After my power breakfast of thick dark coffee and a croissant with enough butter and marmalade to alarm any heart surgeon, I pulled into the Tain parking lot ready to give it my all against the team from Brora Golf Links. Turns out Brora is similar to clubs FCCC plays in the inter club matches… they could only field a team of 6 out of 10 and their low handicap player didn’t make the trip so I joined a few of the other TOFFS guys and we went out before the 6 matches.
As it turns out, after I teed off on #2, my driver felt funny and I noticed the head had come loose. I don’t have a wrench with me so I played the rest of my round teeing off with my 4 wood which is not the correct formula into a 20mph wind. I would have done better with the 2 iron…. Inconveniently located in the back of my SUV. Tain whipped up on the Brora boys that showed and there may be a rematch at Brora before I leave…. I hope so.
This afternoon, I took the short ride to Portmahomack Golf Club. It’s a nice little 9 hole links situated on the edge of town surrounded by rolling farmland, sheep pastures and ancient stone walls, with views of the bay from every hole. It was built in 1909, but I’m unsure of the architect. What a pleasure it was to play. 410yds was the longest hole, but I just hit 5 wood off every tee including one 184 yard par 3 into the wind. It’s typical links golf with natural rolling contours and swales that can guide a well hit shot into a hidden bunker, all to the demise of the cocky guy on the tee. A game plan for many of these courses is to look back from the green to the tee to see the route the architect intended for you to safely take to the hole. This course could be overpowered with a driver, but what would be the fun in that?
On a side note bunkers were the original sheep bedding areas on the side of dunes where they would scrape away the vegetation from the sandy soil and “bunker down” against storms from the North Atlantic.
As I write this, my stomach tells me it’s getting close to supper time, but the view is fantastic and my glass of Glenmoreangie is delicious. The best part of tomorrow is that there is no plan and I’ll strike out for a new course in the morning.
Views from Portmahomack
Sheep "bunkers" on a dune
Pormahomack Links
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