdeen instead?

This trip will be a success if I can play TOC and CB alone.    As for staying longer, with golf trips to the left coast and America's heartland this year, I've depleted my marital capital reserve.  I'm not a rater and therefore not on scholarship

Thanks,

Mike

[Yancey_Beamer]

Mike,
 Fly into Aberdeen.
 Play Cruden Bay.The largest dunes on a course in Scotland.One so big a par-5 plays along the summit of this monster.Truly amazing and not to be duplicated.
You'll pass by Carnoustie on your way to St. Andrews.It is about 45 minutes from there to St. Andrews.Your choice.It is the hardest links course of all.
Good choice of the Dunvegan.The home to all caddies in town including Tip. Sheila runs an exceptional place.
In Fife dont forget Scotscraig.Formerly the R&A's inland course.Easy to get on and the home of MacDonald's knoll hole.
Leave from Aberdeen.It's about 2 hours from St.Andrews to Aberdeen.
Enjoy.There's truly amazing golf packed into that small area of eastern Scotland.

[John_D._Bernhardt]

I agree with Aberdeen. You may be able to get on Cruden Bay on sunday. But say play Kingsbarns, then Crail well before scotscraig. Crail is not hard but on an incredible piece of land and has some of the best par 3's on earth. Carnoustee is above it too since you are going by.

[plabatt]

Mike
Remember that the Dunhill Classic played the last weekend in September uses TOC, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarn.  Plan your trip to avoid this event.  I know from experience-everything at St. Andrews is jammed.
Crail is a wonderful warmup, sets the mood and tempo for Scotland.  Don't forget Royal Aberdeen on your way to Cruden Bay.

[Dan King]

If I were you, I'd fly into Aberdeen, rent a car and drive to Cruden Bay. Get a room at the Kilmarnock Arms. It's across the road from the third green and fourth tee. It is also famous for being were Bram Stroker wrote Dracula with inspiration from nearby Slain Castle. It isn't a luxury hotel, probably cost around £30 or £40. The floors aren't level and it's shared facilities. But the golfers all hang out in the bar at night to talk about their games. Buy a drink or two and your bound to setup a game for the next day. When I was there last the son of the owners of the hotel, James, was the club champion.

You'll want to play Cruden Bay at least two or three times. When I was there it was an £8 rate for the entire day if you played with a member for that first round.

I think it is probably a little longer than a 2 hour drive to St. Andrews, but it's a nice drive. Aberdeen is a cool city for site seeing.

However, before doing all this you might want to check with Cruden Bay, make sure they aren't having a competition that day, or if they are, if it is open. Also if you don't have a match, let the pro know you'd like to play with locals. I'm guessing much of Saturday play is now tourists.

Re-reading your post, you might be better off at Cruden Bay on the Wednesday or Thursday on your way out of Scotland. I made the drive once from Cruden to Glasgow and don't remember it being that tough of a drive.

If you go to Cruden at the beginning of your trip you might want to stick around one more night and get an early round in Sunday morning. No point of rushing to St. Andrews, since TOC is closed.

Dan King

There are burns to cross, hills to carry, and hidden nooks to drop into. Some of the shots are blind -- willfully blind if you like to call it so...but there are some truly fine golfing holes, on the grand scale.
 --Bernard Darwin

[ForkaB]

Mike

What is the nature of your "Jones" re: Cruden Bay?  Are you hooked because you have been there and want to get back, or hooked because you think you should have played there and want to remedy the error?

In either case, I can see the temptation, but having played there yesterday and Lundin Links today, I would say just chill out at the Dunvegan.  Rather than dooing a road trip, play Elie or Kingsbarns or even Lundin Links--of which I have never been a great fan (but it is growing on me...).  Lundy  is playing far better right now than Cruden Bay.  Then, give Sheena a furtive kiss (or even a proper lumber) get back on the plane and then see if it's in any way possible to even think of kicking your dog when you get back in your front door.......

PS--it took me 2 1/2 hours to drive from the equivalent of St. Andrews to CB--and I drive FAST.

PPS--There is no such thing as "Fifeshire."  It is just "Fife", or the "Kingdom of Fife" to mere mortals.

PPPS--Cruden Bay is not in Fife.

PPPPS--Whatever you choose to do, enjoy!

[Mike Hendren]

Rich,

"Fifeshire" is a term I adopted from Robert Kroeger's book.  I thought it queer (baiting the PC crowd), but liked it nonetheless.  I have never been across the pond but need only to look at the photo of the 14th green on the "Blind Holes" thread as motivation for Cruden Bay.  I cannot otherwise explain my three years fascination with the course.  

Sheena recommended Kingsbarn, but for some reason I have no interest in it or Carnoustie.

plabatt (sounds like a good beer brand), thanks for the heads-up re the Dunhill.  I know the daylight shortens considerably in October, but I assume it's less crowded?

Rich, do you prefer Lundin or Leven?

You guys are the best

Regards,

Mike

[Bob_Huntley]

Mike.

Heed Rich's advice. You are attempting to do what so many of us do and that is to spend good golfing time on the road.

