OK GCAers, I Need Your Help on our UK Golf Trip

[Mark Chaplin]

Parker in that case after work on the 15th drive straight to St.Andrews and spend all of your time there. Buy a links ticket for unlimited golf on the New, Jubilee and Eden all of which are very good courses and maximise your chances to get on TOC. St. Andrews is a great town and you'll spend quality time with your father.

[Scott Warren]

Parker,

I completely understand your desire to have that experience with your dad.

That being so, and Aug 16-18 being a Friday to Sunday, get thee to St Andrews Thursday afternoon/evening after you get done working in Hoylake.

The height of tourist season and on a weekend, the ballot will be competitive, so you want to give yourself the best possible chance to get on TOC with your dad. Of course you can likely get on as singles any day, but it would be a shame to go all that way and only play it in different groups.

Aside from that, enjoy St Andrews, play some of the small courses nearby like Crail (Balcomie), visit Anstruther for dinner from the fish bar... spend some time really immersing yourself in a special place.

[Mark Pearce]

Parker,

If you're going to be in Fife on Friday 16 August and fancy a game at Crail or Elie, PM me.

Mark

[Scott Warren]

Brian,

His day two is a Saturday. That being so, 36 at Muirfield seems optimistic.

A Sunday at North Berwick West Links - do they take visitors on weekends?

[Mark Pearce]

Given that the three days re a Friday, Saturday, Sunday Muirfield is out, unless playing as guests of a member.  Basing yourself in St Andrews and playing three days in Fife (maybe with a trip to Carnoustie if you like self-flagellation) is the best bet.  You'll have to work on getting on TOC on the Friday.  Enter the ballot and hope.  Otherwise, reasonably good chance of getting on as a two with another pair if you turn up early.

[Mark Chaplin]

This thread shows the importance of stating your aims clearly at the beginning and not after a page of advice, the thread is really;

"Working near Hoylake want to play at St.Andrews with my dad, what's the best way of doing so?"

[Bill_McBride]

Parker, when you've made your plans for St Andrews, ask your host (B&B or hotel staff) to enter you and your dad in the ballot for the days you'll be in St Andrews.  I think it's now done two days in advance so you won't have time to do it yourself.   This is routine for the B&B guys.

Are you going to do some scouting for the JMU team?   

[Parker Reeves]

I appreciate all of the help everyone.  I do have a pretty strict schedule as I have to be back in the states.  The comments have been very helpful and I thank everyone for their time.  Sorry for any confusion I may have caused, but I think some of the information I've received has been great.

All the best!

[Brent Hutto]

I think the two take-aways from this thread are:

a) Start from the one thing you absolute consider top priority and work any other courses around that

b) Allow twice the travel time and three times the travel aggravation that you'd expect on a similar Interstate highway trip in most parts of USA.

In my limited experience (four trips to England, only one to Scotland) if you address these two issues adequately, everything tends to fall in place very nicely. The only real danger is letting your main reason for making the trip get crowded out by all the other stuff you try to pack in around it.