[Glen Rapoport]

This past week I played with three other friends 12 rounds in Scotland.....Carnoustie, Panmure, Castle Stuart, Dornoch, Brora, Machrihanish Dunes, Dunaverty, Machrihanish, The Machrie, and Shiskine.  OK....not bragging but good stuff.  What was different is that on most days...we....ranging from 6 to 16 HCP....played a 4 man scramble......HORRORS.....from the Yellow Tees and not all our own ball....how can we tell the folks back home what we shot!  How can we post a score to satisfy the USGA HCP Blue Jackets?  We what happened was we embraced the golf courses, played fast, had time for a second round without being exhausted, and really played 'golf shots' and enjoyed the 'walk in the park' and the experience of the links.  It was just 11 days of fun.....no stress.....fun golf......We got to experience the courses and how they play and did not get caught up in all the mistakes and errors that we made..instead we enjoyed the courses and what they offered us.   It is a great way to see a new golf course and not get caught up in the egotistical distraction of 'what did you shoot'.  Alas, the world situation or our own did not and does not change on how close to par we shoot...especially on these trips across the pond.  Well...for whatever this perspective is worth..there you have it.

Glen

[Fred Yanni]

The purists will fall over dead but sounds like a great time to me.  The only thing I would have changed is making it a shamble ("the horror") and playing your own ball in from the best tee shot so you could have experienced a wider variety of shots around the greens which generally speaking are wonderful there.

Glad you had a great time. 

[Tim Martin]

Glad you had fun but I would rather put a stick in my eye or in the alternative get a root canal in a third world country. Just so you know my opinion has nothing to do with "what I shot" or my reply to someone who asked me "what I shot". To each his own.

[Brent Hutto]

I don't care for scrambles but regarding the posting of scores I consider my occasional trips to the UK to be holidays...and that includes taking a holiday from the idiotic Every Score Is Sacred creed that we're supposed to live by under the USGA's system.

I usually keep a Stableford score one round per trip and post that as a token score in the computer when I get home. Unless I don't know the course and slope rating in which case I say screw it.

[Brad Tufts]

I follow Brent's idea.

I wish my brain would allow a scramble or alt shot but it rarely does.

I still play for score, but I love that you can't really post them.  One of my favorite parts of playing in the UK and Ireland.

The fact that I won't be posting the scores really is the stress-free part for me.

[Thomas McQuillan]

Does the USGA really have to know that you left the country.If its not a strokeplay score don't post it.

[Wade Schueneman]

I agreed to play a scramble at North Berwick years ago and then begged to be released from my commitment after 3 holes.  Golf is a game of give and take.  Hitting a bad shot feels bad, but it often makes for an very interesting next shot.  It occured to me after only 3 holes that I was missing out on many of the the FUN shots offered on this great course.  After all, in a scramble there will be no recovery shots, probably no chips, etc.  I guess if I had 3 or 4 rounds on a course I was visitng overseas then I would agree to 1 scramble (just to see how the course should be played) but no more than that (especially on some of the funky courses that you played).  On a side not, I love the Machrie.

I will say that this is probably a good idea for uptight people (like my brother-in-law who blew up after a few bad holes at the Machrie). 

Also, I love the idea of not worrying about score when playing holiday golf, but there are others ways to do that that I prefer.

1) I often will not keep score.

2) MATCH PLAY!

Interesting topic.  It is good to hear from people who clearly just love to play golf.


3) Keep score and do not worry about it.

[Brent Hutto]

Does the USGA really have to know that you left the country.If its not a strokeplay score don't post it.

That would be a rational idea, no doubt. Unfortunately the USGA's system cares not if it's stroke play, match play, Stableford, whatever. Even for rounds in which one violates the Rules of Golf one is supposed to be obliged to keep an estimated score for handicap-posting purposes. What a bloody-minded approach.

3) Keep score and do not worry about it.

A worthy goal that ought to be a piece of cake. Unfortunately, to date I have been totally unable to do it. If I know that at the end of my round I have to publicly post (i.e. type into a computer where anyone can see it) a score that evaluates my round then I will make my aim to post a good score (whatever that means to me) and I will "worry" if that doesn't happen. It's a personality flaw that manifests in other ways then golf but unlike most of the other ways in which I measure myself golf is supposed to be fun.

