2018 BUDA, Golspie and Brora COLLECTING MONEY NOW

[mike_malone]

 I really want to play Prestwick and Royal Dornoch. Niall invited me to Glasgow Gailes at last year’s Buda.


 I could be persuaded to go to N.Berwick and TOC again on a detour and the courses near Aberdeen on the way.


I would love to find someone to join me.

[Ian Galbraith]

Short days and the advent of 2018 are turning my thoughts to happy things like Golspie and Brora.


As a newbie to BUDAs and nr 17 on the list when do you usually finalise the attendees? I'm mainly thinking of getting some accomodation booked if I'm 'in'.
Some of the options appear to be showing no availability for these dates already.


Thanks
Ian

[Niall C]

Bump as to Ian's question.


Mike Malone - can you message me.


Thanks


Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

Glasgow Gailes - underrated.


Some very nice, subtly undulating green sites.

[Niall C]

Glasgow Gailes - underrated.

Yes and no. Often overlooked by visitors due to lack of sea view it doesn't really fare that well in the rankings as most raters tend to be visitors and outwith the area. "Locally" however it is very well regarded. By locally I mean not just in Ayrshire and West of Scotland but by those generally with a good knowledge of Scotlands top courses.


Niall

[Ally Mcintosh]

Glasgow Gailes - underrated.

Yes and no. Often overlooked by visitors due to lack of sea view it doesn't really fare that well in the rankings as most raters tend to be visitors and outwith the area. "Locally" however it is very well regarded. By locally I mean not just in Ayrshire and West of Scotland but by those generally with a good knowledge of Scotlands top courses.


Niall

Fair point. Underrated by hit 'n' runners.

[Niall C]

Ian G


Just checked the OP and it appears you are "in" so you may want to get your accommodation booked now.


Steve


Any updates such as when you will be looking for deposits etc.


Niall

[Steve Wilson]

Niall,


As for deposits, etc.  Soon.  I need a discussion with the BUDA cognoscenti to determine amounts of deposit and deadlines.


I've already contacted the Indian Restaurant in Brora and if we are willing to wait until 730 pm, or 1930 for those you on the 24 hour clock, we can have the entire restaurant for about 20 GBP per head on Saturday May 26.  He also serves European food.  Still in negotiations about this. 


Regards,
Steve Wilson

[Niall C]

Steve


Thanks for that. Happy to pay deposit sooner rather than later.


Cheers


Niall

[Rich Goodale]

Sorry, Steve, but Josie and I will have to pass due to other obligations.  Enjoy all and post pictures!


Rich

[Garland Bayley]

More from Rich about playing the Buda area.

I was up in Dornoch last weekend and played two very enticing 9 holers, Portmahamock and Brahan.  Neither are anywhere near "great" in strict GCA terms, but both must be played by any lover of the quirks of golf.

The latter is oor Jon Wiggett's labor of love, and I can only describe it as a course which must be match played (I guessed that the course record with a card in one's hand was 118 or so, and Jon did not disagree).  It is a course which eschews any use of unnatural fertilizers, and schedules its development/maintenance in harmony with the breeding habits of the skylarks.  The tees are 5'x10' slivers of occasionally mowed bits of mostly un-levelled pieces of ground.  The fairways are well maintained (within the context of a very wet spring/summer) and mostly well defined vis a vis the deep fescue surrounds.   On the tee, Jon advised me of the possible confusion of finding the 2nd green, but both Josie and I forgot what he said and hit our 2nd shots towards what was in fact the 3rd green.  Good result, as we could never have made the carry to the real 2nd green.  After that, the routing was fairly obvious, but the seocnd shots had to be played to greens that had two flags embedded in them.  We wisely chose to play most holes aiming between the two, and putting/chipping out depending on which hole we wer closer to.  The greens themselves could only be compared to the Himalayas putting green at St. Andrews.  They putted smooth and well, but the micro-undulations made any putt problematic/WTF!.  We loved that!  As for the course:  1 is relatively short, but requires a wedge approach to a green split by two flags with a buried VW Beetle between them.  I'd call it a par 6.  2 confuses you given that it is not clear at the tee whether or not to play the fairway to the right or the one to the left.  As the one to the right is the 4th fairway, a drive there seduces you into aiming at what is in fact the 3rd green, but once you get there you see that a ptich to the real 2nd green is fine, as you could never have made the carry from the 2nd fairway to the 2nd green.  The real 3 is a good short hole and the 4th a somewhat confusing but decenbt decent 4.  The 5th is a 3/4 which played into the wind was a driver and a wedge.  I lost my ball in a waterloggeed bunker, but Josie pitched to 20 feet and sunk a 7-time r/l/r/l/r/lr/l putt for a birdie.  I'll never live that down...  6 is a brute of a hole, 440 up hill which, into a 20mph wind, meant driver, rescue, recuse for me.  7 is 475 and goes further up hill, which I think I hit with driver/rescue, but never found the ball.  8 goes slightly downhill to ~180.  I hit a good driver 10 yards short, chili dipped a 7 iron and then sunk a 40 foot chip#2 going l/r/l/r/l/for a par.  18 is a relief, being downhill and downwind, and only 560 yards.  I think if I ever played it into the wind with a card in my hand, I would still be playing it today.  I highly recommend the course to anybody on this site who has a sense of adventure and wants to play a course to which he or she does not have to bring his or her A game, but rather some ganja or malt whisky and a love of nature.

