Scotland Advice - Open Comp vs Less Travel

[David Harshbarger]

Don't want to deprive David of a sale but wouldn't it make more sense to make sure you have Satnav in the hire car ?

Niall

Being able to read a map was a useful skill back in the day but if GPS is available it seems like a no brainer. I can remember using road maps while traveling for work and never used another after the advent of GPS.

Some sort of GPS certainly gets you from A to B, but a large paper map is great for planning purposes to show relative positioning.

Google Maps is even better for planning. It allows you to search for quickest routes, restaurants, lodging and more, and provides drive times by time of day, It allows for storing and comparing alternate routes at the click of a mouse. Dave can have a separate layer for each possible version of his trip on a single stored map and can edit any version easily at any time.

Thanks, another time-suck! 

[James Reader]

Don't want to deprive David of a sale but wouldn't it make more sense to make sure you have Satnav in the hire car ?


Niall

Absolutely! It never actually occurred to me that anyone would use a paper map to find their way around any more.  I was thinking about David’s comment that he wanted to highlight places to (re)visit.

[Sean_A]

Don't want to deprive David of a sale but wouldn't it make more sense to make sure you have Satnav in the hire car ?


Niall

Absolutely! It never actually occurred to me that anyone would use a paper map to find their way around any more.  I was thinking about David’s comment that he wanted to highlight places to (re)visit.

I always kept a road atlas in my car. Phones sometimes let me down. 😢. Besides, why not keep a map in the car. They cost a few quid. Wait, do they sell road maps on petrol stations these days?

Ciao

[Stewart Abramson]

Wait, do they sell road maps on petrol stations these days?

Ciao

A year or two before the pandemic, on a trip to play a bunch of Heathlands courses, I stayed a couple nights at the Wyndham at the Cobham services area on the M25. They definitely sold maps at the mini mall and the Shell station there. 


On my first trip to Surrey about 20 years ago (before I had GPS) I made a cut and paste map of the entire trip that I printed out from Mapquest. It must have been about 15 8"x11" pages all taped together and folded up. I still laugh at the thought of trying to use that while driving on the left side of those narrow roads without killing myself or someone else. Thank goodness for GPS

[Thomas Dai]

The days of writing the road numbers to follow on a piece of paper and taping it to the steering wheel seem to have long gone.
Atb

[JohnVDB]

If you’re not planning on having phone data service while you’re driving around Scotland or any other country, get the App Maps.me. You download maps for the areas you’re going to. They have incredible detail of things like hotels, restaurants and the like.  It will also do turn-by-turn routing when you’re traveling as the GPS a will still work even with if you’re in airplane mode.

[David Harshbarger]

If you’re not planning on having phone data service while you’re driving around Scotland or any other country, get the App Maps.me. You download maps for the areas you’re going to. They have incredible detail of things like hotels, restaurants and the like.  It will also do turn-by-turn routing when you’re traveling as the GPS a will still work even with if you’re in airplane mode.

Got it. Thank you!

[David Harshbarger]

We are two weeks out from visiting the home of golf and couldn't be more excited! In the end, and as hard as it was, like choosing to chip out from the trees instead of hitting it through a "gap", we are doing 4 nights in East Lothian (North Berwick) followed by 3 nights in St. Andrews. Less driving means more driving, amirite? and I couldn't be more excited.


To quote Ian Galbraith: 1) you have a great plan to stay in East Lothian - main objective now is not to ruin it!
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[/size]Would be delighted to meet GCAers throughout, and tentatively look to see Marty and possibly a few others. 5/7-11/7. Currently only have tee times morning of 6/7 at NB and 11/7 at Ladybank ( in pencil ).[/color]
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[/size]Hoping for sun, preparing for rain....Dave[/color]

[MKrohn]

David, I couldn't comment on your itinerary, I have done more trips than I can remember and my distaste for moving from place to place has increased 10fold. Going away the first few times we zoomed around everywhere.


Hope you have a great trip and more importantly hope the young fella enjoys a few "legal" pints at the pub post golf.

[Jason Topp]

We are two weeks out from visiting the home of golf and couldn't be more excited! In the end, and as hard as it was, like choosing to chip out from the trees instead of hitting it through a "gap", we are doing 4 nights in East Lothian (North Berwick) followed by 3 nights in St. Andrews. Less driving means more driving, amirite? and I couldn't be more excited.

Give us a recap either during or after your travel.  Have a fabulous time!

[James Reader]

A note from St Andrews.


I got to the starter on the New at 6.15 this morning and we were the first there.  Off at 6.30, a free course I’m front of us and round in just over 3 hours. Highly recommended!

[David Harshbarger]

David, I couldn't comment on your itinerary, I have done more trips than I can remember and my distaste for moving from place to place has increased 10fold. Going away the first few times we zoomed around everywhere.


Hope you have a great trip and more importantly hope the young fella enjoys a few "legal" pints at the pub post golf.

I’m looking forward to those pints with him! Thank you!

[David Harshbarger]

A note from St Andrews.


I got to the starter on the New at 6.15 this morning and we were the first there.  Off at 6.30, a free course I’m front of us and round in just over 3 hours. Highly recommended!

Thanks James! I am a big fan of the early tee time on busy courses and of the three hour round!

[David Harshbarger]

We are two weeks out from visiting the home of golf and couldn't be more excited! In the end, and as hard as it was, like choosing to chip out from the trees instead of hitting it through a "gap", we are doing 4 nights in East Lothian (North Berwick) followed by 3 nights in St. Andrews. Less driving means more driving, amirite? and I couldn't be more excited.

