COMMUNITY

I have made the trip to St. Andrews twice, and would be happy to help if I can. The Old Course is a no brainer. It is simple yet stunning and by playing it you really get a taste of 90% of the golf courses on this planet...because the Old Course is the most copied golf course in he world.

Your second choice is much more difficult, but in my opinion should come down to two of the courses. The New Course was designed by the hands of Old Tom Morris in the late 1800's. If your goal is to play historic courses then this is your best second choice.

The other option is the Castle Course, which I must admit I have never played, because I am a history buff. That being said i have heard that it is amazing.

No trip to St. Andrews is quite complete without a trip to the R&A Museum which is located right across the street from the Old Course.

The real treat would be to see the trophy room inside the R&A clubhouse. You need a member to escort you and you need to wear a jacket and a tie to get in, but you will see the Open Championship Championship Belt which preceded the Claret Jug and of course you can see the actual Claret Jug which does not travel with Els this year. If you want that tour I can arrange it. I am friends with two R&A members, one of which is one of the great historians in Scotland.

If you are a golf history nut no trip to St. Andrews would be complete without visiting the graves of Young Tom Morris and Alan Robertson who just might be the greatest golfers who ever lived. Young Tom won the Open four times in a row and is the single reason Els is not flying home with a belt instead of a championship belt.

Where else are you going in Scotland? I have played nearly every championship course in Scotland and could assist you in any travel plans or must plays.

Thanks, I have sent you a friend request so I can pick your brain for info.

Wow Racer, looks like you are set! Conner really came through for you.

This is a good example of how this site works in a positive way.

How do you know I am not going to send you to a gay bar. Lets not assume my advise will be helpful.

I don't think it would take us too long to figure it out, remember I am currently working and living in NYC, west village.

I was there just about one year ago exactly. Really had the time of my life. I was able to get the exact tee time I requested through the lottery in September, being a single. Another guy I played with headed back the day after our round and was able to walk on again, later on in the day.

They have you play a second course when you get an Old Course tee time through the lottery, and they just put me on the Jubilee, which was fantastic as well. Many holes along the water, it's on the same bit of land as the rest of them, and so no surprise, it's wonderful.

There's a great old caddy named James Corsephine, he would be 76 this year I think, amazing old fellow. His father and grandfather all caddied on the course, so needless to say, he knows a yarn or two about the course. He was incredible, I had him caddy for me both days. Tell him I said hello!

Then I would just add a couple of things food and drink wise... Have a dram or two at the bar at the Dunvegan, it's right down the road from the 1st tee and there's tons of history hanging on the walls and in the air. Awesome.

Also, the best meal we had was at a restaurant called the Doll's House. It's not far, nothing is far in St. Andrews!

Enjoy! I'm only a little jealous!

See Conner, Scottie had it covered for you. Both a vegan gay bar and a lesbian bar.

Thanks Scottie, I will ask for him and hope he is still there.

Racer, regarding cell phones...most American providers don't work overseas, and even if they do, your bill will be outrageous the next month. Bring them in case you use them for alarm clocks or something, but otherwise, don't worry about it.

Instead, set up a Skype account, and tell your friends/family to do the same. Most laptops have a built-in camera and microphone, but of course if yours doesn't, external ones can be bought on the cheap. A Skype call costs next to nothing...to the tune of a few cents...and the video option lets you actually see the folks back home. Before you leave, try to decide on good times to call, keeping in mind the time difference.

I also read something in an old Golf magazine about car rental...they said the much cheaper option is to rent a "bus," which is actually a minivan. A "van" in the Isles is not what we think of as a van...something to that effect. Just get something where everyone can fit into one vehicle.

Thanks Goynes. I actually did some investigating into the phone thing and set up a Skype account, now you can buy credits and call people on land lines that don't have skype and it is pretty cheap. Works quite well on the Ipad2. I also looked at most of the car rental places and it really isn't that bad, about 300.00 for the week getting an SUV 4x4. We plan to do day trips up into the Highlands and from what I can see and read the roads up that way get pretty rough and most are one lane. I have ancestors from Scotland and plan to try and search out some of the "Clan". Thanks again for your input.

Update on our upcoming trip. Heard from The Links Trust this morning and we have secured a tee time on the Old and the New Courses.

Dear Golfer
Thank you for interest in playing golf at St Andrews Links.
The provisional reservation below has been made in accordance with the booking conditions set out on our website. Click here for Booking Terms and Conditions.
Package confirmation number: 43LC****
(Please quote this reference in any correspondence)
Date & Time Player Facility Confirmation #
14/05/2013 11:44 2 New Course D6MR***
15/05/2013 13:00 2 Old Course 9G4HG***

This works out perfectly as we can do some exploring the first of the week, play golf mid week and then decide if we want to play some more or do another side trip. I have a lot of family history in Scotland and plan to spend some time visiting some of the areas. Our Clan fought in the battle of Culloden (near Inverness) and our current Clan Chief has a B&B on the isle of Lismore on the western coast.
Now the hard part-----waiting!!