Visiting Scotland

I know the pilgrimage is still more than a year away, but we pilgrims need to define our goals. The Old Course at St Andrews? A visit to Dunrobin Castle? The Hard Rock Cafe in Edinburgh? Braveheart, the William Wallace Monument in Stirling? The Clynelish Distillery in Brora?

What is a "must"? What is a "do if we have time"?

For the pilgrims or anyone else out there who wants to chime in, what do you want to do in Scotland?

DLux of Maine

Book Review: The Greatest Game Ever Played

I add books to my reading list and cross them off at a ratio of about 3:1 and for that reason The Greatest Game Ever Played written by Mark Frost sat untouched on my book shelf for over a year.

In the spirit of preparing myself mentally for what is no doubt going to be a most glorious golf trip I recently bumped it to the top of the list and I’m couldn’t be happier that I did!

The reviews for The Greatest Game Ever Played set my expectations dangerously high but after reading the book, I’m happy to report that every ounce of the praise it received was well deserved!

In The GGEP Mark Frost presents sweeping insight into not only the game of golf, but into an entirely different America. The sport in contention is the same as it is today, and--aside from a handful of rules--is played the same way today, but the way of life at the time that this novel takes place couldn't be more different.

Reading this account and acknowledging the fact that this book--set a hundred years ago--frequently makes reference to the even then a long and storied history of the game really puts into perspective the scale of the games history. I don’t think there is any one thing that struck me more about this book, than the fact that golf, with it’s centuries of storied history, truly is a royal and ancient game.

After enjoying the book so thoroughly, I decided to bump Disney’s theatrical interpretation to the top of my Netflix list. Unfortunately the movie was a bit of a let down.

Normally it’s my policy to read a book before seeing the movie so that I don’t spoil the books ending but in this case I think that I spoiled the movie by reading the book. It had nothing to do with knowing the ending, rather the book was simply too good. There was no way for the movie to live up to my expectations!

Clearly that the book was made for a much smaller audience than the movie. Disney is a business and movies are a lot more expensive than books to make so I suppose if you’re going to make one, you had better do everything you can to get the greatest ROI possible, even if that means making rather liberal changes the original story. The result? From a book that is written by and for a lover of golf, you get a move that appeals to people who like golf, romance, history, music, drama, etc, etc, etc...

From a historical standpoint the movie trimmed all the fat and kept just the lean bits. If there’s anything I’ve learned as a lover of good food, fat equals flavor, and if you're cutting it all out, you're going to have a bland meal!

The bottom line: Read the book, and expect greatness! See the movie if you want, but don’t set your expectations too high.

-DLux of Arizona

Himalayas

I suggest we go to the Himalayas. Mountaineering in Scotland? No, the St Andrews Links Trust is home to many golf courses. We all know the Old and New courses. Many also know the Jubilee, Eden and the Castle Course, but how many know of the Himalayas?

So what pray tell is the Himalayas other than a mountain range in India? Why it’s the putting course in St Andrews, home to the Ladies Putting Club. In the old days women weren’t permitted to play golf on the Old Course but they were allowed to putt on the Himalayas putting green that is near the second tee on the Old Course, separated only by a few gorse bushes.


Competitions are still contested on this ground and I was lucky enough to witness one. The ladies take it quite seriously. When a relatively short putt was missed, you’d have thought it was to loose the Open. It’s a vast area with many bumps, ridges and swales as it’s built on old dunes. The entire area is cut to the same height as the greens on all the other courses. Therefore it’s a good place to have some fun as well as to get a feel for the greens. I recommend we take full advantage of this before we venture on to any of the other courses. Perhaps a pint will be wagered?

DLux of Maine

Linksland

.... Linksland is the old Scottish word for the earth at the edge of the sea - tumbling, duney, sandy, covered by beach grasses. When the light hits it, and the breeze sweeps over it, you get every shade of green and brown, and always in the distance, is the water. The land was long considered worthless, except to shepherds and their sheep and the rabbits, and to the early golfers. You see, the game comes out of the ocean, just like man himself! Investigate our linksland, get to know it. I think you’ll find it worthwhile....

The above is almost an exact quote from Michael Bamberger in his book To the Linksland: A Golfing Adventure, another title on the required reading list before we depart for Scotland.


Links – traditionally linksland, is coastal ground with unproductive soil. Therefore linksland is not used for agriculture, so it separates the farm fields from the sandy beaches and is said to link land and sea. Water moves readily through the porous, permeable, sandy soil producing the characteristic dry, firm turf. The indigenous grasses are a blend of fescues that many say forms the perfect surface on which to play the game of golf.

It’s common in the States to refer to any golf course, or at best a treeless course as golf links, but unless the course found on windswept coastal land with grass covered sand dunes, characterized by dry, firm, turf it's a misnomer. Most Americans are totally unfamiliar with links golf, and that’s exactly why we are headed to Scotland.