Portmahamock, on the other hand is an oldie but goodie.  Laid out ~100+ years ago by the (should be) legendary John Sutherland, and probably relatively untouched over the past century.  Where it seems to have been touched is the 1st and 2nd holes, which are agricultural rather than Sutherlandish, and an attempt to make the course larger rather than better.  After that, however, you are on a roller coaster ride through rough linksland, with heaving fairways and more heavingly seemingly unhittable/unstayable greens.  Throughout these 7 holes you can see where old holes might have been, and as a bonus, you find that this is not at all a 9-holer but a 10- holer!  The 5th/14th plays from a differnet green from a different tee.  Locals play the course using both 5th tees on both tours and then ending on 7/16, which is conveniently by the clubhouse.  With a little bit more money and a little bit more understanding of its history and TLC, this could be one of the greatest 9-holers in the world.

Rich

PS--this was the first time I have played Portmahamock in the 38 years I have been to Dornoch, and I will play this course again and again until I die.

rfg

[Mike Hendren]

NOW you tell me!

In looking at an aerial of the area, there appears to be a course at Balcherry that has perhaps gone to seed.   Anyone know anything?

Mike

[Michael Whitaker]

Pre-Buda Golf?

Wardo, Chris Shaida, Jerry Kluger, Sterling Forsythe and I are playing Pitlochry on Friday, 25 May in advance of the Buda.

Any Buda-pests interested in joining us? If yes, send me a PM for availability.

Cheers!

[Garland Bayley]

Pre-Buda Golf?

...

I'll be playing Brahan the 25th.

[Bryan Izatt]

Mike,

Re: Pitlochry, my wife and I were in the town last year post-BUDA and hiked up through the course into the hills beyond.  As I recall, you once said that Streamsong Blue was a hard walk.  Streamsong Blue to Pitlochry is like a pancake to a mountain. At least a 300 foot vertical climb in the first three holes.  Nice views though.






If you're looking for accomodation we stayed in the Tigh Na Cloich Hotel - more like a large B&B.  It was quite pleasant and a shortish (very uphill) walk to the club.  We thought the Fern Cottage Restaurant was quite nice.

[Jeff Schley]

As a newbie and somewhat reasonable plane ride away I wished I would have joined earlier to schedule it. I can't break away during this time with Ramadan here in the kingdom and needing me to work while others observe.

BTW a totally newbie question but I have read the thread but I didn't find any reference to what BUDA actually stands for?

[Niall C]

Mike


Bryan beat me to it. Sterling might want to take a buggy or he'll be done in for the rest of the weekend. The first 3 holes are uphill but I find they aren't nearly as bad as they look as long as you aren't lugging a full set of clubs with waterproofs etc. The food in the clubhouse is pretty decent.


Niall

[Tony_Muldoon]

As a newbie and somewhat reasonable plane ride away I wished I would have joined earlier to schedule it. I can't break away during this time with Ramadan here in the kingdom and needing me to work while others observe.

BTW a totally newbie question but I have read the thread but I didn't find any reference to what BUDA actually stands for?

There is an old silver chalice (probably very valuable) that we play for.   It's a Cup of Friendship rather than a Trophy.   Sean Arble bought it in Budapest and donated it to the group.
[/color] [/size]
[/color]Speaking of which, this currently resides in a deep and secure vault, AKA my basement.  [/size]If anyone who is able to attend this year is passing through London, PM me and I’ll arrange a security convoy to pass it to you.

[Ian Galbraith]

If anyone who is able to attend this year is passing through London, PM me and I’ll arrange a security convoy to pass it to you.

Or next time you're in North Berwick you could pass it to David, or myself to take up.

[Stan Dodd]

Pre Buda thought  Portmahomack with lunch at the Oystercatcher.

[Michael Whitaker]

Pre Buda thought  Portmahomack with lunch at the Oystercatcher.

Or post! 

[Thomas Dai]

Very sorry but Bill and I will have to drop out due to a family commitment. A great shame as we were very much looking forward to catching up with many folks. Hope all attending have a great time.
All the best.

[Michael Whitaker]

Very sorry but Bill and I will have to drop out due to a family commitment. A great shame as we were very much looking forward to catching up with many folks. Hope all attending have a great time.
All the best.

[Garland Bayley]

Very sorry but Bill and I will have to drop out due to a family commitment. A great shame as we were very much looking forward to catching up with many folks. Hope all attending have a great time.
All the best.

+1

😥

[Steve Wilson]

Glad to see Brahan getting some mention.  Jon has proposed a matchplay against the course bogey at at 12 GBP per.  I thought we might try to maximize participation on the Friday before the official BUDA.