Scottish Open at Loch Lomond

[Nigel_Walton]

I am wondering if anyone has been up to Loch Lomond recently and can give us a report on the firmness of the golf course. A wonderful field, as usual, at a great event but one has to wonder why the European tour cannot come up with a links venue for the Scottish Open.

[David_Tepper]

I have read that the Loch Lomond golf course is located in one of the wettest micro-climates in  central Scotland. I doubt that course will ever play fast and firm!

[Randy Van Sickle]

I couldn't agree more that it would be great to see the Scottish Open played on a links course.  Interesting quote from Ernie today:

"I like to play the week before the Open championship," South African Els told a news conference on Wednesday.

"Maybe it's not the most perfect preparation for an Open championship, with Loch Lomond being quite soft, but I played it yesterday and it's in beautiful condition.

"It's not quite a links course, but it's in the top five of my worldwide golf venues.

"I think the players would prefer to play links golf before the Open, but any kind of competitive golf, especially if you can play well on a tough golf course like this, will definitely help you.

"It will help the nerves going into next week," added Els, who won last year's British Open in a four-way playoff at Muirfield.

EOQ

While Loch Lomond may well be a fine course (I haven't played there), it reminds me much more of the tournament courses on the PGA than what is in my memory of the courses that I've played in Scotland over 3 trips (including TOC, RDGC, Cruden Bay, Carnoustie, Nairn, etc.)

[David_Tepper]

Well, the Golf Channel has just come on with their broadcast from Loch Lomond. So far, there has already been a 4-hour rain-delay and the course is saturated! Typical Loch Lomond weather. As I noted in my prior post, this is one of the wettest micro-climates in central Scotland. You will very, very rarely find "firm and fast" links-like conditions there.  

[James Edwards]

David, your right.

...but change rarely to never.  No comparisons of playability can be drawn between RStG and Loch Lomond.

James

[RT]

Ken Siems told me UK nuclear submarine fleet are stationed there in Glasgow.  That should give some indication of the overall microclimate there.

[David_Tepper]

It's now Friday and it's raining again at Loch Lomond. Check out this article:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/archive/11-7-19103-1-16-33.html

[James Edwards]

Did anyone see Ernie play today?  Just Umbelievable!

Thats a good example of a man who understands the psychology of performance. The lesson is simple: Play with a smile...

Before the tournament, he says he loves the place! praises the course, the club, the country, the tour, the infrastructure, and it's hospitality and surprisingly we see the man on top.  

He has nothing to do with negatives does he? the ongoing battle of Open Championship Qualification, the rights and wrongs and what have you?!

He just fills himself with confidence by telling himself he loves the place and everything that goes with it!  Is he going to win? Most probably! next week? Most probably!  will he have a bad word to say? No!  


James

[cardyin]

In 1998 we were hosted on a visit to St. Andrews by Malcolm Campbell, who used to be editor of Golf Monthly and has had several coffee table books published.  He lamented that Loch Lomond had been built "in a bog."  He said the St. Andrews area is desert-like--about 22 inches of rain on the average annually--compared to the Loch Lomond area-- I believe he said about 80 inches annually.  When we played Loch Lomond later in that trip, it alternated between misting and pouring rain.  Then we watched the Solheim Cup played there in horrendous conditions and now it is more of the same.