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Scotland on my Mind by Dan King
Tuesday, July 9th and Wednesday July 10th
The New Course St. Andrews |
Our first big dilemma... I hadn't gotten connected to the Internet for a few days. The hotel in Cruden Bay had only one phone line, and they rather I didn't tie it up for a while. I figured I'd wait until I got to Machrihanish to connect. With the week being the 4th of July holiday, I wasn't overly concerned. Once I got to Machrihanish, and was ready to plug in only then did I discover that I left my very valuable British Telephone to USA telephone adapter plugged into the wall at St. Andrews. A search around Campbeltown was fruitless. My best option was back to Glasgow. We sadly left Machrihanish after only two wonderful days, and 72 holes of golf over the links.
We spent the day Tuesday driving from Machrihanish to some points east. Somewhere around Glasgow, Mark decided he'd really like to take a stab at the Old Course. He played in on his previous trip, but that was 5 years ago. I figured I could go on up to Carnoustie and watch some of the Scottish Open on Wednesday while he played the Old. We called the Doune House, where my other mates and I had stayed previously in St. Andrews, and sure enough they had a room for us.
On arriving in St. Andrews, the first stop after dropping off our bags was to the Starter shack. It was around 2:30 and maybe something could happen tonight. The starter didn't think there was any chance of Mark getting out that night, so we decided to figure out something else to do (Besides get connected to the Internet and get caught up. Sure enough there was my adapter still plugged into the outlet at the Doune House. Least now I have more than one of them.) A fun place to watch the action on the Old Course is on the balcony of the Old Course hotel. You just go up to the fourth floor, turn left as you get off the elevator, past the bar and the Swilken Room, through a door marked exit. There you can watch golfers tee shots over the sign on 17 and see the results down the 17th fairway (or more likely than not, the rough). We first stopped by the bar up there to get a little something from the humidor. They were out!! What kind of fancy hotel runs out of cigars? When I was here a week ago, they were very low, now they let it run out. Pretty shabby. If I was ever going to stay there, I'm not. There feeble excuse for lack of cigars was that they only get shipments once a month. Order more.
After watching the action for the a while on the 17th we decided to head for the Jigger, instead of the bar at the Old Course hotel. The Jigger is famous at St. Andrews as the pub the caddies hang out at. Great pub, plenty of cool pictures on the walls and friendly people working there. We ended up meeting a chap named Philip from Dallas who ran up to his room and brought down a new box of Monte Cristos. We bought our new hero drinks the rest of the night. We also met Andy White and his wife Abby. He is a former caddie, having caddies for Gary Player back in the 70s. He more recently caddies for Vijay Singh when he plays on the European tour.
Andy White was going to try and get on by queuing up at the starters in the morning, just like Mark. Philip had a time at the New course for 12:55. It was for two, and already paid for, so he invited me to take the other spot. A free round at the New course or going up to Carnoustie to watch the Scottish Open? I chose the free round. The 5 of us proceeded to get 'pissed like rats'. Somewhere along in the night, I switched from Pints of Belhaven to drams of Dahlwinnie. We'd probably be there still, except for Margaret, the bar maid kicked us out at 11:00. We didn't expect to see Andy the next day, and sure enough didn't.
Mark did make it out to the starter around 7:00 a.m. and was 16th on the list, just like a California muni course. He ended up getting out on the course at 11:20. I had time to kill and stopped by the book store, Quarto Bookshop, next to Auchterlonies golf shop. Big mistake. Spent a wee bit too much quid. I think I'll also have to ship the books back. I've bought too many now to carry back in my luggage. I spent the morning sitting out on the rocks, off the beach where Chariots of Fire was filmed, smoking a Havana Punch and reading "F.G. Tait a Record" by John L. Lowe. Graeme Lennie, the interesting head professional at Crail had recommended I buy this book. A wonderful book about the famous turn of the century St. Andrews golfer. Reading out there on the rocks, St. Andrews suddenly didn't feel as touristie to me as it had been until then.
Philip and I had a pleasant round out on the New Course. We played as a two-ball and were stuck waiting on a four-ball on just about every shot. Watching the group ahead of us, as well as the night before from the Old Course Hotel balcony, I'm reminded of a comment by Peter Dobereiner regarding Undue Delay:
"If four players are ranged in line across a wide fairway there in no earthly reason why each of them should not be calculating the shot, selecting a club and taking up a stance more or less simultaneously. The setting up of a golf shot can be as ponderous as the loading of a Roman siege catapult, with interminable adjustments to range and aim before finally the carcass of a dead horse is hoisted into the middle launcher. Lobbing four dead horses over the parapet takes an age, which is how it works in golf if three crews of loaders and launchers sit down and watch while the fourth goes into action."
Still even waiting on every shot, we played the round in about 3 hours. The slow rounds in Scotland are much faster than the slow rounds in the States.
I was playing a fairly mediocre round, and then the rain came. It came quickly while we were playing the 11th hole. suddenly I started playing better, playing the final 8 holes in 1-over. Guess I need something to help me gang hail-heidit (concentrate).
Our final night in St. Andrews was spent once again at the Jigger, bletherin' on and having a few pints with Philip from Dallas and the proprietors of the Jigger. In the morning, Philip was on his way to Dornoch and we still weren't sure where we were off to. W' e'll wait 'till the morn to make a decision on our next destination.
Talk to you tomorrow.
Dan King
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