Thursday, September 11th: Moosman Leads with (+3, 75)!

NOTE:   Closest to the holes for September are #5 & #11.

Conditions:  On Thursday, seven golfers played on a great golf day. 85-88 degrees, 2-7 mph winds and 50% humidity.  The greens were still sanded… bumpy and slow.

Team Winners:  Dunlavy, Eggert, Hall & Kossmann won the front (-1).  Coleman, Johnson & Moosman won the back (€) and total (-2).

Individual Winners:  Moosman won the front (+2) and total (+3). Dunlavy won the back (+3).

Even/Plus Points Club: Moosman (+3), Dunlavy (+2), Johnson (+1) & Eggert (€).

75 & Below Score Club:  Moosman (75).

Closest to the Hole:  Johnson won #5 and #11.

Golf Quote: “Golf is not, and never has been, a fair game.” – Jack Nicklaus

Golf Stuff: Scotland is truly a golfer’s paradise—with approximately 614 golf courses spread across the country. That’s the highest number of golf courses per capita in the world, reflecting Scotland’s deep-rooted love for the sport.  Here’s a quick breakdown:  Glasgow area: ~94 courses.  Edinburgh area: ~67 courses.  Famous coastal links like St Andrews, Royal Troon, and Carnoustie are world-renowned.  Whether you're chasing championship layouts or hidden gems tucked into the Highlands, Scotland offers an unmatched variety of golfing experiences.

Quota Increases:  All (+1):  Dunlavy & Johnson

Quota Decreases:  Kossmann (-2).

Quotas:  Aholt 29 * Alferman 34 * Baer 29 * Blackwell 32 * Breid 23 * Clark 36 * Coleman 30 * Cozzo 26 * Crow 36 * Curran 30 * Curtis 31 (White Tees) * Denbow 30 * Dister 28 * Dunlavy 27 * Eckelkamp 36 * Eggert 29 * Eichelberger 30 * Elcan 28 (Blue Tees) * Fortner 27 * Gildehaus 31 * Hall 30 * Herrick 24 * Hoemann 33 * Horstkamp 25 *Johnson 30 * Kavanaugh 28 * Kossmann 28 * Lindhoff 31 * Loyd 23 * Marquart 27 * Miller 22 (Gold Tees) * Mitchell 27 * Moosman 30 * Morris 25  * Meyer 28 * Nealis 22 * Palumbo 31 *  Parmentier 32 * Purschke 20 * Scheer 20 * Scheidegger 32 * Schrader 33 * Sharma 27 * Stapp 33 * Stoehner 25 * Tiefenbrunn 24 (Black Tees) * Triplett 30 * Viox 27 * Voss, Chas 25 * Voss, Colby 32 * Voss, Dean 34 * Zastrow, Owen 28 * Zastrow, Josh 35

Clark in Scotland - Days 14 & 15

Yesterday found me at the mighty Brora Golf Club, another James Braid design on probably one of the finest pieces of links property in Scotland. This one has been on my much anticipated list to play. Other than the wind it was magnificent. These courses remain relevant despite their shorter length by American standards. The unrelenting wind and the unforgiving firmness of the turf and greens more than make up for any yardage they give up.

Playing 9 holes either back into the wind or a punishing crosswind is a humbling experience. Despite 32mph winds my caddie Cameron managed to guide me around Brora links at plus 4 over par and I must say I was exceptionally pleased with the score. All made possible by some Seve Ballesteros bump and runs and putts off the green that managed to get close enough for a few up and downs. Only 1 birdie and 5 bogeys and I could not have been happier. I told Cameron “that’s the best I’ve got” and I meant it. Brora is unusual as there are electric fences around the greens to keep the sheep from wandering where they are not welcome. As far as I know it’s the only course that sheep graze freely on. Apparently there are concessions made to local farmers that have been in place a very long time according to Cameron.

After a tee shot directly into the wind on the 200 yd plus par 3 18th hole that somehow managed to defy gravity by not rolling back off the heavily sloped front of the green and down the embankment, I two putted for par to cap off a great afternoon.

 

Luckily the bar restaurant was still open when we finished and Cameron and I enjoyed a pint and the bartender’s recommendation of the lamb pie and chips.

This day also marks my move up the road to the Clashmore House a bit closer to Dornoch. It used to be owned by Andrew Carnegie whose estate also owns the ultra private Skibo Castle and Links across the street. I will call this place home base for the rest of my trip. Stuart and Mandy are the hosts and wonderful people as are all I’ve met in Scotland. 

