Thomas, I will of course endeavor to make KPIII, but it will be tight.  I have a major business project the week before which will make a trip difficult.  But you know me.  I'll probably get there and thence to "that other place."  Did you talk to Uncle Neal about our fun outing?

Bill:

The pressure ain't over yet.
A tour operator like my beloved Wide World of Golf could still make that happen, regardless of what Mike was told in official correspondence.  The same thing goes for Mike, btw...

But the pressure is lessened, anyway.  I'd understand if you don't want to involve a tour operator.  

The interesting thing about checking in to play TOC is really how LOW-KEY it is... the informality of it... It's a tiny little Hut, there's very little pomp and circumstance...

But then you go to the putting green clearly marked "for players of the old course only"... and then you finally get to enter the tee area... you wait and wait and wait for the "play away" call..  oh man, there is no feeling in golf like it.

Just to keep you on earth though, they won't say your name when they give the "play away" (or at least they never have when I've been there).  That was exaggeration by me, call it heat of the moment... What the starter will say is "10:20 group, play away please."  Just a tiny difference, but as I say, we want to keep you grounded a bit, Bill.

TH

ps - gotcha re TKPIII - we shall keep in touch.  Haven't talked to Neal - I should...

Tiger:

Very cool.  I had thought that when I played TOC in 1987, they did say "Huckaby group on the tee"... but this past July it was just the time and play away please, so I erred on that side.  I guess they must have said the name way back when!

And oh yes, the cool parts of playing TOC certainly don't end on the first tee.  For normal golfers like us, getting actual cheers for a good shot, and groans for a missed putt, is pretty darn fun.  All that sure does take place on 18!

Don't get me started...

TH

Michael, we are flying from Gatwick to Edinburgh to start our St Andrews adventure.  I was planning to take the train from Edinburgh to Painswick, but it turns out it's faster to fly to Gatwick, rent a car and drive to Painswick (2.5 hrs) and you already paid for the flight.  British Air round trip Gatwick-Edinburgh-Gatwick is 115 pounds for two, or $180.  A lot less expensive than similar flights in the US.  

When are you going to be in St Andrews?  Are you going to Painswick?  In future years, people will be saying, "If only I'd gone to Painswick..................."  

Bill - We were planning to go over in June, however (according to the Links Trust) there are very limited ballot opportunities at TOC in June. So, with the Open being played in mid-July, we have decided to visit either the last week of July or the first week of August, after things calm down a bit. I would very much like to join everyone in Painswick, but I simply can't go at that time. My travel companions must wait until school is out at the end of May. Bummer.

Huck - I hope you can live your dream! You'd make a great travel host. Here is a poem by Shel Silverstein I used to read to my son that seem's appropriate:

Listen to the mustn'ts, child.
Listen to the don'ts.
Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts.
Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...
Anything can happen, child.
Anything can be.