The pandemic has forced us to cancel our Scotland Golf Vacation this year. But we refuse to let that stop us from doing all the things we love in Scotland. So for the next two weeks we’ll be in Scotland, not physically but mentally. We choose to take our own imaginary vacation to those lovely links. We’re not crazy…not yet anyway.
We finished our first day on Scotland’s Golf Coast with a tasty dinner at our hotel, The Lodge at Craigielaw. George had found a deal for two rounds of golf and a night stay at The Lodge for a great price and being true Scots we could not refuse.
We toasted our first day with a few gin & tonics and capped it off with a few whiskys,,,maybe a few too many for me for morning came a wee bit early for my liking. The 9:30am tee time at Craigielaw Golf Club which seemed like a great idea before now felt like a chore. Actually the chore was getting my aching head (not to mention my creaky back) out of bed.
George, ever the taskmaster and list maker, played drill sergeant and set my mind right. “We’re here to golf…move it!” A Skinner never misses a tee time, hangover or not. I moved it. And I was glad I did.
Craigielaw Golf Club is a newcomer to the roster of links courses that have set along this coast for hundreds of years. While it’s neighboring historic courses have laid claim to these linkslands for what seems like an eternity, Craigielaw is a mere child.
It opened its doors in 2001 and Donald Steel made good use of the same linksland that is home to so many grand layouts. It’s also one of those courses that most visitors can pass by but we do our research and it made our list.
Once again were had great weather, low 70’s sunshine and a bit of a breeze. Well, here they call it a breeze in the states it’s a two club wind. Two sweaters for my bro as he always catches a chill but I revel in this stuff.
I revel in it and so does my slice…which happened to make the trip here with me and made it’s appearance on the first tee.
One of the many appealing aspects of links golf is the lack of trees on the course. So when the slice really slices maybe your lucky enough to miss the gorse, bushes and tall grass. And playing from an adjacent fairway isn’t really that bad. Unless a few club members are waiting for you. But I was lucky, sort of. Played down the wrong hole and managed a bogey.
George on the other hand had packed well especially that driver of his. A beautiful draw waved to the fairway bunkers and his approach was spot on. An opening birdie and he was off to the races and I was reaching for the aspirin.
Big Bro kept it up on the par three third hole when his tee ball settled mere feet from the cup for a gimme birdie. It is aptly named Coffin Lane as I was buried, down three holes already.
Stone walls are a popular feature on plenty of these courses even a newbie like this one. The sixth hole had one but thankfully it’s not in play as this is a short par three and little chance of me racking up another wall shot. It was my turn to get a hole as a forty foot putt rattled the pin and dropped for a bird and the start of my comeback.
Craigielaw offered us plenty of what we love over here. Beautiful linksland, wonderful views of the sea, challenging golf holes and so much fun.
We battled each other back and forth and forth and back and the wind tested us for sure. But I stood on the seventeenth tee just one down. And my par three game was so much better than my driving.
Playing around 150 yards I got some help from the wind coming off the firth and was putting for birdie. George’s draw was pushed more left then he wished and it found the greenside bunker. But he is such a refined bunker player I knew he could easily get it up and down. Alas, the domed greens here aren’t so receptive to low runners and his bunker shot just kept rolling off the putting surface. My two putt par wins the hole. All square going into eighteen.
Eighteen is a finishing par five and George’s drive was massive. He was debating going for it in two as he can get after it for sure. Me, it was a three shot hole as all par fives are for me. But links golf is a different animal and those bunkers can appear when you least expect them, middle of the fairway in this case waiting to capture any shot even slightly miss hit.
He went for it and found his ball in one of those bunkers with little chance to advance it. His sideways play out was my chance. A solid layup left me a wedge and I nailed it. The back pin helped me as my ball rolled out to the back edge. Putting for birdie with George looking at bogey.
I was able to snuggle my first putt up to gimme range but George had managed a good shot and had a twenty five footer for a push. It just brushed the edge as George collapsed to one knee.
Oh, a sweet one up victory! Nothing better than links golf. Well, maybe a win on links golf.
Off to Fife and St. Andrews for a few days. Links Life is sweet.
But first a stop off for coffee as George needs his cup of Joe to keep fueled up. And wouldn’t you know it the Golf Gods gave us a little treat at the local Starbucks. With the Ladies Scottish Open being played right down the road from us at The Renaissance Club we bumped into a few LPGA stars.
One of my favorite players, and the subject of one of my first articles here on Links Life Golf, Stacy Lewis was waiting on line with her pal and fellow mom Gerina Pillar who happens to be on George’s must watch list. The hottest female golfer on the planet Danielle Kang was just ahead of them and I nearly bumped into the greatest female Scottish player, Catriona Matthew as we walked to our car. She lives in this area and this is the second time I almost made here spill her tea. She wouldn’t remember but it was at the LPGA Championship in Rochester, New York when I was wandering (lost really) through the clubhouse and nearly knocked the ’09 Women’s British Open Champion off her feet.
Great courses brings great golfers and the women are the class of The Golf Coast this week. Cheers.
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