Tomorrow I’m headed to Royal Dornoch championship course, with rain early morning before I play and then afternoon serious wind…. Should be an adventure! 

Cameron, whose specialty is pint liquidation.

Brora

                                                                  Just a bit of wind!

Brora with fences around the greens.

Cameron indicating the direction I should hit my tee ball.

Sheep crossing the fairway.

18th a Brora... does not look like much
until you get up by the green and see the
huge undulations that make it very unrecptive.

Nice fire, hot tea and raspberry cake
back at the Clashmore House.

Tuesday, September 9th: Dunlavy (+7) and Hall (75)!

NOTE:   Closest to the holes for September are #5 & #11.

Conditions:  On Tuesday, nine golfers played on a great golf day. 77-81 degrees, 3-9 mph winds and 40% humidity.  The greens were sanded and slow.

Team Winners:  Eggert, Hall & Kossmann won the front (+1).  Curran, Dunlavy & Elcan won the back (+2) and total (+2).

Individual Winners:  Dunlavy swept (+4, +3, +7).

Even/Plus Points Club: Dunlavy (+7), Hall (+3) and Elcan (€).

75 & Below Score Club:  Hall (75).

Closest to the Hole:  Nobody won #5 and Miller won #11.

Golf Quote: “Consistency with golf confidence is king. Your confidence will never hold up under pressure if you get lax in your pursuit of it. It is meant to be a constant in your game, not a variable, so treat it that way. Whether you play with a winning “go” statement like, “I’ve got this!” before every shot or you repeat positive affirmations to yourself throughout a round, do whatever it takes to keep your thoughts on track. – Wayne Dyer

Golf Stuff:  Proposed Rule Changes Players Support:  Field Size Reduction: Shrinking fields from 156 to 144 players per event. This helps improve pace of play and ensures higher-quality competition.  Tour Card Eligibility: Changing the cutoff from the top 125 FedEx Cup finishers to the top 100. Many players feel this raises the bar and rewards consistent performance.  Korn Ferry Tour Adjustments: Reducing the number of PGA Tour cards awarded via Korn Ferry from 30 to 20. This reflects a desire to make the transition to the PGA Tour more competitive.  Scorecard Correction Window: Players now have 15 minutes to fix errors after submitting their scorecard—a small but appreciated change to avoid harsh penalties for honest mistakes.  Damaged Club Replacement: Players can now replace a damaged club mid-round (if not broken in anger), which many see as a fair and overdue update.

Quota Increases:  Dunlavy (+2) and Hall +1)

Quota Decreases:  Coleman & Eggert (-2).  Curran, Miller & Moosman (-1)

Quotas:  Aholt 29 * Alferman 34 * Baer 29 * Blackwell 32 * Breid 23 * Clark 36 * Coleman 30 * Cozzo 26 * Crow 36 * Curran 30 * Curtis 31 (White Tees) * Denbow 30 * Dister 28 * Dunlavy 26 * Eckelkamp 36 * Eggert 29 * Eichelberger 30 * Elcan 28 (Blue Tees) * Fortner 27 * Gildehaus 31 * Hall 30 * Herrick 24 * Hoemann 33 * Horstkamp 25 *Johnson 29 * Kavanaugh 28 * Kossmann 30 * Lindhoff 31 * Loyd 23 * Marquart 27 * Miller 22 (Gold Tees) * Mitchell 27 * Moosman 30 * Morris 25  * Meyer 28 * Nealis 22 * Palumbo 31 *  Parmentier 32 * Purschke 20 * Scheer 20 * Scheidegger 32 * Schrader 33 * Sharma 27 * Stapp 33 * Stoehner 25 * Tiefenbrunn 24 (Black Tees) * Triplett 30 * Viox 27 * Voss, Chas 25 * Voss, Colby 32 * Voss, Dean 34 * Zastrow, Owen 28 * Zastrow, Josh 35 

Clark in Scotland - Days 12 & 13

Yesterday brought another day of pretty decent ball striking but poor scoring at Tain… As a rule I’m over the green on most well struck shots. I found myself back on the practice green hitting recovery chips and bump and runs with my 9 iron… 

I’m fairly competent until you add in undulations and rolling changes in elevation. While practicing I met a young 14 year old with  talent named Callum. He reminds me of Houston and is very dedicated to improving and his game. We decided to play nine holes and he was a real gentleman. We talked about both the Walker Cup and the upcoming Ryder Cup and had a lot of laughs. We will definitely be playing more in the future after school if my schedule allows.

