Caddie Golf Tours

Good news from the St Andrews Links Trust with the opening of their excellent Golf Academy from 1st July. It will be open to golfers from 12 noon through to 7pm, seven days a week where you will be able to access: driving range from the grass in front of the Academy. No covered bays are open Short game area, with numbers of golfers limited Limited daily lessons from St Andrews Links PGA Instruction Team Custom Fitting Sessions at the Callaway Performance Centre With the Scottish Government easing Covid-19 travel restrictions from Friday 3rd July it is expected that there will be an increase of visitors to the St Andrews area, and Scotland, from around the country. It is expected that accommodation, restaurants, bars and the wider Scottish tourism market will begin to reopen from 15th July.

Our lovely Swedish golfers, Pettersson Party, arrived in early April and went on to enjoy golf in and around St Andrews. A great week of golf during a chilly early April that did not deter our hardy Swedish golfers.

This morning I noticed that my bedside table was starting to build up a pile of golf books. I completed the 'Tom Morris Colossus of Golf' a couple of months ago, but have found that I am still dipping into it for the depth of information contained therein.  I am currently reading 'Golf on the Rocks' a fun golf travelogue around the island golf courses of Scotland, an easy to read light humoured wee book, with author Gary Sutherland honouring his father's memory and trying to find the hole with his inherited putter. He has unearthed some amazing courses that I did not know about and now intrigue Caddie Golf Tours to find out more.   Golf books on the table 'Tommy's Honour' has finally arrived on the table and although only a couple of chapters in I know that it is going to give some good light golf history relating to Old Tom Morris and his legendary son Tom and be an easy page turner. A movie of the book was made last year, it should be in c...

As we progress through October and wind down our golf tours in Scotland I find it is time to reflect on the Caddie Golf Tours 2016 season, and here is a follow up to one of them, the 'Lads in Scotland Golf Tour' that took place in July. Todd & Boyne with Old Tom Morris at Tain GC It began with picking up our friend Todd, from Washington USA, at Edinburgh Airport and driving north into the glorious Scottish Highlands where we golfed at the legendary links of  Tain Golf Course designed by Old Tom Morris in 1890. Todd on par 4 12th tee Tain GC Tain GC was the first of 18 holes that Todd would golf in Scotland, over a 10 day visit, that was scheduled for 14 golf courses but knowing Todd I do believe he may have sneaked in a couple more! Todd & Boyne at Tain GC Todd drives par 3 17th at Tain GC This was a great return to Links golf for Todd as he prepared for his personal highland golf tour in Scotland to include Brora GC Royal Dornoch GC and Castle S...

I was delighted to be invited to take part in the annual 'Showman Golf Weekend' held at the wonderful parkland Blairgowrie Golf Club in the Angus region of Scotland, only an hour north of St Andrews. Boyne on 1st tee Rosemount Golf Club The golfing gang from the Glasgow area always play the legendary Showman this 1st weekend in October at a venue in Scotland kept secret until the very last moment. I am usually involved with caddying at the European Tour's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship but as this is a Ryder Cup year the Dunhill tournament is pushed forward a week, (congratulations USA on your victory), which means I was available to golf with the 'Showman Golfers' and jumped at the opportunity when the invite was extended to me. 1st tee Rosemount Course Our fourball, Ally, Boyne, Neil & Andy The competition this year was over all three courses at Blairgowrie Golf Club, the 9 hole Wee Course and then the 'big' 18 hole Rosemount and ...

We have just completed this wonderful Highland and St Andrews Golf Tour for our client Mr C and his Lad's Golf Party when they are over from Washington, USA, in July 2016. Mr C will arrive first for a 3 day mini Highland Golf Tour before meeting with his four friends at Fraserburgh Golf Course in the North East of Scotland. We pick up Mr C at Glasgow Airport and transfer to Highlands and the first stage of his 10 days of Scottish links golf... Tain Golf Course. 15th July - pm  Tain GC a Tom Morris design it celebrated 125 years last year 16th July - am Brora GC  enjoying 125 years since a James Braid redesign. It is played alongside a beautiful deserted beach and the majestic Sutherland Hills 16th July - pm Royal Dornoch GC  marks 400 years in 2016. Present layout by Old Tom Morris in 1886 and he produced what is described as the most natural golf course in the world 17th July - am Castle Stuart  celebrates return of 2016 Scottish Open last played and wo...

A lovely surprise on going through my change from the local bartender at the weekend was this  commemorative 2014 Ryder Cup Scottish five pound note, in pristine condition as well. These £5 notes were produced by the Royal Bank of Scotland and given to all attending spectators at the 2014 Gleneagles event. Good to get a wee reminder that 2016 is a Ryder Cup year with the event in the USA at Hazeltine National Golf Club during late September. It is always exciting to watch the golfers jostle for a place on their respective teams as the media start to build the tension as the tournament nears.  If you are in Scotland and would like to golf at Gleneagles do not hesitate to contact Caddie Golf Tours for information about tee times, accommodation and travel...Fore!

Golf in Scotland is not all about our grand Championship courses like the Old Course St Andrews, Carnoustie, Muirfield or 2016 Open venue at Royal Troon. There is so much more to explore for the visiting golfer and a recent trip Caddie Golf Tours made to the Isle of Arran, just off the west coast of Scotland, produced a fun golf trip that will live long in the memory. A short 45 minute car journey from Glasgow to the ferry port of Ardrossan, just north of Troon, and we sail across to the Isle of Arran on a Caledonian MacBrayne Ferry . 60 minutes later and we are driving to the wee 9 hole course at Machrie Bay , on the west side of the island, for a fun round of golf before we meet our fellow golfers at the wonderful GlenIsle Hotel in the village of Lamlash. This is the annual Autumn Oystercatchers Golf Meeting we organize and participate in with our two close golfing couples twice a year, Spring & Autumn, at great golf venues across Scotland. The Isle of Arr...

On Monday as I approached the 17th Road green, whilst caddieing on the Old Course St Andrews, I pointed out to my golfer that the Open's Claret Jug Trophy was being photographed on the 18th tee by the R&A's photographer and we might be able to get our pictures taken with it. Timing is everything and we got lucky, also the photographer was very kind to let us have a few moments with this iconic little trophy that has been in existence since 1873 when it was presented at St Andrews after local golfer Tom Kidd who won with a two round total on the Old Course with 91 + 88 = 179. Curiously the first name on the Claret Jug belongs to the 1872 Champion, Young Tom Morris. There was no trophy to present the previous year when Young Tom won the 12th Open at Prestwick, for the fourth time in a row, so they inscribed his name before presenting it to Tom Kidd. Great to see the little trophy up close again and a delightful surprise for the golfers playing their first r...

On a wonderful Easter Sunday in St Andrews we took the opportunity to take our guests Lauren (niece) and Catherine, from Toronto Canada, onto the legendary Himalayas Putting Green that sits adjacent to the Old Course St Andrews. The Himalayas Putting Green at St Andrews This is the second oldest 18 hole golf course in St Andrews, founded in 1867, and originally named as the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club  and it stills plays a large part of golf in the town today. The Himalayas Putting Green The club have regular meetings during the week when it is closed to the public for a couple of hours and the  Ladies  play their matches. It is a wonderful tradition, kept very much alive. The girls in front of the Ladies Clubhouse There was some serious competition played in our match and no quarter was given as the following photographs show... Himalayas 1st tee at St Andrews A tricky putt from the road on Himalayas St Andrews A decisive putt on Hi...