My Week In Fife

[Tim Gavrich]

I am writing this from on board the NationalExpress train from Waverley Station in Edinburgh to King's Cross, London.  A week ago, my father and I headed from Edinburgh up to Crail, where we stayed at the second home of a couple who stayed two weeks at our condo in Pawleys Island, SC in April (home-swap thing).  We played seven straight days of golf at Crail-Balcomie, St. Andrews (New), St. Andrews (Old), Lundin GC, Elie, Scotscraig, then Crail once more yesterday before heading to London to see family for the next week or so.  It was my first experience with links golf and I had an absolute blast.  We were so excited to get to play TOC on the ballot system, and it did not disappoint!  I'd rank the golf courses we played at follows:

6. St. Andrews (New)
T3. Crail (Balcomie)
T3. Lundin
T3. Elie
2. Scotscraig
1. St. Andrews (Old)

Even though the New Course makes the bottom of my list, I'd still consider it a good-to-very good course that I would quite enjoy playing on a future visit to Fife.

I hope to comment on the courses individually at a later point, aided by pictures (the only shots I got myself were of Balcomie Links yesterday, but my dad took pictures at all the other courses, so I hope to get a few of those).  Overall, I found links golf to be a lot of fun above all else.  Not being able to play many full shots puts quite a premium on one's touch around the greens.  As a player with a weaker short than long game, I nonetheless surprised myself at times with a few long chip-and-run shots around the greens; getting up and down on #11 at TOC out of Hill (you know, the one Bobby Jones got really fed up in ) bunker was a lot of fun too! 

One thing that frustrated me a few times over here was the fierce, IMO-overzealous protection of the "Medal" tees at many of these clubs.  I certainly understand the aversion to letting any old person play from the longest tees for fear of pace-of-play issues, but I'd been under the impression that the recommendation to bring a handicap certificate with you to the UK would take care of that.  At Crail it wasn't a problem because the course is less than 6000 yards from the tips, but everywhere else, save for Scotscraig, when I showed proof of my handicap (0.8, now 0.3) to those in charge, I was denied access to the back tees, except for two holes at Elie.  Now I understand that I wouldn't, and shouldn't be allowed to play, say, the Open tees at St. Andrews (both Old and New), but the white tees at ~6700 yards reserved for pros only?  That was a bit frustrating.  As a result, I was hitting little more than wedges into almost every par 4 I played.  I don't mind the low scores (I shot even par 72 and 71  at TOC and Lundin, respectively, without playing spectacular golf), but it would have been even more fun to have been able to test myself in that way.  I don't mean to sound like a whiny brat, but I'm just curious as to the obsession with "pros only" at those yardages.  If the US Am champion went to play the New Course at St. Andrews, would he be denied the Medal tees he deserved to play (based on his ability) because he wasn't a professional (NOTE: I don't mean to imply that I'm anywhere near good enough to win a US Am; just a thought question)?

That all said, it's not like the golf was ruined because of the shorter-than-expected courses.  I had a wonderful time, and can't wait to return.  But I have a little more golf to play before leaving the Isles, highlighted by a late graduation (from high school) gift round a Sunningdale from my auntie.  Stay tuned.

Cheers!

--Tim Gavrich

[Ally Mcintosh]

Tim,

Sounds like a great trip...

...A lot of members clubs protect their "Medal Tees". It can be quite frustrating I agree, especially when it effectively takes all strategy out of the equation for a longer hitter.

But I am really surprised to hear that TOC didn't let you play off the Whites.

[Phil McDade]

One thing that frustrated me a few times over here was the fierce, IMO-overzealous protection of the "Medal" tees at many of these clubs.  I certainly understand the aversion to letting any old person play from the longest tees for fear of pace-of-play issues, but I'd been under the impression that the recommendation to bring a handicap certificate with you to the UK would take care of that.  At Crail it wasn't a problem because the course is less than 6000 yards from the tips, but everywhere else, save for Scotscraig, when I showed proof of my handicap (0.8, now 0.3) to those in charge, I was denied access to the back tees, except for two holes at Elie.  Now I understand that I wouldn't, and shouldn't be allowed to play, say, the Open tees at St. Andrews (both Old and New), but the white tees at ~6700 yards reserved for pros only?  That was a bit frustrating.  As a result, I was hitting little more than wedges into almost every par 4 I played.  I don't mind the low scores (I shot even par 72 and 71  at TOC and Lundin, respectively, without playing spectacular golf), but it would have been even more fun to have been able to test myself in that way.  I don't mean to sound like a whiny brat, but I'm just curious as to the obsession with "pros only" at those yardages.  If the US Am champion went to play the New Course at St. Andrews, would he be denied the Medal tees he deserved to play (based on his ability) because he wasn't a professional (NOTE: I don't mean to imply that I'm anywhere near good enough to win a US Am; just a thought question)?


