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Showing posts from February, 2009

Cruden Bay Golf Club

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To help entice you avid golfers out there to come over to Scotland for a golf tour this summer I will be posting some pictures of my favourite Scottish golf courses over the next few weeks.  It is going to be a super golf season here in Scotland with the Open Championship returning to Turnberry in July and the majority of our major golf courses having retained last years prices. Added to this the strength of the Dollar against the British Pound, it really has never been a better time for visiting golfers to tour in Scotland. Golf tours are approximately 20% cheaper than last year!  This is the unique Cruden Bay located just north of Aberdeen on the east coast of Scotland. An astonishing links golf course that one will find hard to prepare for in a golfing sense...in fact nothing can prepare you for Cruden Bay! A one off. The view from the clubhouse over the Starters Hut to the magnificent links. It is a truly splendid links golf course with a tremendous location 20 or so miles north of

David Horsey at The Malaysian Open

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The young English golfer David Horsey, whose career I have been following closely over the last couple of years, put in a tremendous final round of 64, with a fantastic 29 on the back nine, at the Malaysian Open to finish in a tie for second place, one shot behind the winner Anthony Kang of the USA. David Horsey and his caddie, me, on the 18th fairway of the Old Course at St. Andrews This is Davids best result in his rookie season on the European Tour and the 'Race to Dubai'. It propels him up the money list and into 23rd position.  He said "I am pleased - I would have certainly taken that score at the start of the day but then there is a little bit of disappointment not to win having gone so close. I am very pleased with how I have applied myself". "I managed to birdie the last three holes so I couldn't have done much more. I have just tried to put myself up there which I have sort of done so far, especially this week I have got up there and given myself a g

The Old Course, St. Andrews

Golfing at North Berwick West Links,

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An unexpected invitation to play at one of Scotland's historic links golf courses is one that cannot be passed up. The North Berwick West Links was formed in 1832 and it is believed to be the 13th oldest golf club in the world. It sits on the Forth Estuary, south of Edinburgh, on the east coast of Scotland. A view of the sea is visible from almost every hole with the playing conditions at the vagaries of the wind blowing from it. On this Saturday afternoon, on February 7th, it certainly blew hard and cold. Wooly hats, thermal shirts and waterproofs were essential garb. My playing partners, Andy and Neil, are great golfing buddies and Andy set up this surprise visit to North Berwick. I had last played here with them two years ago, give or take a couple of weeks, so it was good to have the opportunity to take on the links, once again, in  good company. The views on many of the golf holes at North Berwick are absolutely stunning as can be seen from this selection of photographs. Above

Rory McIlroy wins Dubai Desert Classic

The wonderful young talent of Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, still only 19, has won his first professinal title at the Dubai Desert Classic. A wire to wire win to boot!   He edged out the Englishman Justin Rose, who has returned to a wee bit of form recently, by one shot finishing on 19 under par. Rory had a bit of a wobble on the back nine with a few bogeys allowing Rose to get within a shot thanks to a great eagle and some birdies but he held on and with a good up and down from a bunker at the 18th, after Rose missed his 15 foot birdie putt, to secure his first title in his short professional career.   This win takes Rory up into the top 16 on the World Rankings and into 2nd place behind Garcia in the European 'Race to Dubai'. This young guy has it all, great temperament, steady driving, superb iron play and invention around the greens . It is going to be great to watch him, Kim and Villegas battle it out over the next few years. A new generation is coming to golf...fantasti