Looking for Scottish golfing buddies

[Victor Donnay]

I am going to be in the Edinburgh-St Andrews - North Berwick areas for a mixed work -family -  golf trip from Oct 3 to 23. I will be playing as a single so would like to link up    with any golfers in the area who would like to join me. From Friday  Oct 3 - Thursday 10,  I am in St Andrews (giving a math talk at the university on the 8th - on chaos theory, all welcome to attend ).

I am going to try to play the Old Course  on Wed Oct 9th or Thur Oct 10th via either the daily ballot or using the single daily draw. I have found the Old Course Ballot Buddy as a way to get paired up with someone to be eligible for the daily ballot. Any other suggestions for how to get on the ballot as a single or ways to improve ones chances?  I am flexible for the other days as to where to play. I have been reading up here; so many great choices (New, Jubilee, Castle, Elie, Crail, Leven, Luden). I know it will be crazy through the weekend with the Dunhill tournament though.

From Friday Oct 18 - Tuesday Oct 22, I am in North Berwick. I play North Berwick on the Friday and Muirfield on the Tuesday. A benefit of being a single, even though the North Berwick website said they were all booked till 2025, when I asked about playing as a single they were very welcoming and said they would fit me in. Again flexible about where to play on the other days: Gullane, Dunbar , Kilspindle, the Glen, .... My son and his partner are in the process of moving to Edinburgh so I am likely to back often in future years so do not feel the need to play all the courses on this first visit!

Some numbers about me: 65 yrs, 17 hdcp, home club is Philadelphia's McCall Golf Club, a walkable 4500 yds designed by Donald Ross and William Flynn, just across the railroad tracks from Cobbs Creek.

[Marty Bonnar]

Victor,

Would have loved to host you at Ladybank, but I’m getting a new hip this Saturday so will be out of action for six to eight weeks. Let me know when you’re returning and we’ll get set up.
Cheers,
M.

[Victor Donnay]

Marty,


I hope your hip replacement goes well and look forward to connecting when I next return to the area.
Best wishes,
Victor

[Victor Donnay]

Marty,
Sending you good wishes for your recovery.
Victor

[Marty Bonnar]

Victor,
Thank you very much. It went fantastically well. Brilliant young surgeon and great fun Irish anaesthetist made it almost a pleasure! I again opted for the local and was awake for the one and a half hours it took. We’re so lucky here in Fife to have the National Orthopaedic Centre for all of Scotland. Great staff in a lovely new building.
Got out yesterday afternoon. Already walking with just a cane for minor assistance.
I Love the NHS!
F.

[Victor Donnay]

 Marty
 Great fun Irish anaesthetist, I love the NHS! - not comments one hears everyday!  it went so well  Flying to Edinburgh tonight; getting super psyched for the trip. With the Dunhill going on, it looks like playing at St Andrews the next fews days is not easy so I am looking at Leven, Lundin, Elie. Crail (old) is not available for guests till next spring. Other suggestions? I will try the St Andrews courses next week and am using the Ballot Buddy website to get paired with other singles to try the Ballot for the Old Course.
Cheers
Victor

[Marty Bonnar]

Any of those would be a fine choice. All old style, local clubs with lots of history. If you want to see something modern, Kingsbarns or Dumbarnie would be great options - if a tad expensive. All of these are an easy drive from St A if you have the wheels!
Enjoy!
M.

[Victor Donnay]

Marty
Had a wonderful first outing of the trip at Leven. A bit of rain , a bit of wind - by good luck mainly when it was down wind. Amazed (given my usual distance) that I could reach the par 4 first 408 in two with my 5 wood and the 434 4th with 3wood. In both cases I landed short, rolled on and then rolled all the way through and just off the back. Welcome to links golf - I love it! I enjoyed using the course guide book and my range finder to try to figure out which clubs to hit taking the roll into account. Gorse bush score: 3 balls swallowed but 2 ended up a foot or two away and were saved. Including on the famous 14th where being left of the green on the plateau next to the gorse gave a nice 4 hybrid putt across the green.


A highlight. As I was waiting in the clubhouse for my take away sandwich, a senior gentleman came over from his group and welcomed me and my wife to the club, asking where we were from. Told us he was Club Captain from the mid 80s. As I finished the 18th another (much younger) fellow offered to take a picture of us on the 18th green (my wife walked the course w me) and asked how we had enjoyed the round. Perhaps a present Captain. A very welcoming touch and much appreciated. We finished the day with a really wonderful dinner in the clubhouse overlooking the 18th green. Like me, everyone left their uphill  putt short!


Playing the Castle course today. Only course I could find a tee time for on a Saturday. Should be an interesting contrast w Leven. Looking forward to the views.
We had our first view of St Andrews and the bay driving from our hotel (the quirky Old Station Guest House) on the B9131. Coming over the hill, the town and water suddenly appeared with the sun shinning. Breathtaking.

[Marty Bonnar]

Victor,
I have very, very fond memories of my time at Leven. I almost re-joined when I retired, but was able to get in at Ladybank immediately, so chose to do that.
Like many courses here, Leven could do with some (any!) investment, but they do a decent job nonetheless.
Enjoy the Castle! It may be a Doak ‘0’, but I find it a hoot to play.
St Andrews will be busy all weekend with the annual Dunhill yawnfest, unfortunately. Get a photo with the new OTM statue, though!
Cheers,
M.


PS And a wee dram of Balvenie in the Dunvegan in memory of dear Uncle Bill McBride, obviously!