Linksland has no trees, so you are subjected to the full force of the wind that can easily blow 30 mph. In addition to the wind, bunkers, gorse, grass and burns are the only hazards, but they're plenty enough.

Because the turf is firm and uneven, expect bad bounces when you play links golf, but expect good ones as well. Golf on the links involves chance. Embrace links golf and realize that neither golf nor life is fair, just get on with it and embrace the challenge!

DLux of Maine

What to bring to Scotland

Passport, $$$, Reservations documents, (see Travel Essentials part one).

As golf is one of the main objectives of this trip, one would obviously want to bring golf implements. Clubs, a light weight carry bag if you have one (you’ll nea be on a buggy (cart) in Scotland without a letter from your physician stating a medical need), golf shoes, waterproofs, umbrella, golf balls, and a valid handicap card. Why waterproofs? Duh! Why golf balls? Can’t you buy them there? Yes you can, but they’re twice as much as here at home. And the valid handicap card? Don’t leave home without it! You nae get on the Old Course, Royal Dornoch or a variety of other courses without one.
Beyond this, my motto is travel light. You’ve got a jacket already (see waterproofs). The hight temperatures is going to be in the 50’s or 60’s but the lows will be in the upper 40’s or low 50’s, so a jumper (sweater) or sweater vest, and a polar fleece is a good idea. Jeans are not permitted on most of the golf courses or in most clubhouses. One pair, primarily for travel or for the pub at night is all you need. Two or three pairs of trousers, khakis or Dockers, are a good way to go. A pair of shoes other than hiking or trainers (athletic shoes) is necessary if you want to go into the clubhouse after the round. Golf shirts or long sleeve polo shirts are a good idea, and we might get some weather that would allow us to wear one without a fleece. Underwear, socks, under shirts, etc.

How much of this stuff do you need? Depends on how long we stay, but I say keep it to a minimum. The only people that will see us on a regular basis are us, and we don’t care if you wear the same sweater every day. If you run out of clean underwear, socks, or whatever, the Caremore Laundry Service is located on Woodburn Terrace in St Andrews and will happily to do a service wash for you.

Bring necessary toiletries, in small quantities, in a one quart plastic bag (for the security folks). Keep them all together in one place. If you forget something in this area don’t worry, the Tesco or Boots on Market Street in St Andrews has all this stuff. Don’t forget any prescription medications. Something to read in the airports and on the plane is a necessity. Camera!!!

How to transport the gear? You’ll need two pieces of luggage, a travel bag for the golf clubs and a small carry-on bag. Besides golf implements, the travel bag can easily hold any and all of your large bulky items like polar fleece, rain gear, shoes, sweaters, etc. There will be a weight limit. Last time I went over seas it was 50 lbs (22.5 kg). Actually, there isn’t a limit, you just have to start paying extra when you exceed a given weight. I carry necessary items in the carry on bag; medications, socks, underwear, shirts, book, passport.

My experience is that people tend to over pack, bring stuff you don’t really need. Keep it simple boys.

ODL

Sure I've heard of Haggis...

I mean, who hasn't??

That said, I couldn't tell you much about it save for the fact that it's disgusting. After ODL's post I decided to do some searching on Youtube to see if I could get a more graphic look at this cultural dish. What I found didn't exactly endear me to the idea of trying Haggis, but it was enlightening nonetheless.



My favorite quote from this video "it's been said that only dying has a worse reputation than Haggis"

The whole time I watched this I was telling myself, if even Zimmern doesn't like it, forget it--I'm not trying it! Well, as you see, he was quite fond of the Haggis he tried and although I know he has a very daring palate, I feel like after watching this I have to try it at least once.

In my Youtube searches I also came across this clip from "So I Married an Axe Murder"



I like the line at the end "I think most Scottish cuisine is based on a dare"

Well, if that's the case, than I accept the dare!

-DLux of Arizona

Haggis

What’s the deal with haggis? I know one thing for sure, it’s the butt of many jokes directed at the Scots. Haggis is often portrayed to tourists as a mythical, small, furry animal, about the size of a hedgehog, that roams the Highlands. It’s the Scottish equivalent of a jackolope.

Many years ago on my first trip to Scotland, I made the rounds of shops with merchandise designed to open tourist pocketbooks. Tea towels with printed images of all things Scottish were the rage. Come to think of it, they probably still are. One of the towels was emblazoned with the recipe for haggis. I distinctly remember beginning to read the first line, “Stuff a sheep’s stomach .......”. That’s as far as I got. Some things are better left to the imagination.