Give us a recap either during or after your travel.  Have a fabulous time!

Recaps to come!

[David Harshbarger]

Itinerary:


Day 1: Kilspindie
Day 2: North Berwick & The Glen
Day 3: Dunbar & open
Day 4: Gullane #2 &#3
Day 5: Musselburgh Old & Crail Balcomie
Day 6: Lottery and/or camp out for Old Course - backup Eden & Scotscrag or Jubilee
Day 7: Ladybank


3 or 4 bucket list courses and really no filler except maybe backup if we are shut out of the old course.


Any ideas for a Friday afternoon after a 10am round at Dunbar? Looking at the weather “huddle by a fire” is acceptable.

[Daryl David]

David -

Given that I have visited Dornoch 35-36 times (and played well over 400 rounds there) and never visited East Lothian, my advice may sound strange. But I would recommend plan A, spending the week in North Berwick/East Lothian. There is a ton of quality golf easily available there. There are also several GCA-ers who are members at some of those clubs and they may be kind enough to host you at their clubs at the "guest of member" green fee rate.

Being just about anywhere in East Lothian, you can travel to central Edinburgh in 30-60 minutes by train or bus should you wish to spend a morning, afternoon or evening away from golf and enjoy visiting one of the most beautiful cities in Britain.

Should you wish to take a road trip, you can rent a car and drive to St. Andrews for the day. You may not be able to play the Old Course, but playing the New, Jubilee or Eden is a quality round well worth the journey. Even spending a few hours just walking about the town is worth the trip.

Save Dornoch & the Highlands for your next trip over!

DT 

 

Very sound advice.

[James Reader]

Itinerary:


Day 1: Kilspindie
Day 2: North Berwick & The Glen
Day 3: Dunbar & open
Day 4: Gullane #2 &#3
Day 5: Musselburgh Old & Crail Balcomie
Day 6: Lottery and/or camp out for Old Course - backup Eden & Scotscrag or Jubilee
Day 7: Ladybank


3 or 4 bucket list courses and really no filler except maybe backup if we are shut out of the old course.


Any ideas for a Friday afternoon after a 10am round at Dunbar? Looking at the weather “huddle by a fire” is acceptable.

You could do a lot worse than get a day ticket and play 36 at Dunbar but if you are really keen to play another course then it’s only about 45 minutes down the coast to Goswick.

[David Harshbarger]

Itinerary:


Day 1: Kilspindie
Day 2: North Berwick & The Glen
Day 3: Dunbar & open
Day 4: Gullane #2 &#3
Day 5: Musselburgh Old & Crail Balcomie
Day 6: Lottery and/or camp out for Old Course - backup Eden & Scotscrag or Jubilee
Day 7: Ladybank


3 or 4 bucket list courses and really no filler except maybe backup if we are shut out of the old course.


Any ideas for a Friday afternoon after a 10am round at Dunbar? Looking at the weather “huddle by a fire” is acceptable.

You could do a lot worse than get a day ticket and play 36 at Dunbar but if you are really keen to play another course then it’s only about 45 minutes down the coast to Goswick.

I posed that very question to fine lady at our B&B - she made reservations in East Lothian. She said the day pass is the way to go over driving to Goswick. I’ll have to inquire more.


Two courses in the Scottish Borders caught my eye:


Peebles - a Colt remodel from the early 30s, and
Innerleithen - Willie Park Jr from 1886 (guessing there was a remodel there but maybe not).


I play out of a small town 9 holer and I’d like to visit similar while there.


On our last day I may try to get in Cupar as well.

[Marty Bonnar]

David,
Peebles is a lot of fun. Cupar is nice - if you’re a goat or have one leg shorter than the other!
F.

[Steve Wilson]

Per James Reader.  Goswick is great.  Site of the last pre-Covid BUDA.

[Sean_A]

Played Goswick yesterday. Course is in good nick. It's never a bad option to slip over the border for a game there.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Per James Reader.  Goswick is great.  Site of the last pre-Covid BUDA.

Goswick is a better course than Dunbar (but Dunbar is very good).  But that extra 90 minutes of driving may swing the decision if it were me.

[Sean_A]

Per James Reader.  Goswick is great.  Site of the last pre-Covid BUDA.

Goswick is a better course than Dunbar (but Dunbar is very good).  But that extra 90 minutes of driving may swing the decision if it were me.

The variety of holes over such a narrow property is fantastic. I wonder what the club has in mind for changes.

Ciao

[John Challenger]

For your next trip when you make base camp somewhere around Inverness, here are some ideas from the trip I just finished with my son! Played Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn, Old Moray, Reay, Durness, Castle Stuart, Golspie, Skibo Castle, and Fortrose. Reay was an extraordinary find and unexpected gem. Paired it with Durness on a long day's drive!

[David Harshbarger]

For your next trip when you make base camp somewhere around Inverness, here are some ideas from the trip I just finished with my son! Played Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn, Old Moray, Reay, Durness, Castle Stuart, Golspie, Skibo Castle, and Fortrose. Reay was an extraordinary find and unexpected gem. Paired it with Durness on a long day's drive!

That’s a great list. My personal addition to that would be Portmahomack.


I would love to spend a few days or longer up in the northern reaches as well. In addition to Reay and Durness I would love to play the courses on the northern islands.