Departure: 47 days and counting!

After a one year postponement, the departure is drawing nigh. When I stop and think about it, time flies.  A year ago seems like yesterday.

The recent 15 inch snow storm has severely delayed any opportunity to practice outside, and it seems like a round of golf before we leave won't be possible. I know that's not true, but my opportunities will be severely limited. You see I'm doing a training course to become a rider coach in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation scheme. By the time the snow melts, April at the earliest, I will be spending three consecutive weekends in the training sessions. These include four hours on a Friday evening, and eight hours on Saturday and Sunday. If you add that up, it leaves no time for golf on the weekends until the last one in April. Then I have to lead a field trip on Sunday the 28th. So before we leave, it's Saturday April 27, and May 4 and 5 as my only weekend options for warm-up golf. Yikes.

Of course I'll have time for some 9 hole sessions during the week and ample opportunity for  "the range" where I'm a three handicap. A shank on the first tee of the Old Course will not occur and my plan is to not hit a ground ball.

The lodging is all booked, the vehicle reserved and most of the courses set. Hurry up and wait!

The basic prerequisites are met

DLux of OH has finally got his passport!!

We have so much thanks to give...

In honor of the brave men and women that have served (and are still serving) our great nation, I'd like to give thanks this Veterans day by sharing the story of a veteran that also dreamed of playing the Old Course.


We are so fortunate to have the opportunity to play the Old Course this spring, and -because of people like the gentleman in this video-to live in the free country that we do.

-D.Lux of WA

The Cast

From previous posts you may be aware that the original cast consist of three individuals who all share the first initial D and the last name Lux. The are scattered about the country and thus DLux of OH, DLux of ME, and DLux of WA. The cast has been expanded with the addition of Jamison.

Who are these people? First is DLux of WA, aka "the Traveler" for his inclination to travel here symbolized by the "ride".

He is the leader of the pack and carries all of the responsibility for planning all of the travel for the trip.
He's also the smart one!

Next are the other two DLux's. That's DLux of ME on the left and DLux of OH on the right.

DLux of Maine is delusional. He alternates between thinking he's a Scottish football hooligan and slammin' Sammy Sneed. DLux of ME is responsible for tee times and B&Bs.

DLux of Ohio is The Golfer of the group. We are counting on him to "carry us" in our quest for impressive "best ball" scores during the trip.

Last but certainly not least is Jamison (on the left), aka "Lawrence of Arabia". He is responsible for fun!

He earned this nickname on a previous trip to the links of Scotland exemplified here by a visit to a bunker on the first hole at Royal Dornoch Golf Links. 

The Lux boys look like a scruffy lot, but they clean up well. I'm not so sure about Jamison!

Resurrected

I have been negligent over the last nine months as this blog has been silent. My apologies. Let me provide some history. 

In January 2012 the Lux Golf Pilgrimage to Scotland was postponed. It was a sad day but the financial state of the participants made it necessary. But six months later, last summer, discussions revived the concept and we decided to plan a spring 2013 trip.

So on 4 September an application was completed and an email was crafted. These were saved as a draft on the Google Mail site. Forward to 5 September at 5:01 AM. The draft was opened and the send key was struck thus applying to the St Andrews Links Trust for two tee times. If you want to acquire an Old Course tee time this way, you must also apply to play one of the other fine courses they manage. We chose the New Course.

To maximize our chances of success we asked for anytime whatsoever during a two week interval in May. Our only "demand" was that the two tee times be within a day or two of each other. The wait began. September passed. October came and almost went but on Friday October 26 we received word of success! We will tee off on the New Course at 11:12 on Monday 13 May. Then on Tuesday 14 May the Holy Grail. At 3:50 we will begin our journey around the Old Course.

Later today I will forward a credit card number, and probably a security code, to the St Andrews Links Trust to make a £900, non-refundable payment for four rounds of golf on the New Course and four on the Old. As Julius Caesar said when crossed the Rubicon River "alea iacta est", the die has been cast. 

Wait, is this a golf pilgrimage, or a whisky pilgrimage??

-DLux of Washington

Good find DLux of Maine!