Today I played the Royal Dornoch Struie course in the morning with a good natured caddie named Evan. He hands me the driver on the first hole and says… down the middle please… he also tells me there is a burn that crosses the fairway at 270 but it’s not in play.

Mind you it’s dead down wind and I offered up the 5 wood as an alternative. The minute I hit it I knew it was in the drink. A couple bounces and it disappeared from sight. I looked at Evan and he returned the uneasy look that confirmed the watery fate.

 

This course is the little brother to Dornoch Championship Links which I will play Friday. It’s an excellent test of links golf and was in fabulous condition. I’m sure the Championship course will be an amazing experience and I’ll play it more than once before I leave. After my round I headed up to the Old Dornoch clubhouse for a great window seat overlooking the first tee and putting green for a soup and delicious bacon roll sandwich. Mind you this might be the best course in Scotland and there is a bit of stuffiness but the people and members are so genuine and welcoming it feels unnatural. It’s just not the same in the states. Most high end private clubs would not let you thru the gates much less into the dining room. After my lunch I decided to drive back north to play a small 9 hole track in the coastal town of Lybster. This course is perched right on the top of the hill in the historic town and I’m not sure who designed it but there is nothing to block the wind. As I was sorting out the routing and looking a little lost in search of the correct tee boxes and corresponding holes, a helpful member got me sorted out and also confirmed that some days the course is unplayable due to wind. Mind you today it was gusting at 28mph and business as usual. I had intended to play the 9 holes twice but the prospect of getting back to the Inn and a hot shower proved more appealing than bucking the wind for that second nine on a course I found a bit uninspiring compared to others.

 

Tomorrow I play another fabulous links course, the much anticipated Brora. It’s another James Braid design and is said to sit on the best piece of links land in Scotland. I tee off at 1 with a chance of rain in the forecast so should make for an interesting afternoon.

         Royal Dornock Caddy Shack

Lookie there... guess 270 was reachable

                       Evan fishing

Strui course

Stuie Course

Dornoch trophies and the Carnegie shield

Dornoch clubhouse bar

Lunch overlooking the first tee

Lybster golf club

On the tee at Lybster

Lybster golf club

Callum, a fine young man from Tain who is dedicated to golf

Saturday, September 6th: Dunlavy (+3) and Eggert (75)!

NOTE:   Closest to the holes for September are #5 & #11.

Conditions:  On Saturday, six golfers played on a very nice golf day. 69-76 degrees, 2-9 mph winds and 40% humidity.  The greens were fast.

Team Winners:  Dister, Johnson & Moosman won the front (+1).  Coleman, Dunlavy, Eggert & Hall won the back (+1) and total (+1).

Individual Winners:  Dister, Eggert & Moosman tied the front (+1).  Dunlavy won the back (+3) and total (+3).

Even/Plus Points Club: Dunlavy (+3), Eggert (+1) and Dister, Hall & Johnson (€).

75 & Below Score Club:  Eggert (75).

Closest to the Hole:  Eggert won #5 and Dister won #11.

Golf Quote: “Confidence in golf is being able to concentrate on the problem at hand with no outside interference.” ~ Tom Watson

Golf Stuff:  Attendance at LIV Golf events varies, but has seen notable successes like over 100,000 fans at the Adelaide tournament in Australia and 60,000+ at the Indianapolis event in August 2025, which set a U.S. record. However, not all events attract large crowds, with some tournaments like LIV Miami and Mexico City seeing fewer than 20,000 fans. 

Quota Increases:  All (+1): None

Quota Decreases:  All (-1):  Coleman & Hall

Quotas:  Aholt 29 * Alferman 34 * Baer 29 * Blackwell 32 * Breid 23 * Clark 36 * Coleman 32 * Cozzo 26 * Crow 36 * Curran 31 * Curtis 31 (White Tees) * Denbow 30 * Dister 28 * Dunlavy 24 * Eckelkamp 36 * Eggert 31 * Eichelberger 30 * Elcan 30 * Fortner 27 * Gildehaus 31 * Hall 29 * Herrick 24 * Hoemann 33 * Horstkamp 25 *Johnson 29 * Kavanaugh 28 * Kossmann 30 * Lindhoff 31 * Loyd 23 * Marquart 27 * Miller 23 (Gold Tees) * Mitchell 27 * Moosman 31 * Morris 25  * Meyer 28 * Nealis 22 * Palumbo 31 *  Parmentier 32 * Purschke 20 * Scheer 20 * Scheidegger 32 * Schrader 33 * Sharma 27 * Stapp 33 * Stoehner 25 * Tiefenbrunn 24 (Black Tees) * Triplett 30 * Viox 27 * Voss, Chas 25 * Voss, Colby 32 * Voss, Dean 34 * Zastrow, Owen 28 * Zastrow, Josh 35 

