Doak, Dinner, Hickories, Heaven and Honourable Company (some new additions)

« **Reply #25 on:** March 07, 2007, 05:02:04 PM »

Quote from: Sean Walsh on March 06, 2007, 04:02:21 PM

Very much looking forward to Muirfield the next day. For the afternoon if my maths are correct we are close to equal teams for South. Hemisphere against North. Just an idea.

Sean, I like it. If we can pull this off then I nominate Ed Getca to captain the Northern Hemisphere team in a return match down under.

« **Reply #26 on:** March 09, 2007, 06:18:54 PM »

Tony

Please count me in for all the stuff (tour + dinner) after the round at N. Berwick. I'm riding on McBride's coattails...

john krystynak (northern hemi)

« **Reply #27 on:** March 10, 2007, 02:38:27 AM »

a ha

so it may be 'clockwise corolois effect' (the south) vs 'the reverse clockwise corolois effect (the north.

Then again, given that the Old Course 'Reverse' is clockwise, perhaps the South should be the "reverse' team'!

Who cares, the South will win. We have a better handicapping system.

James B

« **Reply #28 on:** March 10, 2007, 08:40:51 PM »

Tony,
Only if I'm a non-playing captain! I've always wanted to be a dictator.

You guys have a great time, I wish I could join you. It is nice to live vicariously through others' journeys in the golf world.

« **Reply #29 on:** March 12, 2007, 09:22:58 AM »

Just to update matters Kelly Blake Moran (an architect who used to post on this DG) will be joining Sean Walsh and myself at Muirfield on Tuesday 27th March. We will still be teeing off at 8.50 am but from the tenth tee rather than the first.

As we are now a threeball in a fourball slot we have a vacancy if anyone would care to join us. Are there any takers out there? If so please contact me.

« **Reply #30 on:** March 12, 2007, 10:57:38 AM »

Early weather forecast for the Monday - 0C first thing, cold all day. Tuesday, cold (Max of 5C) heavy afternoon rain and 30 mph+ winds. Perfect Scottish golfing conditions.

These forecasts have, of course, been known to be wrong......

« **Reply #31 on:** March 12, 2007, 04:13:29 PM »

We have a reservation at Ducks

Dinner
Malcolm Duck (07050 350534) looks forward to welcoming us and has set aside the Green Room for our group.

I have given him the following names but he can accommodate a few more. If you do want to join the group I would appreciate being informed in advance.

Due to the numbers he’s arranging a special menu and this will be emailed out in the next few days. Pleas e make a choice then or be content to have whatever the can provide.

The following have confirmed or have a place reserved.

Tom Doak and or Don Placek and possible 4 others.
Bill McBride
Philip Gawith
Peter Pittock
James Bennett
Michael Christensen
Shane and Matt Sullivan
Mark Pearce
Andrew Mitchell
John Krystynak
Kelly Blake Moran
Tony Muldoon
Rich Goodale
David Mulle

(Apologies if I’ve mangled your name)

Ducks is on the main Road from Gullane to Edinburgh in the next (?) village of Aberlady. http://www.ducks.co.uk/ tel +1875 870682

« **Reply #32 on:** March 13, 2007, 02:15:33 AM »

Quote from: Mark Pearce on March 12, 2007, 10:57:38 AM

Early weather forecast for the Monday - 0C first thing, cold all day. Tuesday, cold (Max of 5C) heavy afternoon rain and 30 mph+ winds. Perfect Scottish golfing conditions.

These forecasts have, of course, been known to be wrong......

Mark where do you go for a two week forecast? Have these things ever been right, it sure is lovely in London at the moment.

« **Reply #33 on:** March 13, 2007, 05:30:29 AM »

Tony,

Metcheck.com and onlineweather.com are both similarly pessimistic, though Metcheck always seems to err on the gloomy. What seems pretty clear is that the current warm weather will be gone in a week, with a return to cold, windy weather which in turn will go away towards the end of the month. We could get lovely weather or the tailend of the cold snap. The reverse TOCers should get quite pleasant weather.

Muirfield could be a monster in a cold wind, but a fun monster!

Mark

« **Reply #34 on:** March 13, 2007, 11:01:44 AM »

This is a special Menu they are putting on for us. In order to cope with this group on a Monday night they've asked us that all those not actually staying in the hotel choose their dishes in advance. Can you please send me an IM by next Tuesday 20th with your choices.

Price £35 including coffee.

