Caddie Golf Tours

On Friday past LB and I packed up the car with more gear for the caravan based a few miles out of St. Andrews at Clayton Caravan Park. This was the first visit after the harsh winter and we were relieved to find everything in order...no bust water pipes or leaks, thank goodness. Once the gas fire was on, the car unpacked, and the van had heated up we made a move into St. Andrews to pick up some essentials then had a guiness and glass of wine in Ogstan's on North Street. A good start to the weekend. On Saturday we planned to play a wee round of golf on the Strathtyrum course at St. Andrews after lunch in the Eden Clubhouse and though the weather was fine, if a bit chilly, the sting was a bloody strong wind of perhaps 25-30mph that eventually took it's toll and we walked in after catching up with a couple of hackers at the par3 16th. Poor wee LB was whacked! Thank goodness we had not gone onto either the Eden or New courses that I had wanted to play. An evening had been ar...

A friend on The Golf Space -  http://www.thegolfspace.com/  - found this on a blog site called The Golf Spy -  http://forum.mygolfspy.com/index  : I have never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my wife has been cheating on me. The usual signs; phone rings but if I answer, the caller hangs up. My wife has been going out with 'the girls' a lot recently although when I ask their names she always says, just some friends from work, you don't know them.' I try to stay awake and look out for her when she comes home, but I usually fall asleep. Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think deep down I just did not want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to finally check on her. Around midnight, I hid in the garage behind my golf clubs so I could get a good view of the whole area when she arrived home from a night out with 'the girls.' When she got out of the ...

A close call. Thanks for the great shout from the caddie legend that is Jimmy Reid.

A few pints to go along with our dinner in the local pub, Blane Valley Inn, on Friday with LB, Sheila and 'Wavy Davy' was a delightful way to wind down after a tough week at our respective jobs. Yep, even Boyne  had worked hard to finish painting a bungalow and garage in Milngavie on time, with only a one day rain delay. Davy had suggested an round of golf on Saturday morning at his course, the underrated  Balfron Golfing Society. I said yes. I was under impression it was to be an 8.30am...true to form Wavy Davy's bed kept him prisoner for an extra 1/2 hour and tee off was 9am. Boyne almost convinced himself that he may actually have a reasonable season ahead with an outward nine of 36. Par golf and 6 up. Remarkable. Obviously the wake up came on the back nine with a 44. Shame really, though a 5&3 victory helped sweeten the poor execution through holes 10-18.

A delightful invitation from all time good guy and my golfing pal Andrew saw me heading down the west coast of Scotland to the golfing gem of Glasgow Gailes Golf Club last week. A belated birthday treat. This is one of those links courses that go about their business without any fuss and those in the Scottish golfing world know how good a course it is. It was used as a 'local qualifier' for the Open Championship when it was held at Turnberry last year and also when the Open is played at Royal Troon. I love getting the chance to play here as it is a real test of your golf. It may have came a wee bit early in the season for me, my first game since mid January...a lame/good excuse, so the fact that I managed a couple of birdies against x2 sevens, an eight was in there as well plus the usual bogeys and a few pars it was always going to be a fantastic golfing day. Andy's not just a good golfing partner he also has an unerring ability to sweeten your golfing experience at...

LB & I go for a drive this afternoon towards the Trossachs re-invigorating our senses with the beauty of this area of Scotland. Great views across the snow topped mountains, frozen lochs, wintry forests and a pale blue sky. The country looks fantastic. Stopping at the SAC (Scottish Antique Centre) at Doune, a few miles from Callander, we go in with no thoughts to buy anything, just in for a good old browse amongst the bric-a-brac of the past.  Pretty soon I've lost LB, easy to do in the warrens of this warehouse, and begin to linger at many of the bookcases that are haphazardly scattered about. I soon find what I did not know I was looking for:  Golf is my Game  written by R.T. Jones in 1959, with a foreward by the legendary golf writer Bernard Darwin. Bobby Jones & his putter Calamity Jane The book is in superb condition for being 50 years old and I am biting at the bit to get sat doon in a good comfy seat, a glass of malt and read it. I quote Bernard Darw...

A milestone is reached on Tuesday as I hit the grand old age of 50. I was tooting along quite nicely, oblivious to the ravages of time and believing that my forties still had some distance to go. Bam! The number 5 now prefaces all others. Ah well, just get on and enjoy this year as much as I loved the last one, the one before and before that... The caddie season at the links of St. Andrews is, officially, only 4 weeks away and I'm pretty sure Spring is almost upon us (ever the optimist) which should mean some warmer weather and perhaps the opportunity to play some golf. This winter did seem to begin early and has certainly outlasted it's welcome so come on the month of March be good to us. On that bloody bridge! The intention was to have a round of golf on the Tuesday with my good friend Andy down the west coast at Dundonald Links or Glasgow Gailes but unfortunately work commitments have curtailed this and we've postponed the golf until a week on Friday. 9th green, D...