Mike Clark in Scotland - Days 10 & 11

Yesterday I fought the links of Tain and it was the winner. Greens and fairways were fast and very firm and I didn’t have my best stuff. I did what I normally do when things don’t go my way and headed to find a driving range. While every course has a warm up practice net, none have a practice range. I have found a nice range outside of Dornoch that an enterprising farmer has set up in his sheep field and I’ve visited it twice already. At 6 pounds for a large bucket it’s still pretty reasonable and it’s the only option around. 

I started this morning off with an omelette and my sights on making the 2 hour drive north to Wick. This is another James Braid course set right on the coast and amongst the tall hay covered dunes. The drive up was magnificent with some of the most beautiful scenery imaginable. No billboards, no trash along the road, just ocean views, rolling hills, ancient cottages and stone fences separating farmers flocks of sheep. Story book stuff.

Wick is a true links course with 9 out and 9 back in.

That outward 9 was a real confidence booster as every hole was downwind adding 30-50 yards onto every bouncing running drive. I turned in even par after a missed heartbreaking short putt on #8 cost me a red number side.

Then turning straight into the wind on 10, this course showed its teeth. Every hole was 2-3 clubs longer into the green. There was not a weak hole on this back nine and I cruised to a smooth plus 5 on the back. Despite my best effort and modern equipment, I found myself with 150-200 yards into most holes. The course remains virtually unchanged from a design standpoint from when Braid laid it out. Obviously, conditions today are a world apart from 150 years ago. I just can’t see players back then making too many pars.

 

This course was definitely worth the drive. If it was in located in the states, it would be $250 plus to play and busy as can be. Here the full green fee was 60 pounds and I was most likely the only guest to play today.

 

No set plan for tomorrow but I’ll stick close to home I think.

Thursday, September 4th: Meyer Mauls the Field (+6, 74)!

NOTE:   Closest to the holes for September are #5 & #11.

Conditions:  On Thursday, six golfers played on a perfect golf day. 69-75 degrees, 1-5 mph winds and 40% humidity.  The greens were fast.

Team Winners:  Dunlavy, Johnson & Dunlavy won the front (-4).  Coleman, Hall & Meyer won the back (+3) and total (-4).

Individual Winners:  Meyer swept (+2, +4, +6)

Even/Plus Points Club: Meyer (+6), Johnson (+2) and Hall (+1).

75 & Below Score Club:  Meyer (74).

Closest to the Hole:  Dunlavy won #5 and Coleman won #11.

Golf Quote: “•   “Golf is a game of misses, and the winners are those who have the best misses.” – Kathy Whitworth

Golf Stuff: There are over 290 Division I men's golf programs across the U.S.  Each team typically carries 8–10 players, depending on the school’s budget and competitive level.  That means there are approximately 2,300–2,900 Division I men’s golfers nationwide.  Schools that opt into the new model can now offer up to 9 full scholarships for men’s golf.  This is a doubling of the previous cap and gives programs much more flexibility.  However, not all schools will offer the full 9 scholarships. It depends on:  Whether they opt into revenue sharing.Their athletic department’s budget.  Title IX compliance (balancing men’s and women’s scholarships).