Homemade soup of the day

Tian of Baked Crab

With a Parmesan Crust and a Baby Spinach Salad

Roasted Quail

With Red Cabbage, Soubise Sauce, and a Raisin Jus

~~~~~~~

Ribeye of Buccleuch Beef

With Celeriac Gratin, Wild Mushrooms, Confit Garlic, and a Bone Marrow Tartlet

Halibut Roasted on the Bone

With a White Bean and Truffle Puree, Salsify, and Red Wine Butter Sauce

Portobello Mushrooms

Cooked en Paupiette with Garlic and Sage, a Polenta Cake, and Chive Mascarpone

~~~~~~~

Dark Chocolate Fondant with White Chocolate Ice Cream (Please Allow 10 mins)

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Selection of Ian Mellis British Cheeses with Fruit, Chutney and Biscuits

~~~

Selection of Teas and Coffees

« **Reply #35 on:** March 13, 2007, 11:09:56 AM »

Looks very enticing. And I checked those forecasts again today - still cold but the wind and rain have gone and could even get some sun.

« **Reply #36 on:** March 13, 2007, 11:24:02 AM »

I will be staying at Ducks on the 26th, so count me in for the dinner.

Cheers,

Eric

« **Reply #37 on:** March 13, 2007, 12:18:36 PM »

This trip just gets better and better. Food sounds enticing and Mark's weather forecast is improving

I'll think I'll wait until nearer the time before deciding what to pack though - UK forecasts are notorious for being wrong 24 hours in advance let alone two weeks

« **Reply #38 on:** March 13, 2007, 12:32:10 PM »

Quote from: Andrew Mitchell on March 13, 2007, 12:18:36 PM

This trip just gets better and better. Food sounds enticing and Mark's weather forecast is improving I'll think I'll wait until nearer the time before deciding what to pack though - UK forecasts are notorious for being wrong 24 hours in advance let alone two weeks

My father in law is always telling me that Gullane has its own microclimate. Apparently it never rains at Muirfield!

« **Reply #39 on:** March 13, 2007, 12:40:55 PM »

Quote from: Mark Pearce on March 13, 2007, 12:32:10 PM

Quote from: Andrew Mitchell on March 13, 2007, 12:18:36 PM
This trip just gets better and better. Food sounds enticing and Mark's weather forecast is improving I'll think I'll wait until nearer the time before deciding what to pack though - UK forecasts are notorious for being wrong 24 hours in advance let alone two weeks

My father in law is always telling me that Gullane has its own microclimate. Apparently it never rains at Muirfield!

Mark
Whilst I'll reserve judgement on the lack of rainfall at Muirfield until the 27th I would agree with your father in law that Gullane has its own microclimate. Whilst I'm no metoerologist I can vouch for a number of occasions when I've played at North Berwick and Gullane with rain forecast on TV and in the papers and seen rainclouds approach within a mile or two of the Firth of Forth but never quite reaching us

« **Reply #40 on:** March 14, 2007, 03:12:36 AM »

Dinner at Ducks

Bumping this for those who go striaght to the latest page.

This is a special Menu they are putting on for us. In order to cope with this group on a Monday night they've asked us that all those not actually staying in the hotel choose their dishes in advance. Can you please send me an IM by next Tuesday 20th with your choices.

Price £35 including coffee but as indicated before not including drinks.

Please choose, 1 starter , one main and one dessert.

Homemade soup of the day

Tian of Baked Crab
With a Parmesan Crust and a Baby Spinach Salad

Roasted Quail
With Red Cabbage, Soubise Sauce, and a Raisin Jus

~~~~~~~

Ribeye of Buccleuch Beef
With Celeriac Gratin, Wild Mushrooms, Confit Garlic, and a Bone Marrow Tartlet

Halibut Roasted on the Bone
With a White Bean and Truffle Puree, Salsify, and Red Wine Butter Sauce

Portobello Mushrooms
Cooked en Paupiette with Garlic and Sage, a Polenta Cake, and Chive Mascarpone

~~~~~~~

Dark Chocolate Fondant with White Chocolate Ice Cream (Please Allow 10 mins)

Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Selection of Ian Mellis British Cheeses with Fruit, Chutney and Biscuits

~~~

Selection of Teas and Coffees

« **Reply #41 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:16:53 PM »

Alfie sent a message warning that if the forecasts get any better we should all be packing sunscreen

.

From
Muirfield in Winter.