I have since learned that a casing, traditionally a sheep’s stomach, is stuffed with bits and pieces of sheep’s internal organs (typically heart, liver and lungs), mixed with oats and suet. Basically, it’s a type of Scottish sausage. If you can get past this imagery, and get the haggis past your lips, it’s not bad at all. You will find it as an appetizer in restaurants offering traditional Scottish fare.

It can also be the main course in traditional Scottish meals, such as a Burn’s supper, along with neeps and tatties, (aka turnips and potatoes). Of course a Burn’s supper would nae be complete without whisky and shortbread following the main meal.

We’ll see who among us is up to consuming the wild haggis.

-ODL

It's been too long...

We should have a picture of the three of us on this sight wouldn't you agree?

In search of such a picture I looked back through my digital photo album and was both shocked and saddened to realize that the last time Dylan and I were even in the same room for a photo op was January of 2008... over three years ago (Scotland or no Scotland we're due for a damn reunion!)

In any case, the pictures that I did come across were quite entertaining and well worth sharing.

We'll have plenty of great photo ops at Neenee's wedding this fall, but until then, these will have to suffice.

-DLux of Arizona

P.S. Dylan, we'll have to try to get one or two this fall where alcohol doesn't play such a prominent role!

Dornoch, Royal Burg

Dornoch is a beautiful, wee village and perhaps my favorite place on the planet, full of friendly, kind, welcoming people. To top that off it’s designated a Royal Burgh. I don’t know exactly what that means but it sure sounds cool. It’s a magical place where witches were once burned at the stake, Andrew Carnegie retired, and Madonna had her child christened.

I’ve been there at different times of the year, October, November and May but the many small businesses always seem to have plenty of patrons. There’s a beautiful cathedral, a jail (now an upscale shop with lots of branded merchandise), and a castle (now an upscale hotel and restaurant). The beach is spectacular and there’s an old quarry where stones for the many of the town’s old buildings were obtained.

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It’s located about 45 miles north of Inverness, the traditional Highland Capital, an easy drive up the A9 highway. This place is almost at 58° north latitude, only a little more than 8° from the Arctic Circle. Therefore the winters are long and dark, but not that cold thanks to the Gulf Stream. In mid summer the sun barely sets but because of the northerly location the

temperatures are moderate to cool. The good news is that Dornoch gets only about 25 inches of rain annually, but I’ll still pack my waterproofs.

Dornoch is rich in history. The cathedral, founded by Bishop Gilbert, dates to the thirteenth century though it’s be sacked and rebuilt several times. In the year 1260 or thereabouts, William, Earl of Sutherland, lead an army against the Danes in the Battle of Embo contested on the linksland. The Danes were vanquished. Legend says that William slew the Dane’s leader when he bludgeoned him to death with the leg of a dead horse. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club commemorates this ignominious achievement with a horse shoe as part of the club’s crest. A large mound out on the fifteenth hole is said to hold the graves of the slain Danes.

Finally and more pertinent to our trip, is the Royal Dornoch Golf Club, always ranked among the top twenty in all the world. The remote location and relative lack of lodging prohibit it from ever hosting the Open. However if I could play but one course for the rest of my life, this is the one I would choose. It’s brilliant! The Scots have always know how great a course it is, yet it was largely unknown here until Herbert Warren Wind published his article “Northward to the Links of Dornoch” in the New Yorker Magazine in 1964. Since then it’s fame has grown steadily in America.

Required reading; A Season in Dornoch Golf and Life in the Scottish Highlands by Lorne Rubenstein.

ODL

How else would I start

A little old lady was walking down the street dragging two large plastic garbage bags behind her. One of the bags was ripped and every once in awhile a $20 bill fell out onto the sidewalk.

Noticing this, a policeman stopped her, and said, "Ma'am, there are $20 bills falling out of that bag."

"Oh really? Darn it!" said the little old lady. "I'd better go back and see if I can find them. Thanks for telling me officer."

"Well, now. Not so fast," said the cop. "Where did you get all that money? You didn't steal it, did you?"

"Oh, no no," said the old lady. "You see, my back yard is right next to a golf course. A lot of golfers come and pee through a knot hole in my fence, right into my flower garden. It used to really tick me off. Kills the flowers, you know. Then I thought, 'why not make the best of it?' So, now, I stand behind the fence by the knot hole, real quiet, with my hedge clippers. Every time some guy stick his thing through my fence I surprise him, grab hold and say, 'O.K. buddy! Give me $20, or off it comes!"

"Well, that seems only fair," said the cop, laughing. "O.K. Good luck! Oh, by the way, what's in the other bag?"

"Well, you know," said the little old lady, "not everybody pays."

DLux of Ohio

Glasgow

There was an interesting article in the Economist a couple of weeks ago about renewable energy in Scotland...

For the full story click anywhere on the screenshot above.