Cheers!

--Tim Gavrich

Tim:

Glad you enjoyed your time in Fife; I fondly recall my time at Crail Balcomie, sometimes an overlooked course in the Fire-area. Your rating of Scotscraig should engender some debate; it gets widely distributed opinions here and elsewhere.

As for the medal tees, not to sound like too much of a prig -- but you're a guest. Both at their clubs and -- as your passport indicates -- their country.

[Rich Goodale]

Timn

The white tees are not "pros only+--they are for competitions only, and those largely consist of club events in which both the 24 handicap hacker and the plus 3 champion participate in.  It's an historical thing that protection of the "medal" tees for competitions only, and more and more clubs are allowing visitors to play from them, usually under certain conditions.

Rich

BTW, if you are planning to submit your Fife scores for your USGA handicap, few if any of them are valid, as the Standard Scratch (course rating) usually applies only to the Medal tees.  If they computed it, the standard scratch for the Old Course from the visitors tees would probably be something like 70.

rfg

[Mark_Rowlinson]

That's how it's done over here. White tees are members' and yellow ones are visitors' almost without exception. Very likely the professional, steward or whoever takes your green fee would not have the authority to override that. probably the best way would be to e-mail or write to the secretary well in advance so that he or she can have it put before the committee - they decide absolutely everything. They might, in such a case, also arrange for you to play with a member. I recall arranging this for Tommy Williamsen a couple of years ago at Sandiway, Delamere Forest, Reddish Vale and Stockport, while Ringway and Prestbury, bless them, let us both out without even having to pay a green fee. But it has to be done well in advance so that the bureaucracy can be overcome.

[Dan King]

Tim Gavrich writes:
One thing that frustrated me a few times over here was the fierce, IMO-overzealous protection of the "Medal" tees at many of these clubs.

Given a choice between the system on this side of the pond and their system, their system works better. The problem with any system is where to draw the line. Many courses in the U.S. ignore the line by saying anyone can play any tees and don't worry about pace of play. In the U.K. they have drawn a line closer to nobody gets to pick what tees they play and they will worry about pace of play. I got no problem with that.

That was a bit frustrating.  As a result, I was hitting little more than wedges into almost every par 4 I played.

I fail to understand this complaint. Maybe you can help. If you don't want to be hitting wedges into par 4s, don't. They weren't forcing you to hit a wedge, were they?

You want a challenge, take a bunch of clubs out of your bag. Play with five or six clubs. It will not only make the walk more enjoyable, it will give you all sorts of new challenges. Or try playing the par 4s in reverse. Hit a wedge off the tee and then have a shot similar to your tee shot into the green.

Cheers,
Dan King

It is a test of temper, a trial of honour, a revealer of character. It means going into God's out of doors. getting close to nature, fresh air and exercise, a sweeping of mental cobwebs and a genuine relaxation of tired tissues.
  --David Forgan

[ChipOat]

The last time I visited Dornoch, even members weren't permitted to play the Medal Tees unless it was a competition.

The only way to get around it was to make sure nobody was looking on a hole-by-hole basis.

If that's changed, Rich Goodale would know about it.

[Steve Kline]

I have generally been able to play from the back tees at almost all courses in Scotland/England (handicap below scratch). The worst of the bunch regarding this was TOC. They were pretty rude about it when asked. However, I played them at the New. Dornoch would let me (the starter said under a certain handicap could) but we couldn't because not everyone in our group had a low enough handicap and everyone had to play from the same tees. Most places (Birkdale for instance) we just went into the pro shop and told them our handicaps and they didn't have a problem.

I understand their rules and respect them if told I can't do it but I think it is pretty stupid. Playing TOC at 6,200 yards when the ball is running like crazy isn't that much fun. I've driven the 9th green there with a 3 wood.

[Brian Phillips]

Steve,

What did you get those times you drove the 9th with a 3 wood? Just curious...

