Gleneagles to Edinburgh and back via Tullibardine Distillery

As a golf courier, transporter, driver or whatever title people wish to give you these are the days we dread. Our expertise revolves around golf courses, restaurants, pubs etc. However there are occasions where we have to do the sightseeing thing !!! Normally the situation occurs when guys bring their wives and they don't play golf so we have to find a way to keep the ladies busy. One thing that will ruin a golfers vacation is a bored partner.


Today the guys had a free day and decided they would like to see the sights of Edinburgh, not good for me because it's a long day sitting around trying to avoid traffic wardens. Also Edinburgh at the moment is dreadful, the roads in the city centre are all being dug up to lay the lines for a new tram system.


So with much dread and a fake smile I picked the guys up at Gleneagles at 9.30am, which is about an hours drive from St Andrews where I am staying. Within five minutes from Gleneagles is the Tullibardine Distillery which opens at 10am everyday. Unfortunately for the guys the first tour was not until 11am. But it was our good fortune to meet Gavin who sold the guys several different samples, by the time we left the guys had bought two bottles of malt and several other bits and peices. They all slept the length of the journey to Edinburgh.
I dropped them at the Castle which is a busy tourist attraction at this time of the year. I picked them up at Holyrood Palace at 5.30pm. They said they spent two hours in the castle about thirty minutes at Holyrood House and the rest of their time at the World of Whiskey. They are now all experts on malt and my vehicle has more malt on it than the average pub stocks !
They had a 7.30 reservation for dinner at the Henry Wishart Restaurant in Leith so to kill an hour I took them to a couple of interesting pubs near the Grassmarket.

So now I,m sat in Leith docks writing this while the guys eat dinner, hopefully we will all be done before midnight.

Still the time I had spare today was put to good use rearranging George Fishers itinery yet again !

Carnoustie Links and The Ladies British Open

Today we find out if Jeffery, Henry, Robert and Merrick can play golf. We are at Carnoustie and there is a slight breeze but nothing too exciting !
In the photograph with the guys is Martin Roy,the caddy master at Carnoustie and The Oxford Hotel in the background. I can't believe that after giving the hotel a free plug they still charged me for the use of their wifi.
Carnoustie Championship Links is a great course that will test every golfer, a challenge that very few rise to. The amount of complaining that goes on in the rear of the vehicle after a round here is unbelievable. Naturally it is the course that is unfair or the caddy that made a mistake, but really we all know better !!!!
Whilst I was here today I managed to have a chat with Colin McCleod, the golf services manager. Colin was delighted to announce that Carnoustie is going to host The Ladies British Open in 2011.
He also pointed out if anyone who is coming over for The Open in St Andrews next year there are very few tee times available for that week, so book now if you don't want to be disappointed. There are a few tee times left on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday of the Open week

Pictured is Colin in his own subtle way telling you all where to find out the information you require about Carnoustie Golf Links.

Finally a very important announcment, on yesterdays blog it stated that Henry went out bounds with his tee shot on the first. Apparently (and this is according to Henry) he did not and he would like me to set the record straight. For what its worth he still made a bogey five though !!!!!

Jigger Inn then the Old Course St Andrews

Here is Henry, Jeffery, Merrick and Robert, teeing off on The Old Course Course at 1pm today. What you cannot see are the four St Andrews caddies to their right, fortunately !!!

Suprisingly the guys were very calm, Henry (in the white shirt) unfortunately hit his tee shot out of bounds and was introduced to the St Andrews mulligan, we call it three off the tee.

Earlier in the morning the guys enjoyed a lazy breakfast at The Jigger Inn before heading to the driving range, a couple of beers on the bus then off to play golf.

When they finish their round we will go for a celebratory beer in the St Andrews Golf Club.

Tonight the guys have a dinner reservation at The Road Hole Grill in The Old Course Hotel. Tomorrow we head to Carnoustie where we will discover whether the guys can really play or if they have been telling me stories ! After Carnoustie we are staying at Gleneagles for three nights

To the right we have a picture of Antoinette and Esther, the Mother and Daughter team in The Jigger Inn, thank you for my coffee.

Jubilee Course St Andrews

First Blog so lets see how we do. The purpose of this exercise is to keep former clients and new clients up to date with my whereabouts.
So today is day is day four of this tour and unlike my usual North American clientele this group is four young men from Manilla. So far they have had a easy introduction to Scottish golf but today they were met by a gentle breeze on the Jubilee Course, so naturally they thought links golf was easy on the front nine then they turned for home, different story then !!!!
Tomorrow is their big day Old Course at 1pm, then Thursday Carnoustie.