Quota Increases:  All (+1): Hall & Meyer

Quota Decreases:  All (-1):  Coleman

Quotas:  Aholt 29 * Alferman 34 * Baer 29 * Blackwell 32 * Breid 23 * Clark 36 * Coleman 33 * Cozzo 26 * Crow 36 * Curran 31 * Curtis 31 (White Tees) * Denbow 30 * Dister 28 * Dunlavy 24 * Eckelkamp 36 * Eggert 31 * Eichelberger 30 * Elcan 30 * Fortner 27 * Gildehaus 31 * Hall 30 * Herrick 24 * Hoemann 33 * Horstkamp 25 *Johnson 29 * Kavanaugh 28 * Kossmann 30 * Lindhoff 31 * Loyd 23 * Marquart 27 * Miller 23 (Gold Tees) * Mitchell 27 * Moosman 31 * Morris 25  * Meyer 28 * Nealis 22 * Palumbo 31 *  Parmentier 32 * Purschke 20 * Scheer 20 * Scheidegger 32 * Schrader 33 * Sharma 27 * Stapp 33 * Stoehner 25 * Tiefenbrunn 24 (Black Tees) * Triplett 30 * Viox 27 * Voss, Chas 25 * Voss, Colby 32 * Voss, Dean 34 * Zastrow, Owen 28 * Zastrow, Josh 35

Mike Clark in Scotland - Day 9

Today I had the privilege and absolute pleasure of playing Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club. Just a mere 24 miles from the town of Tain, it was always on my list to play but it certainly does not get the recognition it so justly deserves. 

I will just come right out and say this has got to be one of the nicest little courses I’ve ever played… and I’ve played a bunch. 

Upon my arrival completely unannounced and with no tee time I was made to feel very warmly welcomed by Julian, who got me checked in and offered some friendly course advice. After a brief discussion, Julian advised me to take a cart for my first time around. I’m glad I did as this course has 4-5 holes with some major changes in elevation. I could easily have walked it with my push cart with some laboring uphill, but the ride was nice to have since I was unfamiliar with the layout. The first hole, a par 4 starts out with a dramatically elevated tee shot from a spectacular vantage point just outside the simple but well appointed clubhouse. This is a Heathland style Willie Park / Old Tom Morris design and although not long, the par threes have teeth and every shot presents a challenge due to the rolling terrain. Every tee is like a post card view with stunning scenery in every direction. Julian said just two guys take care of this course and they do a remarkable job. Greens, surrounds and fairways that were so incredibly nice you feel guilty taking a divot. “Please refer to the pic of my ball sitting on pristine fairway turf”. Midway thru the round I had a brief shower but due to the elevation I could see it coming from afar and had plenty of time to slip on the rain gear. The showers were short lived and the sun was back out warm and shining brightly for the last 3rd of my round.

I managed to make a few birdies to offset my bogeys and closed with a -1 score for the day. Oftentimes these smaller courses get overlooked in lieu of the big names which is a shame. 

There is absolutely no way I would skip this course if playing golf in the Highlands.

Strathpeffer Clubhouse

Course Layout

First Hole Tee Shot

Some of the nicest turf you could ever play on!!

Card of the Day!

Mike Clark in Scotland - Days 7 & 8

The last two days here have been very enjoyable. Tuesday I headed south to play a much anticipated course called Fortrose and Rosemarkie. It was a nice drive about an hour south of my base location of Tain. No mishaps on the drive down and I’m definitely getting better behind the wheel driving on the left side. This is clearly evidenced by friendly waves instead of middle fingers. 

The course staff was exceptionally friendly and welcoming and the general manager cheerfully greeted me on the range letting me know my caddie details and giving me a brief rundown of the course and history. It’s a James Braid design and one of the oldest in Scotland. It plays on a narrow long peninsula with a lighthouse on the point. Many holes outward and inward are separated only by rolling mounds of thorny gorse. On this day the wind was blowing steady at 15 and gusting at 27 straight across the course. At my caddie’s insistence I found myself aiming as much as 50 yards right or left of my intended target to account for the effect of the wind and the bounce and roll of the ball once on the ground. After a miraculous chip-in on 9 we turned at one under par… but the fairytale was over quickly after a well struck drive ended up against the riveted wall of fairway bunker in which I had to play out backwards.

 

Apparently my caddie didn’t quite get the message that “under no circumstances do I want to be in a fairway bunker” and I’d be quite happy to hit whatever club necessary to avoid the sandy score killing craters. Enough said. We finished the day at +3 and my caddie Gavin could not have been happier…probably because we still had the same ball that we started with. 

Today I was invited back to Golspie with 3 seniors to have a nice 4 ball game… great fun and great gentleman. We ended in a draw as my birdie putt on 18 to win for our side just slid by.

 

I just cannot say enough regarding the warm hospitality of the people I’ve met and the stunning beauty of the little towns in which they live and of the courses they play.

Great stuff.

Fortose & Rosemarkie

Fortose & Rosemarkie

Fortrose & Rosemarkie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

Golspie

My new Scotish friends

  

Golspie Video