Brian

[Tim Gavrich]

One thing that frustrated me a few times over here was the fierce, IMO-overzealous protection of the "Medal" tees at many of these clubs.  I certainly understand the aversion to letting any old person play from the longest tees for fear of pace-of-play issues, but I'd been under the impression that the recommendation to bring a handicap certificate with you to the UK would take care of that.  At Crail it wasn't a problem because the course is less than 6000 yards from the tips, but everywhere else, save for Scotscraig, when I showed proof of my handicap (0.8, now 0.3) to those in charge, I was denied access to the back tees, except for two holes at Elie.  Now I understand that I wouldn't, and shouldn't be allowed to play, say, the Open tees at St. Andrews (both Old and New), but the white tees at ~6700 yards reserved for pros only?  That was a bit frustrating.  As a result, I was hitting little more than wedges into almost every par 4 I played.  I don't mind the low scores (I shot even par 72 and 71  at TOC and Lundin, respectively, without playing spectacular golf), but it would have been even more fun to have been able to test myself in that way.  I don't mean to sound like a whiny brat, but I'm just curious as to the obsession with "pros only" at those yardages.  If the US Am champion went to play the New Course at St. Andrews, would he be denied the Medal tees he deserved to play (based on his ability) because he wasn't a professional (NOTE: I don't mean to imply that I'm anywhere near good enough to win a US Am; just a thought question)?


Cheers!

--Tim Gavrich

Tim:

Glad you enjoyed your time in Fife; I fondly recall my time at Crail Balcomie, sometimes an overlooked course in the Fire-area. Your rating of Scotscraig should engender some debate; it gets widely distributed opinions here and elsewhere.

As for the medal tees, not to sound like too much of a prig -- but you're a guest. Both at their clubs and -- as your passport indicates -- their country.

Phil McDade--

Fair enough.  I understand that it's their club and they can do whatever they want and make whatever rules they want, and I certainly respect that.  I felt bad and as if I'd been rude when I just walked to the white tee on the 1st at St. Andrews-New and was told (very politely, thankfully) that they only allow pros to play from there.  Lesson learned, I asked everywhere else.  If Medal tees are reserved only for competitions, how are participants in said competitions to play practice rounds?

Dan King--

The nonchalant American philosophy of "anyone can play any tees and don't worry about pace of play" is bad, but the UK system, as I experienced it, didn't seem great either.  What possible problem is there--other than possible ego bruising of the club if an 18 year old American such as myself shoots a low score from the tips--with restricting play from those tees to, say handicaps of 5 and better, all the while reserving the right to take that away if play slows down?

No disrespect intended, but what is your handicap?  The two even par rounds (72 at TOC and 71 at Lundin) that I played felt somewhat empty because I played mediocre golf.  I didn't feel as though I'd earned them.

As for your next suggestion, why should I have to drastically alter my game in order to force myself to hit those other shots into the greens?  The object of the game of golf is to try to play as few shots as possible.  Why should I have to artificially make the game more difficult because "rules are rules" vis-a-vis the tee box situation?  Doesn't it reflect poorly on the architecture if a scratch player feels almost totally unchallenged by the golf course?

Mark Rowlinson--

I will definitely try to contact the club secretaries next time.

Steve Kline--

It's interesting that you've been allowed to play the back tees when you've been in the UK.  I'm beginning to wonder if my being 18 years old and a scratch player may give me a negative "young buck" image to some.  That's why I always tried to be polite in asking, and polite when denied.


~ ~ ~

I guess what I'm struggling with in terms of this issue is the "why."  If Medal tees are reserved only for competitions, why wouldn't a member be allowed to practice from the tees he'll be playing from in the club championship?  Is it a pace-of-play issue?  If not, is it an ego issue?  Do they not want to take the chance on some random kid shooting 71, 70, 69 at their beloved, cherished course?  I may be dim, but I just can't perceive an actual reason for the prohibition.  And "Because" won't really feel satisfactory.  But then again, I am from Generation "Me," and I may need some attitude adjustment.

Cheers.

--Tim

[James Boon]

Most courses I know over here keep the white tees for competitions only. Thats pretty much always been the way of things as far as I can remember, but I do know some courses that have an extra set of tees, for instance Notts.

Its 6600 from the yellow, 6900 from the white and 7100 from the blue. I have usually played it off the yellow, but there is the possibility they may let a decent standard visitor out on the whites (?) as I think they reserve the blue for Open Qualifying and other big competitions. I have played it off the blue once, when I joined my brother on his practice round for Open Qualifying, but not sure I'd want to do it every day!

On a similar theme, I played Royal Liverpool a couple of months after the open off their yellows at 6200, some 1000 yards less than the Open. I found this a real dissapointment as some of the tees were around 100 yards forward, so on 14 where Tiger played long irons off the tee all week (and holed a 4 iron second one day), I could hit a driver over all the bunkers he was trying to avoid and only had a wedge to the green.

We did nip out for a quick extra 7 holes and played these off the back tees, I think a set of whites, so not the very back tees (though we probably shouldn't have) and I found this much more of a challenge, which is what I wanted playing an Open Championship course.