[Anthony Gray]

  Nice post Glen.The Scotish golf experience is much greater than score most find out early on their first trip.Also weather dictactes score more than golfing ability.But the true insight to golf in Scotland is how the holes fit the land and how the land dictates the golf more so than in the US.The prime example is Cruden Bay.No other courses falls into the land better.Next time don't pass it up.

 Please tell us more about your views of the different courses.What were your favorites and why?Thanks again for the contribution.Castle Stuart...How was it?

  Anthony

[Chris Buie]

Personally, I could not care less what the USGA thinks - or about all the rules people have made up. 
Sure, if one requires a formal competition to experience the game then by all means focus on counting strokes and all the tedious regulations.  I'll be focusing on other things.
For me a course is more like a somewhat sacred park where one's spirit and general health is elevated - and I, of course, enjoy the social aspect of playing with amiable people.  Anything that diminishes the considerable benefit I derive from this is something I don't have much enthusiasm for at all. 
As I've said before there are a lot of different ways to play the game.  I'm perfectly happy for others to pursue it in their own way.   I enjoy just being on a beautiful course - trying to get the swing dialed in - sussing out the architects intentions - chattering with friends about this and that - seeing how the grasses are performing - simply being out in the open air and sunlight. 
I find it entertaining when people find this objectionable.  If you want to say something to me about this ask yourself if that will increase or decrease the important and healthful enjoyment I get from the game.  If it is the latter - is that really something you find worthwhile doing?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Gentlemen

Welcome to the Game of Golf - For the Land of the Free you seem to have some rather puritan rules. Fancy wrapping up a great bottle of 25 year old Single Malt in a brown paper bag so you can drink it in public, be a man show them what you are made of or invest in a good quality Hip Flask next time in Scotland and fill it with the ‘real water of life’ none of this blended rubbish.

So pleased you all had the opportunity to experience the Freedom of Golf at the Home of the Great Game

Winning is great but it seems to indicate that many in that race to self-importance have misunderstood the real quality and charm of the game which attracted many of my own countrymen to participate way back in the 19th Century. Remember winning is no real option for many millions of golfers, but do they all play to win?

As I mentioned I am pleased you had the opportunity to experience golf at its best, next time after Machrie try Askernish but with Hickory.

Scotland’s Gift is Freedom on the Links - what more can a golfer want?  Well apart from meeting me

Melvyn

[Phil McDade]

Glen:

Forget the scoring system -- what did you think of Dunaverty?

[Glen Rapoport]

Dunaverty was spectacular.....great vistas and views....one of our group got a hole in one on the 11th...Downhill par 4....perfect 3 wood...into the setting sun...didn't see it go in.....just found a pitch mark and then as a last resort...looked in the cup.....he couldn't believe it....and with his Dad looking on...Priceless.

[Brad Klein]

Sounds like a sensible way to play, Glen. When not playing individual stroke scores I prefer the modified scramble idea of playing in from the best drive on par-4s and 5s and trying the occasional art of recovery, but there is nothing quite like hitting a green from the fairway with a full iron shot to judge what a golf hole really plays like..

[Bill_McBride]

Just play match play!  During last week's Buda Cup I never kept a record of the hole by hole scores, just a series of + and - to have a record of who won the holes.  Golf in the Kingdom doesn't lend itself to the scorecard and pencil mentality, but one scramble after another would turn my head to porridge.......

[Anthony Gray]

Gentlemen

Welcome to the Game of Golf - For the Land of the Free you seem to have some rather puritan rules. Fancy wrapping up a great bottle of 25 year old Single Malt in a brown paper bag so you can drink it in public, be a man show them what you are made of or invest in a good quality Hip Flask next time in Scotland and fill it with the ‘real water of life’ none of this blended rubbish.

So pleased you all had the opportunity to experience the Freedom of Golf at the Home of the Great Game

Winning is great but it seems to indicate that many in that race to self-importance have misunderstood the real quality and charm of the game which attracted many of my own countrymen to participate way back in the 19th Century. Remember winning is no real option for many millions of golfers, but do they all play to win?

As I mentioned I am pleased you had the opportunity to experience golf at its best, next time after Machrie try Askernish but with Hickory.

Scotland’s Gift is Freedom on the Links - what more can a golfer want?  Well apart from meeting me

Melvyn

  No access whores in Scotland.

  Anthony

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