First trip to Scotland

[James Reader]

Should also mention the latest addition to the Scottish pantheon, Dumbarnie, is only a fifteen minute drive from St A and well worth the cost!
F.

There speaks a Scot entitled to the reduced rates 
Seriously, I’m very tempted to play it this year.  Would you still say it’s worth it at the full fee of £258, Marty?

That’s still 70 quid cheaper than Kingsbarns!
Seriously, the market is getting silly. I’m not sure I could ever justify the better part of 300 quid for a game of golf, but the demand seems to be there - despite the situation.
Luckily, we still have terrific golf at very affordable prices too, so maybe a mad expensive day tempered by a day at a local Club (especially as a member’s guest! ) might be a reasonable compromise.
F.


PS You have a Fife address, don’t you?

I do Marty, but they want proof of permanent residency unfortunately.


As you say, if I make a day of it with a round at Kinghorn perhaps (for 10% of the price) it starts to look more reasonable. 


Frankly, I’d pay full price for a game almost anywhere at the moment, having just heard that we’ve got another 5 weeks to wait for any golf in England!  If only I’d been up in St Andrews when the lockdown started.  I could have coped with being forced to stay there for 3 months with the courses still open.

[Mark Chaplin]

The most important thing to do first if you are planning a trip to St Andrew’s without tee times is to check the busy dates online. There are quite a few days when there’s no ballot or queue.


If there’s two of you enter the ballot 48 hours in advance everyday.


In the summer there’s usually 20+ people waiting by 5am, we walked past the queue daily at that time for six months.


There are days when people don’t get on, in September my brother and I had a dark time but knew we’d finish the round no problem. We were talking to a couple of guys in the Old Pavilion who’d queued from 4.45am THEY DIDN’T GET OUT. We were asked to take two from the queue and played with two Americans who arrived at 4.30am they were the last from the queue to play.


If you get a ballot time make sure you’ve a credit card, if you pay cash take your passport. I’ve seen guys lose their tee time because they tried to swap with others in their party and pay cash. The starter rumbled them as they had no ID.

[Adam Lawrence]

Thanks for all of the great advice.  All good points.  Who knows what July will bring but the Wall Street Journal had an article this week saying herd immunity is closer to reality in US than we think.  Maybe its a pipe dream but its fun to think otherwise!

I don't quite see how herd immunity can exist if contracting the virus only makes you immune from getting it again for six months, as the scientists appear to be saying.

[Daryl David]

Thanks for all of the great advice.  All good points.  Who knows what July will bring but the Wall Street Journal had an article this week saying herd immunity is closer to reality in US than we think.  Maybe its a pipe dream but its fun to think otherwise!

I don't quite see how herd immunity can exist if contracting the virus only makes you immune from getting it again for six months, as the scientists appear to be saying.

From what I have read current studies indicate that those that have had the virus generally have immunity for at least 6 months as opposed to only 6 months. It’s too early to know how long that immunity can last. That’s why we need to get vaccinations rolling as fast as possible and take advantage of however long that window is.

[mike_beene]

I was rejected from the queue maybe 10 years ago by 3 R&A guys. I got out a while later and don’t know to this day if they realize the snap hook that almost got them came from me. Not intentional but just karma.

[Brian_Ewen]

From what I have read current studies indicate that those that have had the virus generally have immunity for at least 6 months as opposed to only 6 months. It’s too early to know how long that immunity can last. That’s why we need to get vaccinations rolling as fast as possible and take advantage of however long that window is.

Does the vaccine give immunity for 6 months?

[Daryl David]

From what I have read current studies indicate that those that have had the virus generally have immunity for at least 6 months as opposed to only 6 months. It’s too early to know how long that immunity can last. That’s why we need to get vaccinations rolling as fast as possible and take advantage of however long that window is.

Does the vaccine give immunity for 6 months?

Lots of talk about booster shots after 12 months, so it would seem 6 months is good. Otherwise, it would seem the booster would come sooner.