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim:

As some have explained, the traditions and thoughts about all of this are just different over there.  The back tees are usually called "medal" tees because they are intended to be played only in medal competition, as a few have explained.  Thus of course you ask logical questions - what harm would it cause if an obviously strong player played the medal tees when visiting - but it's just not how it's done over there.  Think of it like the removal of one's cap in the clubhouse - that makes little sense in terms of pure logic also, but one just does it because it also means no harm.

SO... yes these courses did play too short for you, and that's a shame.  But remember, you got to play them PERIOD, and that's a great thing.  If accessing them at all means playing short tees, well.. just try to look at the good side.  They could be more private like so many of our great courses and the best you could hope for is playing them on a computer game.

In any case, yes exceptions do get made; usually when few are around, or the like.  I know one time I simply asked if I could play back and they said fine - I believe it was at Dornoch.  But then again I was an unimposing 30+ year old who asked in the course of other chat about the course; I dare say if I was a strapping 18 year old, no matter how polite, well... the response wouldn't have been the same.  So yes, perhaps you had that going against you.

In any case, many have asked these questions before, and there is no good answer... except I think, to just count your blessings that you were allowed to play these great courses at all.

TH

[Dan King]

Tim Gravich writes:
As for your next suggestion, why should I have to drastically alter my game in order to force myself to hit those other shots into the greens?

Because you want to be challenged. Least that is what you claimed earlier.

The object of the game of golf is to try to play as few shots as possible.

So the challenge has nothing to do with it? If this were true, there are numerous ways to make the game less challenging but induce lower scores.

Why should I have to artificially make the game more difficult because "rules are rules" vis-a-vis the tee box situation?

You are a visitor. You are arguing you are special and should be treated special. Don't blame the Scots for not recognizing your specialness. You think the line should be drawn so you are included. They disagree. They draw the line with competition. They like to make the tees special for competition. Get over yourself.

Doesn't it reflect poorly on the architecture if a scratch player feels almost totally unchallenged by the golf course?

I don't see why. I've always thought all courses should be designed to maximize my enjoyment, but still, I understand if they don't.

Cheers,
Dan King

Golf is the only game where the worst player gets the best of it. He obtains more out of it as regards both exercise and enjoyment, for the good player gets worried over the slightest mistake, whereas the poor player makes too many mistakes to worry about them.
  --David Lloyd George

[Marty Bonnar]

Tim,
sorry we didn't get a chance to meet/golf. You missed some pretty good Budanising, too!

The whole Medal Tee thing is a ridiculous anachronism which probably stems from the times when greenkeeping standards - on the inland courses at least - couldn't cope. Keeping one set of tees 'nice' could well have been how the memberships salved their consciences when they allowed visitor - gasp! - play during the week. That way they could still have their perfect teeing areas for the saturday medal.

Nowadays, with excellent levels of greenkeeping, I'd suggest that you really should be able to tee off from anywhere in the teeing ground. When it gets to the stage where they're protecting a teeny wee 'private' area at the expense of a gazillion divots for the fee payers, I do begin to wonder. I've been places where you can hardly find a bit of grass to tee in while the medal looks like a meadow. Allow play from the whites or don't have visitor play - simple.

BTW, daily fee places like Kingsbarns (with no 'real' membership) will happily allow 'back tee' play if you have the ability (and some proof)

Fat.

[Jon Wiggett]

Tim,

in Britain its been the way for a long long time that white markers are for medal play only. At most clubs the back tees are quite small and if they let anyone play from them then they would soon be hacked up. It is a question of where do you draw the line.

[Steve Kline]

Steve,

What did you get those times you drove the 9th with a 3 wood? Just curious...

Brian

Only played the course twice...did it once...made birdie.

[Steve Kline]

Tim,

in Britain its been the way for a long long time that white markers are for medal play only. At most clubs the back tees are quite small and if they let anyone play from them then they would soon be hacked up. It is a question of where do you draw the line.

If you are hacking up the back tee you shouldn't be playing from it. I laugh whenever I play the back tees on a course and see a big divot on the tee of a really long par 4. If you are taking a divot like that with a driver you have no business playing the back tees.

[Jon Wiggett]

Steve,

you're of course correct, but there a lot of people who think they are better players than they really are.

[Tim Gavrich]

Tim Gravich writes:
As for your next suggestion, why should I have to drastically alter my game in order to force myself to hit those other shots into the greens?

Because you want to be challenged. Least that is what you claimed earlier.

The object of the game of golf is to try to play as few shots as possible.

