Yesterday we stopped in Gullane for a quick lunch on our way into North Berwick. Gullane is a charming little village that's home to numerous golf courses-including The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (Muirfield for us stateside). Haven't seen it yet but you can feel the presence.
After a few more minutes drive up the coast we found ourselves in North Berwick, our home for the next four days. First we should clear up the pronunciation of our temporary home as the Scots do talk a wee bit different than those of us who are a bit removed from The King's English. The proper way to say it is Nor Barrack as in army barrack.
Our rented home is more than I expected when booked. I'm not sure how old it is but it is completely renovated with very nice furnishings and decorating throughout. There is a full kitchen with a nice stove that looks straight out of a commercial kitchen. We were met by Lorna who manages the place and she couldn't have been nicer. She even had croissants for us when we arrived.
I didn't have much time yesterday (or brain cells that weren't jet-lagged) to say much about our round of golf. This morning I have the time, the brain cells are rested albeit a little confused by the wonderful Talisker Scotch that Greg and I picked up yesterday in Gullane.
We arrived at Kilspindie well ahead of our tee time. After a long trek across the Atlantic we were sure we'd need a few extra minutes to work out the kinks in our fifty something backs. The clubhouse and pro shop at Kilspindie are very plain but serviceable. But we weren't looking for fancy for our first round and Kilspindie fit the bill perfectly. They don't have a range but rather a couple of mats where you hit into nets. Right next to the mats is a bunker so that we neophytes can test our skills. There is one similarities between bunkers at my home course and Scotland: they both have sand. Beyond that not so much. This bunker wasn't much more than ten feet across with a gentle, welcoming entry. Rising above the face was a tower of sod that looked imposing yet not impenetrable. Oh how first glances can be deceiving. I should state for the record that I'm not a great bunker player. My strategy is generally to avoid any kind of social interaction with them. But occasionally you do find yourself with a chance to test what you are made of and for that reason I decided to give it a go in the practice bunker. Now, mind you this wasn't really much of a bunker as Scottish bunkers go. my first swing was well executed-good contact behind the ball with lots of sand to help propel the ball. In this case the sand merely propelled the ball directly into the face of the bunker. I think I heard the bunker laugh a bit. A few more try's weren't any more successful. A local gent gave me a few pointers. They must have worked because I promptly managed to launch the ball out of the bunker and and land it about fifty yards away. Not bad except my target was only ten yards. I should note that the entire round of golf was played without me losing a golf ball-except for one I shanked out of that damn practice bunker. I gave up after that and decided that my best plan was to avoid the roughly 10000 bunkers we will face this week. Good plan.
I tell you that story because it has some relevance to the round of golf we were about to enjoy. The first hole at Kilspindie is a 165 yard par three. There's a green side bunker on the left and one on the right. Bob was sure that the one on the left has a ladder. He was anxious to see someone utilize this apparatus. A side note: the first tee is located just feet from the clubhouse so your first shot is in full view of a ever changing gallery. We spent a few minutes watching other groups tee off but no one ventured into the trap. Since I had been so successful in my earlier attempts in the practice bunker I decided to place my first shot in the left bunker for Bob's entertainment. Much to my surprise I ( and others I'm sure) I landed my shot on the green within fifteen feet of the green.
The course Runs along the Firth or Forth (the local bay) for three or four holes and then turns back the opposite direction. We were fortunate that we were with the wind for the beginning of our round to give us some confidence. One observation-the green to tee distance at Kilspindie has got to be amongst the shortest possible. I'm not saying that we were close but there were times when I was teeing off and was worried that I would hit someone putting on the adjacent green in my backswing.
Running out of time to write more. We're headed out to North Berwick West course at noon. Still raining there's a good chance we'll get wet today.
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