Special Addition #4 from Scotland (Clark & Eichelberger's Big Adventure!)

Mike Clark's Notes:

Well today's golf took us to two more courses… Dunbar Golf Club, situated almost entirely along the coast and the morning started off with the wind at our backs. Scoring was good and other than the occasional errant drive, Jimmy hit some bombs. Unfortunately, Jimmy’s caddie suffered from some type of astigmatism because he saw few of them. He seemed to depend on either Jimmy, me or my caddie to locate the ball. Caddy selection seems to be a roll of the dice here. Most all are great guys, some are super sharp and I seem to be on a heater with mine….. Jimmy not so much.

Dunbar was perfectly manicured and firm and fast. The greens here are just slower. Slower than what we would ever play at our club. It’s a courser grass and although they could probably make them really speedy, I was told they choose not to do so in an attempt to keep the ball from blowing off the green. It takes getting used to and the caddies give me about as much sympathy for not getting the ball to the hole as my playing partners back home.

That being said, Dunbar is one of those courses that you want to play again and again because it’s just that good. Tough, but good. When you turn back into the wind and are greeted with 400 plus yards hole after hole it’s hard to believe the Scots don’t have up tees, but they don’t. It’s Championship, regular mens and ladies. Peg it up, shut up and move on quickly which they do. Average round time is well under 4 hours and that’s playing it down everywhere and walking. This afternoon was Longniddry Links…

It was not what I have come to think of as a links course….the sea was visible thru the trees but no rolling dunes. My opinion might be biased because I got my ass kicked by the course and wind and rain in the afternoon round carding a smooth 75…. Not too bad one might think except it’s a par 68 full of 400plus yard holes and no par 5s with greens comparable to old Warrenton golf course that hadn’t been cut in two weeks. Zero birdies this afternoon for either of us.

All and all, great fun.

Peg it up, shut up and keep moving!

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