So the challenge has nothing to do with it? If this were true, there are numerous ways to make the game less challenging but induce lower scores.

Why should I have to artificially make the game more difficult because "rules are rules" vis-a-vis the tee box situation?

You are a visitor. You are arguing you are special and should be treated special. Don't blame the Scots for not recognizing your specialness. You think the line should be drawn so you are included. They disagree. They draw the line with competition. They like to make the tees special for competition. Get over yourself.

Doesn't it reflect poorly on the architecture if a scratch player feels almost totally unchallenged by the golf course?

I don't see why. I've always thought all courses should be designed to maximize my enjoyment, but still, I understand if they don't.

Cheers,
Dan King

Dan--

Yes, I want to be challenged.  But if the best way to do that is to hit a much shorter club off the tee, for example, in order to artificially give myself a longer shot into the green, doesn't that mean that the architecture doesn't provide for that?  When I play golf courses for the first and possibly only time (or at least for a very long time), why would I want to hold myself back in order to give myself those longer shots?  I'm out to shoot a score, not to mess around.  If inserting a more varied challenge into the game was merely a matter of hitting shorter clubs off the tee, what point would there be in playing more than a couple courses ever?  I could just hit different clubs off the tee and force the golf course to be different.  It would also mean that the occupation of golf course architect could well become irrelevant, if players were left to create the challenge.

I do not intend to argue for special treatment for myself.  I am trying to get to the bottom of why (it seems) all golfers of my approximate ability are barred from playing the longer tees.

I agree that golf courses should strive for high enjoyment.  That said, I would have enjoyed my 71 at Lundin much more if I'd had to play well to shoot it.

Tom Huckaby--

You're absolutely right; I now feel as if I have not been properly thankful for the opportunities I had to play these courses, period.  I wouldn't have traded the week's golf for anything; I had great fun spending the time with my father on such interesting courses.  My nitpickiness is not one of my favorite traits.

~~~

New thought: why do these clubs even bother to put the back tees out if they're not going to let anyone play from them?  It seems like the club is just thumbing their noses at everyone--members and low-handicap guests alike.

I do now understand that tradition is the driving force behind the prohibitions.  I guess I'll just have to qualify for the Open Championship a few times and thereby earn a little bargaining power  .

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim - good on you, as the Aussies say.  That's the spirit!

Tom H.

[Darren_Kilfara]

I'm noticing an increasing number of clubs that *do* allow guest play off the medal tees, for what it's worth - certainly my home club, Dunbar, now allows it without restriction. So I don't think this rule will necessarily be set in stone forever...

Cheers,
Darren

[Reef Wilson]

Tim,
Did you not play Craighead links while at Crail? I know it's newness puts it not in the league of the others, but I think it a fun challenge assuming greens are in decent shape(which they were not for me).
Reef

[Chris Kane]

If the clubs you visited adopted similar policies to your part of the world, your experience of the courses would be limited to looking through a locked gate.

I was more than happy to play the yellow tees than not play at all.

[Brent Hutto]

One thing I like about playing in the UK is the insistence on pretty much one set of tees for a given day's play. The courses I've seen seem to make that "one set" playable for any but the shortest-hitting senior golfers which means the distances are usually right in my wheelhouse (I'm neither a senior or the shortest hitter but I do drive the ball about 210-220 yards typically). At a lot of American courses I have the choice between playing tees with forced carries I can't negociate or else walking forward a set of tees from the rest of the group I'm playing with. The typical UK system works out much better for me, although of course I recognize that as a purely selfish viewpoint.

I also grok the concept of having medal competition set aside as a special happening, including a more difficult set of tees for the purpose. Hopefully the UK will never get on the American bandwagon of treating every round as a card-and-pencil "challenge" to be played from the furthest back set of tees that you can possibly handle (if not a set longer) with the addition of "mulligans" and other attempts to mitigate the unpleasant consequences of a ridiculously unrealistic mindset. Of course they have their own set of bullshit attitudes over there, too. But at least for a week or two a year I can trade the US golfer b.s. for a different variety.

In other words, go over and appreciate what's different about the game in another golf culture. And while you're at it try a pint of Bellhaven's Best after your game.

[mike_beene]

Tim,I share your frustration especially re TOC.You still get basically the same 17,18,10 and 11.Wind can make the distances irrelevant,and you can hit a lot of 2 irons off tee.I like the Carnoustie 6-6-6.I love that Kingsbarnes lets you play the tips.Remember,there have been so many ugly Americans over the years that I don't blame the Scotts for having some rules.The continued rudeness of a vocal minority of Americans is both embarassing and frustrating.