LD TAM LINKS GOLF

There are two ways to plan and book a links golf trip, via a tour company or do-it-yourself. We are the latter of the two, do-it-yourselfers. Picking courses, getting tee-times, lodging, coordination/travel. It is a good amount of work, but we divide and conquer and spread it over three to four months of time, most of the work is involved in researching the courses, availability for visitors, and timeframes, costs and how far in advance you can or need to book a tee time. The lodging is the easiest phase, and the coordination, transportation falls in line once everything comes together.

Choose your favorite village and book an Inn for a weekend or week. Royal Troon and Prestwick GC, which border each other, have hosted 24 Opens and welcome visitors to play with a member and walk their historic fairways. Classic links courses, out-and-in routing, and memorable holes—The Postage Stamp, The Railway, Cardinal, Himalaya, and Alps.

When you mention the Scottish Highlands, most people immediately think of the Whiskeys. They are indeed my favorites—Macallan, Balvenie, Glenmorangie, and Highland Park. But in recent years, more people head north to “where the polar bears gather firewood’ as Chris McBride, The Last Caddie described it. Along with the Kintyre Peninsula, it is my favorite golf destination. Why, you ask? Simply put, the village of Dornoch and one of the big four Links courses--Royal Dornoch. Add in Brora to the mix, and maybe Castle Stuart as a chaser, and you have yourself a great links golf trip. Whether you fly into Inverness, train it up from Glasgow or Edinburgh, or go old school and drive, it is a great destination. The mountains, rivers and coastline (Moray Firth) combine to make the views nothing short of spectacular. If you do not play golf, or even if you do, the fishing is incredible as well. Do yourself and your friends a favor. Don’t just go to St. Andrews and East Lothian--take dead-aim on the Village of Dornoch. -Old Tam