The Honourable Company Of Trans-Atlantic Golfers was up and at it last Saturday as our Scotland adventures began in the Kingdom of Fife.
Our first day was off to a brutal beginning. It rained most of Friday and into Friday night at St. Andrews. Winds were picking up and growing stronger overnight.
Saturday morning found more rain and wind, it was time for our 30-minute ride to Kingsbarns, an infant in these parts — built in 2000. Mercifully, the rain let up — unmercifully, the wind increased to 40 miles per hour. The group ahead of ours didn’t even go out. They went home.
First hole, 380 yards par four, dead into the teeth of the gale and it felt every bit a gale. My best drive was 190, dead center. From 180 out my best three-wood left me with a soliid 40-yard pitching wedge to 12 feet. Missed the putt and the stage was set for a day of survival more than golf.
The seas were angry and waves crashed on the craggy coastline. Sea birds were struggling mightily and so was every player willing to brave these elements.
Toughest winds I’ve seen in my entire playing days.
Add the fact that Kingsbarns is not a true links course. It has long walks between greens and tees, many uphill climbs, some 45 degrees.
One of our guys wore a Fitbit and it showed 19,000 steps to get back to the clubhouse. Easily seven miles.
Would have been difficult simply to walk that day, add the wind and our futile attempts to battle it and it was one long, will-crushing afternoon. Thank goodness the rains moved out.
Our scores ranged from 81 to 91. It was a task to break 90.
This was Scotland at its meanest.
On to Sunday and Carnoustie.
Carnoustie Was A Better Walk With Some Great Results
Carnoustie is one of golf’s greatest and most historic Open Championship venues. It was here that Ben Hogan won the 1953 Open Championship and the first thing you will notice as you play is the Hogan Plaque at the par five sixth hole.
It was a better day for us. Winds were only 15-20 off the North Sea. This was an easier walk as its a true links course.
The sixth hole saw three spectacular shots by one of our own. Zephyrhills propane mogul Kevin Bahr scoffed at Hogan’s squeeze it down the middle strategy and launched a magnificent drive that started over the fairway bunker to the right — a powerful downwind draw that left him a driving iron to the green. He hit an impressive one and found the putting surface, still 85 feet from the hole.
Kevin’s long eagle attempt was perfect. When it was five feet away, it looked dead-center. It caught the flagstick, made a semi-circle then settled in the bottom for eagle three.
The Propane Prance ensued and we all celebrated Kevin’s feat. He went on to shoot 35, one-under for that outward nine. Awesome feat.
There were good and bad shots by all of us and Carnoustie wasn’t as nasty as we anticipated.
Until we reached the mind-numbing closing holes. Three of the final four were into the wind and getting home was tough but not for Shaun Wandler, software engineer extraordinare from Austin, Texas. He played them in an attention-getting one-under and posted an impressive 74 — four over on a tough layout.
We all celebrated his success as we headed back to our headquarters at the Scores Hotel in St. Andrews.
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
That is quite a couple of days. Would have been fitting to play Carnoustie the rainy day.
Tom Edrington
The rain vanished at Kingsbarns, it was simply strong, really strong winds.