Kilted Golf in the Kingdom---Scotlands finest courses, my mediocre but stylish play

[Wife]

Doug, it was indeed a "once in a lifetime" trip.

Next trip is mine and Jeff can stay home with the toddler.

[tyger]

Thanks Jeff, for the pictures and the trip log. Nothing like it, is there?

Now, we must get serious about a trip.........for Northerns.

[ForresterModern]

Additional photos of the day at Royal Troon:

First, me at civil discussion with the starter about why I was being denied play kilted:


Courtesy DR Kirks.


Next, me playing in those dreadful pants, otherwise dressed identically as to when I arrived, sans kilt:


Courtesy DR Kirks.



Lastly, a nice photo of Royal Troons signature hole, the "Postage Stamp" 127 yard par three, whose green is only about 25 feet in any dimension, with traps, mounds, and dropoffs surrounding the tiny green. I put a pitching wedge 18 inches right of the pin for the kick-in birdie, one of my two for the day and only two of the week for me.


Courtesy DR Kirks.




Jeff

[lethearen]

Love the action shot in Post 1 (pic 4)! You're looking great, Mr. Jeff.

[MacConnachie]

Jeff, thanks very much for the brilliant travelogue.

Just curious . . . how's your short game here in the U.S.? If your current putter "lets you down" on a frequent basis here, too, then perhaps it's time to consider a "slightly different configuration" . . . ?

[ForresterModern]

Jeff, thanks very much for the brilliant travelogue.

Just curious . . . how's your short game here in the U.S.? If your current putter "lets you down" on a frequent basis here, too, then perhaps it's time to consider a "slightly different configuration" . . . ?

I putt like a demon here with the same putter. Short game typically pretty good too. Both let me down in Scotland, I think because of differences in conditions. Fairways are cut very short and are firm making fairway lies thin and every shot feel like it is hitting off of asphalt---thus less control over distance and a lot more drubbed short pitches. Green were similarly short and hard as concrete (I never saw or had to fix a pitch mark the whole week despite flying in some real high screamers which would have left a 4 inch ball mark here in the states), making it tough to hold an approach, and making putting tricky to read distance and speed---hence a lot of long putts either left considerably short or considerably long for the comebacks, and a lot of three putts.

Best lies I had all week were those that were in the first or even second cut of the rough, as I could consistently get underneath them with my approach iron. Lot of putting or chipping with 4 hybrid around greens, and from the fairway I learned to leave every shot short of the green because they would all bounce on and roll. Very different game. Took me 6 days to figure that out.

Thanks for asking.

j

[Bing]

Doug, it was indeed a "once in a lifetime" trip.

Next trip is mine and Jeff can stay home with the toddler.

Well Jeff, that's better than my offer. When she was leaving to go to the National Whippet Specialty for a week my wife told me that my "once in a lifetime trip" is the one from the church to the cemetery. And if I complain too much about her trips she's willing to consider pushing up the date.

[English Bloke]

Great pictures, cheers Jeff.

[2a5t2f7]

Bing - funny, funny story.