Turnberry to Glasgow Airport, then home.

This was the scence on the 18th on the Ailsa Course at Turnberry this morning. The guys played there yesterday and said it was an eeerie feeling coming down the 18th. You think that's bad imagine how Tom Watson is feeling every time he looks at the hole. From 1977 till the last day of The Open it must have been one of Toms greatest places to be, now he must feel a little different about the place. What a win it would have been, at 59 years old. What he achieved that week gave us all hope, so thank you Tom.
This morning was also the end for my guys from Manilla, vacation over and time to depart. They have been a great bunch of guys to work with, never a moments bother and no nasty suprises to check the drivers abilities. Some of you out there will know what I mean by that sentence. I still have nightmares about the Wilkes Party from three years ago !!
So I wish Jeffery, Henry, Robert and Merrick good luck and I hope I see them again, especially after the respect they showed their driver at the end of the trip.
Is it just me or does anyone else believe Lee Westwood can win a major. I'm tired of losing money on him. Still with Billy on the bag he has a better chance than ever, so I'm off to the bookies to give him my usual deposit and who knows I may see a return by the end of the P.G.A.

Turnberry is now a Luxury Collection Resort

So today the guys played the Kings Course at Gleneagles, as you will from the photograph the weather was good. They told me that in their opinion The Kings Course is more difficult than the P.G.A. Course they played yesterday, personally I wouldn't know as I have yet to play the P.G.A. Course. I played the Kings Course last summer and enjoyed the course but unfortunately I was in the company of an asshole, so I didn't enjoy the day ! I always play better when I'm with company that I enjoy being with so needless to say I played very poorly that day, but I still like the course.
In the picture the guys are leaving Gleneagles and heading to Turnberry the venue for this years Open. I was there for three of the four days with different groups. A very strange atmosphere during the play-off, it felt like the whole world wanted Tom Watson to win. I think the crowd suffered with him as he lost to Stewart Cink. I caddied in a game with Stuart way back in 1999 at the Dukes Course in St Andrews. I was with a former Ryder Cup player called Peter Dawson (no not the current secretary of the R&A ). Stewart was a pleasure to be with and tipped his caddy very well, meanwhile I was with a Yorkshireman, enough said !!!
We got to Turnberry around 7pm local time and it was the first chance I had to look at the improvements the new company has made to the hotel, and very nice they are. The reception area is completely re-designed, well worth a look. The guys tee off on the Ailsa Course at 9am and that will be their last round in Scotland, Tuesday they head off home to Manilla. I pick up my next group on Saturday.

Twitter and all that stuff !

Today the guys are teeing off at 10.50am on the PGA course which used to be known as the Monarchs. Jack Nickluas designed and as you would expect difficult for the average golfer to play.
So the weather today was traditional Scottish Fare, wind rain and sunshine, translated OUTSTANDING !
The guys being as considerate as they are do not need my services today. But after all Gleneagles being Scotlands premier resort will take care of all their needs This means a shuttule service from hotel to Clubhouse and onto tee no problem. So my deal is to pick them up tomorrow and transfer them to Turnbury. Tough day at the office I guess but no more than I deserve after yesterday.
So onto my final point does anyone out there know how to twitter ? Apparently I have a twitter account which has been set up by my web designer but I'm afraid I no not what to do. So if anyone is listening any guidence will be gratefully recieved.
I notice I have a new follower nice to meet you and do not be shy feel free to introduce yourself.

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.