Readers!

One of the great pleasures I've had in writing this blog over the years has been the many contacts I've had from blog readers, either commenting on the courses I've played, the experiences they've had in playing golf in Scotland, or just saying hello and encouraging me to keep going in the quest to play every course.  I hope in a small way I've opened eyes to the possibilities of coming to Scotland and playing the remoter "hidden gem" courses, alongside our more famous courses. 

Just recently John and his family from Vancouver in Canada contacted me about his family's forthcoming visit.  They'd already played dozens of courses including the likes of Scarista on Harris and Covesea, two of the finest 9 hole courses you'll find in Scotland, far off the beaten track. This time they were tackling a pilgrimage to the Old Course, the Castle and some other established premier courses in the area. This is John and his family on the iconic bridge on the 18th on the Old Course.  I'd managed to fix them up with Garry, another long-time blog reader and Facebook friend who works as a caddy on the Old Course and I'm glad they had a great time. They even managed to play the Castle in 50 mph winds, which is real dedication to the game and a sample of what true links golf can be like. 

Playing into a 4 club wind when you already have a 3-wood in your hands and the green is only 150 yards away, double bogies can be a very good score. Brutal in one sense but hugely enjoyable in another, if you don't take the scores seriously!  I played on the same day in a seniors competition at Dunbar GC, a top quality links course that's just as exposed to the elements as the Castle and got blown away, losing 3 balls and a ton of energy in the process.

I hope John and his family return to Scotland sometime soon, as there's still a huge number of challenging courses out there.  Meanwhile, back at the Glen GC in North Berwick, (see www.glengolfclub.co.uk), we're still working on a new ultra HD flyover that we hope will stimulate further interest in playing our own hidden gem.  Next time John, the Glen's green fees are on me!