Bernard Darwin 1935

The going was a great romance and I thought of little else for several days beforehand. Now I have come home again; I am hugging to myself the memory of three of the most delightfully friendly and sunshiny days of golf I have ever had in my life...

There was to be a little frost and our early putts behaved rather eccentrically while our driving powers were flattered.
By noon the frost had all gone and for the rest of my three days the weather was perfect. I really mean perfect because to my mind winter golf in fine weather on a seaside course is the best that life has to offer, and worth a hundred rounds on summer days.

...it never can be quite so good again as it was on those winter days “sent from beyond the skies”.

« **Reply #42 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:33:32 PM »

Golf at Muirfield in March can be anything.

I remember playing a foursomes match there a few years back with my associate Don Placek, vs. our host Archie Baird and John Ashworth. At the 14th, which we played at about 400 yards, Don hit a decent drive into the wind, I hit a driver off the deck, and Don hit ANOTHER driver off the deck to about ten feet so we could win the hole in five. I'd guess we were playing in 40 mph winds and 45 degree temps.

It doesn't rain much in Gullane, only about 20 inches per year ... but it rained pretty hard last spring when we were starting the golf course.

« **Reply #43 on:** March 14, 2007, 07:53:45 PM »

just hoping we dont get Muirfield 2002 Saturday Open weather......when the sh*t hit the fan and Tiger shot 82!!

My new zero restriction rain suit can handle anything! Now my footjoy rain gloves, who knows!

« **Reply #44 on:** March 15, 2007, 12:48:58 AM »

Quote from: Andrew Mitchell on March 13, 2007, 12:40:55 PM

Whilst I'll reserve judgement on the lack of rainfall at Muirfield until the 27th I would agree with your father in law that Gullane has its own microclimate. Whilst I'm no metoerologist I can vouch for a number of occasions when I've played at North Berwick and Gullane with rain forecast on TV and in the papers and seen rainclouds approach within a mile or two of the Firth of Forth but never quite reaching us

When I was in North Berwick I walked up to the top of the Law to take in the view, and it was quite amazing to see sunshine over the West Links to in one direction, and rain (appeared to be quite heavy) over the fields in the other direction. OK, that part's not amazing, but I was up there for at least an hour, and it stayed that way, almost like something was preventing the rain from moving further.

I wonder if the vertical features rising above otherwise level ground such as the Law and Bass Rock affect local weather patterns? I suppose its possible. Or maybe its some spell a local witch put on the whale's jawbone

« **Reply #45 on:** March 15, 2007, 06:15:01 PM »

latest weather update:

monday 3/25...high 48 with some sun...perfect8)

tuesday 3/26...high 40 with sun and wind....get out the winter gloves, cords and sweater

wed st andrews....high 44 with sun....snow/rain at night

thurs st andrews....high 48 with rain/sleet/etc....good scottish weather for the new course!

no forecast for friday

« **Reply #46 on:** March 15, 2007, 06:54:56 PM »

The other course we are playing. With thanks to Bogey, Emperor and Mike. From a thread last year.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=24404

Mike I hesitate to incur the wrath that the golfing gods despatch on those who display hubris, but your investment in waterproofs and me buying a new umbrella might have done the trick.

« **Reply #47 on:** March 20, 2007, 11:26:48 AM »

By way of an update we now have a fourth member of our 8.50 group at Muirfield. Eric Franzen, a contributor to this DG, is joining Sean Walsh, Kelly Blake Moran and I.

I think that brings the total to 14, but I've lost track of how that splits between hemispheres, old and new worlds etc etc for the afternoon foursomes

« **Reply #48 on:** March 21, 2007, 01:40:01 PM »

Weather forecast is improving, Tuesday could be sunny with a light wind, and presumably the chills of this week are just to toughen us up.

There have been a few changes of personnel updated in the first post.

Not long now.

« **Reply #49 on:** March 22, 2007, 10:33:24 AM »

Just to whet the appetite a little more some of the places on our itinerary get a few mentions here and here

News:

Tony_Muldoon

johnk

James Bennett

ed_getka

Andrew Mitchell

Mark Pearce

Tony_Muldoon

Tony_Muldoon

Mark Pearce

Tony_Muldoon

Mark Pearce

Eric Franzen

Andrew Mitchell

Mark Pearce

Andrew Mitchell

Tony_Muldoon

Tony_Muldoon

Tom_Doak

Michael Christensen

Doug Siebert

Michael Christensen

Tony_Muldoon

Andrew Mitchell

Tony_Muldoon

Andrew Mitchell