Avoid St. Andrews during the last week in August through mid-September. It's the R&A's Autumn Meeting and times on the Old Course are scant.

Whatever you do, don't sell Kings Barns short.

[ForkaB]

Mike

I have never played Leven, but one of my playing partners today is both a member of the Lundin and the Greens Convenor for the "Links Trust" of Leven.  In the 19th hole he expressed his thought that Leven was playing more "linksy" now that Lundin, and was probably the better course.  My other playing partner, who is a long time member of Lundin and has played Leven many times, disagreed.  Vive la difference!

Also, heed Sir Bob's advice re: Kingsbarns--it is "better" than either Lundin or Cruden Bay.  Also, don't discount Carnoustie--it is superb, if very hard.

But........if that Jones is really getting to you, take the plane to Aberdeen, forget about Sheena and her ample charms and spend a couple of days at Dan King's fleabag hotel in Cruden Bay.  You'll not regret it.

[Dan Grossman]

Mike -

Having been to both Fife and Grampian (Cruden Bay), I would tell you to head up north.  Cruden Bay is fantastic and is one of my favorite courses in the world.  Murcar and Royal Aberdeen (right next to each other) are worth playing and are 30 - 45 minutes from Cruden Bay.  While I have not played them, the pictures of Fraserburgh and Peterhead look really neat too.

The Red House Inn, in Cruden Bay, is nice and not too expensive.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Rich when did any of the L's get in the same world with Cruden Bay? I can understand the driving aspect for Bob is right about too much driving per round of golf. Is CB in poor condition now?

[Brian Phillips]

Mike,

I have played the following courses in the areas you are thinking of:

Scotscraig
Elie
Carnoustie
Kingsbarns
Cruden Bay
Royal Aberdeen
Eden
TOC
New
 
and a number of others

I advise you to bum around St. Andrews.  It is not worth the trip up to Cruden Bay when you have so many other courses to try in that area.  Kingsbarns is in my opinion the greatest engineered/manufactured golf course I have seen and is a great fun golf course.

Hang around the crowd at the hotel it is quirky, weird but great.

You will be back and then base yourself in the Aberdeen area were you can then take in Royal Aberdeen (best front nine links in Scotland), Murcar, Nairn and of course Cruden Bay.

If you are going to drive 2 and half hours to see Cruden then I would drive 3 and half to Dornoch instead the best links course that I have played.

Stay in St.Andrews and soak it up and learn some more history.  

Brian

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It is hard to argue with that logic.

[ForkaB]

John

I played CB for the first time 2 days ago, and while it is a very good course it is definitely not a marekedly better course than Lundin Links, IMHO.  I know, you say, "Say it ain't so, Ricardo!" but it is, and it ain't got nothin' to do with conditioning, just architecture.

Sorry, Tiger (insert sad face here...)

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Richardo, it seems this man with the cuban bod must play Lundin Links this summer. I have not play it or the other L in Fife. I did tour a few holes and was not blown away as I was at mighty Cruden Bay. Please do not say this lightly for adding a round or two there will occur during traditional drinking hours on a Scotish Golf excursion.

[ForkaB]

JB

Before you start doing the samba down the back roads to Lower Largo, let me just tell you that (all things being equal) I would play Kingsbarns and Elie before Lundy, and if I felt that my blood alcohol was too much to get in the car, I'd very happily roll down the hill to play Aberdour..

And, if you really wan't to show off that Cuban bod, go to Glasgow, which has just signed up a "twinning" relationship with Habana.

[Mike Hendren]

Then, give Sheena a furtive kiss (or even a proper lumber)

Rich, do what?

Mike

[ForkaB]

Mike

In Glaswegian, having a "lumber" has nothing to do with wood, either real or metaphorical.  It is what in the 50's and 60's in America we used to call "making out."  Ah, the innocence (and euphemisms) of those days......

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Rich I already have Kingsbarns on the docket. I think a round at Elie or Lundin might be great too. I was going to wait till you were not trying to convince the French to get off the wine and drink whisky to play Aberdour.

[Mike Hendren]

Rich,

Thanks for the explanation.  I am greatly relieved.  I feared that after the long journey from Nashville to St. Andrews, there was some expectation that I would check in at the hotel "sporting wood."

Regards,

Mike

[paul westland]

I would mention Murcar-Royal Aberdeen, and Lundin-Leven as great choices for doubling your pleasure without being penalized for piling on! Montrose is a terrific place to play a natural seaside links.  Cruden Bay's remoteness and seaside action pairs with Ballybunion and therefore, should not be missed.  St Olaf, Cruden's 9 hole beauty, is an enjoyable surprise to the main course.

By just staying in St Andrews for a week or five days and playing "what comes up", daily ballot, etc., can get you a dose of magic as well. Has anyone played Ladybank lately?  Our hosts in St Andrews this past April were very keen on the course.  Dreel Tavern in Anstruther, south of St Andrews, is the local of choice.  

[Brian Phillips]

I played Ladybank about three weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  Again it is another course that could be fantastic if the club understood what they had on their hands.

However, there is no reason to play an inland course if you come to Fife and I would stick with the courses mentioned above.

Brian