The Great Scotland Trip - Part 1

So i'm hitting an age where I want to take a big golf trip. All. it a mid life crisis... or just call it I want to do the dang thing. This one is THE ONE. I'm confident it wont be the last but I want this golf trip to be something special. So i'm planning on heading to the home of golf... to Scotland!

I'm starting this post to share my experience thus far and maybe if you ever plan a trip you'll gain insight into how I did it.. successes or failures.

Buckle up for some fun... I hope.

First things first is WHEN DO YOU GO?!

The plan so far is a year and a half away. 2028. I've never planned this far ahead in my life!

From what i've read the best time to go is the same time as our summer here in Saskatchewan. Part of me hates that because I want to be here during the summer, but I guess if you want to go... then it doesn't matter. Not saying we COULDN'T go in the off season here at home but I'm not sure I want to battle huge winds and cold temps. I want to enjoy the golf when I get there. So it looks like it might be a May-July trip. 10 days in Scotland in May... sounds amazing to me!

The course list is almost endless of course which makes it a little hard because I want to play them all. So i've searched endless sites rankings in hopes to play Tour venues as well as a potential hidden gem or two. BUT WHO KNEW SCOTLAND WAS THAT BIG?!

Do you stay in one area and play the tracks within an hour of each other or do you get a van and drive all over the country! What's the play?! Do I want to drive for hours on end or do I want to stay in a specific area and visit some enticing pubs each night/afternoon? I didn't know this was a choice I had to make. I honestly thought Scotland wasn't that big and I could just go anywhere within an hour or two.... guess I shoulda payed more attention in social studies class.

Then of course there's the big question. How the heck do you get on The Old Course?! You can wait in like in the morning and get on as a single... maybe. You can put in a ballot a week in advance and see if you get in. You can apply for a spot and potentially still get denied based on availability. Lastly... you can try and pay your way in by booking almost a year and a half out with a travel company.... and you're paying for it... Is it a trip to Scotland if you don't get on the old course? Does that matter? Will I feel like I didn't REALLY DO IT? It's a tough call!

Here's what I know:

• I want to play some Open rota courses. Some bucket list ones but any will do. (Carnoustie, Muirfield, Turnberry... There's a few.)

• I'd love to play a hidden gem or two. (Broken Tee society has some good suggestions)

• I want to go to the old course and at the very least visit the hotel, the shop and see the course. I want to play it... but I want to be there at the very least. It's a public park on Sundays so if I can't play it... i've got a walk to take on Sunday.

• I probably want to drink some whiskey... i'm a bourbon guy but let's dive right in.

• I want to go to a castle or two.

So there's a little more to do there beyond the golf but I'm going for the Scotland experience.

Here's what I've done so far:

• I've contacted Hidden Links Golf.

  • They've given me a decent looking itinerary with a few golf courses. This is the company that advertises on Golf Channel all the time. Seems good. Website and intake were very detailed. Thus far they haven't answered the question of "What does it take to get on the old course". Read below to see what the have planned for me thus far.

• I've doom scrolled google suggestions.

• I've seemily nudged the instagram algorithm to start showing me Scotland Golf posts

I have. today, thus far the guys at Hidden Links are pretty great! I'm sure they've done this a thousand times but I've enjoyed the experience in chatting with them. The questions they ask are very detailed and it sounds like they can make you a trip based on almost any budget. Not an add for them... but hey... maybe i'll tag them in the post and get a T-Shirt or something. Maybe a pint when I'm in Scotland.

Here is the current itinerary:

• Day 1 - Arrive into Glasgow Airport, pick up your vehicles and travel to Troon (46 mins). Overnight at Piersland House Hotel

• Day 2 - Play Royal Troon. Overnight at Piersland House Hotel

• Day 3 - Play Western Gailes Golf Club. Note: She sits 15 minutes along the road from Troon and has hosted many a Scottish Amateur Championship! Overnight at Piersland House Hotel

• Day 4 - Relax today! Travel to Greyfriars Hotel, St Andrews (2 hours 15 mins). Overnight at Greyfriars Hotel

• Day 5 - Travel to Carnoustie (Championship Course) (44 mins). Play Carnoustie (Championship Course). Overnight at Greyfriars Hotel

• Day 6 - Play St. Andrews Jubilee Course. Overnight at Greyfriars Hotel

• Day 7 - Tuesday, June 8: Play The Old Course at St. Andrews (Premium Advance Application). (They follow this up with a bunch of situations on how you might get onto the course and that they will guide you through everything and that worst case you can visit the ground... personally i'd book golf for this day if we were gambling on the tee time and cancel at the other course. From what I've read... all the golf courses get it if you cancel for an old course time.

• Day 8 - Wednesday, June 9: Travel to Edinburgh Airport (1 hour 9 mins) and depart.

This plan has us staying mainly south near St. Andrews so we don't have to drive as much. I figure this one is more about the golf and frankly I don't think we can go wrong with any plans as long as we are in Scotland. Plus... there's rest days. Who says we couldn't play an emergency 18 if we are craving it!

So there it is! That's what the story is so far. What do you think? This sound like a good trip? Have you been to Scotland? Am I missing anything? I'd love to hear your thoughts! Follow along with me as I document the journey to book and achieve this fun trip.

The goal... Stand on the bridge after my tee shot flies over it.

Days away: 584