-Young Dan Lux

Dealing with Scottish Weather...

ODL,

You discussed 'waterproofs' in a dispatch last month... If we do come across inclement weather, perhaps we should consider one of Scotland's older methods of managing cold and rain. Mark Frost touches on the method in The Greatest Game Ever Played*

*Full book review coming soon!

-Young Dan Lux

You know what, I think it needs a splash of color!

Better?

Let me know what you think by commenting below!

-Young Dan Lux

Official Lux Golf Pilgrimage logo?

Here's my best stab at a logo for our trip. Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below!

-Young Dan Lux

Eden

Eden, the garden in which everything was perfect, that is until Eve caused all that trouble. The St Andrews Links Trust has a perfect little golf course as part of it’s offerings. The Eden course is shorter, 6250 yards, than the championship courses but is maintained to the same standards. It’s next to the Old course, in fact the famous Hell Bunker on the fourteenth hole of the Old Course is only a little more than 200 feet to the right of the first green on the Eden. Heck, I’ve sliced many a ball that far but usually on a drive, not an approach shot. Often overlooked by visitors, it is very popular among the locals. It’s also the most affordable. The Eden course has it’s own clubhouse with locker rooms and lounge bar, and it’s located near the practice facility.



We played it in 2008 and my journal says that the fairways are generous, with difficult tricky greens and a few quirky holes. My fondest memory of the round was that I drove into a pot bunker on the twelfth hole, a short par four, only 341 yards long. I was unable to advance the ball very far down the fairway from that position and had a shot of over 50 yards to the green. As the fairways play hard and fast, I putted the ball and it wound up pin high. That’s the beauty of links golf, there are many ways to play the shots. No one way is any better or worse than another.

A truly unusual feature of the Eden is that it has a water hazard other than a burn, extremely rare on links courses. A pond guards the left side of the fourteenth hole and you must drive back over it on the par 3 fifteenth hole.

I’d say this would be a perfect venue to sneak in a quick 18 some evening.

ODL

Travel Essentials Part 1

Whenever I leave for an international trip I always do one final checklist before I lock my front door. The three things I make sure I didn't forget are:

1. Money, and a way to get more (i.e. credit/debit card, travelers check, etc),
2. Reservation Documents (air tickets, hotel vouchers, etc) or a way to print them out electronically, and
3. My Passport 

Regardless of what I remembered to pack, if I have these three things, I'll be just fine. Headed to a rainy climate and forgot your umbrella? Guess what, if the locals constantly deal with rain, odds are there are plenty of stores that sell umbrellas (and likely for less than they cost back home).

Money is a given, and I'll touch more on that in a later entry.

In the electronic age, remembering my Reservation Documents usually means making sure that I have receipts printed for any hotels I've booked, and a print out of my confirmation number/details for my flights. This stuff can almost always be retrieved electronically from an Internet cafe but having a printed copy can save precious vacation time/stress with very little effort.

Finally, and maybe the most important thing on my short list, is making sure that I have My Passport in hand. Not remembering your passport is the one-surefire way to insure your trip fails before it even gets off the ground. Passports during travel are like beads during Mardi Gras. For a brief period they are the most precious items in the world--the pinnacle of importance--and the rest of the time they have little or no importance whatsoever. Always keep your passport in a safe place. Well in advance of your departure make sure that your passport is where it should be, make sure that it is valid for at least six months after your scheduled return, and when you go to the airport... keep it in hand!

One final note on Passports--and this goes out to you specifically Dylan--is that when you get your first passport, budget an obscene amount of time for the process. Issuing new passports is pretty low on the State Departments priority list and although their website quotes 4-6 weeks to process a standard passport, I have friends who attest that it took substantially longer to receive theirs.

Fortunately the State Departments website is really pretty great, and has and has loads of easy to read information about how to apply for a passport.

Although we are still over a year away, now would be a great time to get the ball rolling on your passport application. Standard Passports are valid for 10 years so if you get your passport now, it will be valid for this trip, and who knows maybe many more Scotland pilgrimages to come!

All the best,

Young Dan Lux

Anstruther

We should go see Anstruther, and no Anstruther isn’t a woman. It’s a town in East Neuk on the coast of Fife. Traditionally it was a fishing village but now tourism is the most important industry. It's home to the Scottish Fisheries Museum, the Ship Tavern (interesting local color), and a nine hole golf course that I’m told is quite good. So which of these draws us to Anstruther?
None of the above. It’s the Anstruther Fish Bar, voted the best fish and chip shop in all of Britain in 2001-2002 and 2008-2009. Check it out! All the fish is caught and processed locally. We can eat in the restaurant, unusual for a Scottish chippy, or our fish and chips can be consumed take-away across the street near the harbor. I guess that’s one meal we don’t have to worry about!

-ODL


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