The Dunhill Links — It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than This

How does the next three days in golf heaven sound?

If you are an amateur golfer and you had the ultimate dream come true, you would be teeing it up this week at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.

It doesn’t get any better than this, really, truly, it doesn’t.

Imagine being one of 168 amateurs paired with a player from the European Tour and for the first three days you get to play, in no particular order:

The Old Course at St. Andrews.

Carnoustie.

Kingsbarns.

And should you and your pro play well enough to make the team cut, how about a second round on The Old Course?

You know about The Old Course.  If it is not on your bucket list, it should be.  Been there, going back, as long as these legs can walk 18 holes on golf’s most hallowed ground.

You know about Carnoustie, aka Car-nastie.  Been there, going back, as long as these legs can walk 18 holes on one of the most iconic courses in the Open Championship rota.

You may not know Kingsbarns.  It’s an infant compared to the iconic links courses.  It’s a modern links course with spectacular vistas, a more difficult walk but still special.

Two rounds at The Old Course?  We should be so lucky.

Some of the best are in the lineup this week for the Dunhill Links Championship.  Rory McIlroy’s there with his dad, a treat for both, no doubt and dad let Rory know in no uncertain terms last week that there best be no opening 76s this week.  Father knows best, doesn’t he?

You’ve got most of the big guns from Europe on site.  Along with McIlroy you’ve got Justin Rose, last week’s European PGA winner — Danny Willett, runnerup Jon Rahm, Open champion Shane Lowry, Lee Westwood and representing the good old USA — Tony Finau.

This is also a great opportunity for us Scotland-lovers in the U.S. to get a great look at the three courses.

You can get up early on Thursday, Friday and Saturday and enjoy links golf over a cup of coffee in your easy chair.

Defending champion is Lucas Bjerregaard.  Last year he held off European Ryder Cuppers Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton to win the for the second time on the European Tour.

The winner of this event will often face that tough question — which course is his favorite?

It’s hard to pick a favorite because they’re all a little bit different,” is how Bjerregaard puts it.

“St Andrews has all the history and it’s amazing playing 17 and 18 and just seeing all the great players during the last long time hit the shots and win around here. It’s pretty special walking down this couple of holes. Hitting that tee shot over the hotel on 17 it’s, I wouldn’t say fun, but it’s great.

“Kingsbarns has amazing views and it’s a beautiful course and I really enjoy playing round there.

“Then you go to Carnoustie and it’s just brutal, it just beats you up every time but I actually really enjoy Carnoustie, I think it’s just a great test. I’d say that might be my favorite – I don’t know why because it beats me up every time.”

For the rest of us, it’s tough not to choose The Old Course.

When you play it for the first time, you think about all the great players in the history of the game who have won on that soil and it’s a near mystical experience.

There’s nothing quite like it.

Which is all the more reason to watch what unfolds this week in Scotland.

Get up early and get a taste of golf heaven.

You’ll be glad you did.