Being
onboard the intimate and comfortable 122-passenger M/S Clipper
Adventurer, is an entirely different and wonderful proposition.
Each evening you'll relax at sea and each morning you will awaken
to a new vista and a new links selected carefully for it's intriguing
variety of play. Sights to see include the Kintyre Peninsula,
Loch Ness, Dornoch, Aberdeen and Crathes Castle, St. Andrews
and Fife Coastal villages and Glamis Castle.
PerryGolf also offers an outstanding itinerary for the non-
golfer, which includes an expert tour guide, Ludka Aitken, who
leads you on trips to Glamis Castle, Burns Cottage, fishing
villages, museums and wonderful shopping excursions. One never
gets bored.
As for the cuisine aboard the Adventurer and the well-trained
crew’s attentiveness to detail and your comfort - it is
nothing short of outstanding. The crew to guest ratio is 1 to
1.75 passengers! Beds are turned down every evening, bathrooms
are restocked with fresh towels and entertainment is all part
of what makes up this superb vacation.
The
hosts, Gordon and Colin Dalgleish, make every effort to accommodate
each and every guest, and both Colin (a former Walker Cup player
and past Scottish Open champion) and Gordon are superb golfers
in their own right. What an added bonus to get to play a round
with either one!
Highlighting the trip with PerryGolf, are the Concierge Drivers
of the luxurious V.I.P. Golf Coaches used to transport you and
your clubs to each destination. They are smart, friendly and
nothing is ever too much for them. Plus, having your clubs unpacked
and laid out in your starting time position gives you the extra
time to loosen and warm up. When your round is complete, your
bags are placed and stored until the next day’s golf.
Another highlight of the trip is the outstanding cuisine, special
orders, wine list, warm and intimate ambience and open dinner
seating. Whether you prefer dining alone with your spouse or
sharing a table with the other guests, it’s your option.
The nightly get togethers, the cocktail parties, the dissection
of the course played and scores shot, the waist high rough,
the fescue rescues, the deep pot-bunkers, the places visited
and the announcement of the daily tournament winners and prizes,
further imbue the camaraderie of the travelers.
PerryGolf’s course venues do change each year, but rest
assured the best of the best courses are chosen. You will need
to check their web site for additional details of the courses
being played for a particular trip. www.perrygolf.com.
Machrihanish Golf Club
This
wonderful championship links is isolated on the southern tip
of The Mull of Kintyre, between the Isle of Arran and the Hebrides.
Considered one of the finest "Hidden Gems" in the
British Isles, the dramatic first tee, which Jack Nicklaus refers
to as "the hardest first shot in golf when the wind is
blowing", requires driving across a corner of the Atlantic
Ocean. The excellent condition of the course, with its huge
undulating greens and romantic atmosphere, provides a challenge
for both high and low handicapped golfers alike.
Royal Dornoch
Regarded
by many international players as one of the outstanding links
courses in the world, Tom Morris designed the original championship
course in 1877. Located on the shores of the Dornoch Firth you
will have the opportunity to play the most northerly of the
championship courses of the British Isles. Dornoch is perhaps
more than most, a thinking golfers' course where it is not enough
simply to keep the ball on the fairway. The greens are generally
open and flat in the front, though some rise to a plateau several
feet above the fairway. It requires a well-struck shot to hold
the green and if not, a difficult recovery shot.
Carnoustie
Host
to the British Open Championship on five occasions since 1931,
Carnoustie most recently saw the 1999 British Open. Who can
forget France’s Jean Van De Velde’s tactical collapse
in 1999. For the average golfer, this course offers unlimited
opportunities, usually helped by the wind, to find the Barry
Burn, sand, rough and out of bounds on what Walter Hagen described
as the best golf course in Britain. In order not to replicate
Van De Velde’s tactical faux pas of teeing off with a
driver and plopping a three-iron approach into Barry Burn, try
hitting two five-iron shots, followed by a short iron, and see
if your score is double bogey or better.
Kingsbarns Golf Links
A
scant 6 miles from St. Andrews lies simply the most fantastic
Scottish golf course - Kingsbarns Golf Links. The Kingsbarns
Golf Links, a traditional links course with golf heritage dating
from 1793, highlights dramatic sea views from each hole. Golfers
playing this course participate in a challenging links experience.
Unfolding over dune ridges and hollows, the course runs through
Scottish heather and wispy rough, along the 1.5 mile Fife Coastal
Walkway of scenic coastline. The course itself lies on a 196-year
leasehold estate granted by the Erskine family, who allow visitors
to the gardens of Cambo House, (the Peter Erskine family manor).
Kingsbarns Golf Link’s topography creates an amphitheater
effect. Over fifty percent of the holes border the sea, while
the other holes offer majestic views of the surf and craggy
shoreline. On crystal clear days especially, the golfing experience
can be almost religious. Even when the sea is spitting in your
face all day and it's "blowin' a hoolie", the course
remains relatively playable, with every green but the 18th offering
run-up ramps.
Kingsbarns Golf Links’s twelfth hole is reminiscent to
and equal to the 18th at Pebble Beach with a behemoth dogleg
left hugging the shoreline from tee to green. The day we played
Kingsbarns Golf Links, Greg Norman helicoptered in for a practice
round.
St. Andrews - Old Course
The
most famous of golf course, St. Andrews, proudly carries the
title "The Home of Golf". The St Andrews Links are
six public courses and not attached to any particular golf club.
Over the years a number of local golf clubs have developed in
the town and are now well established. Members have privileges
and playing rights on the Links.
The St Andrews Links Trust is the charitable organization established
in1974 by an Act of Parliament and entrusted with the operation
and maintenance of the golf courses and facilities on the Links.
A number of major championships take place regularly on the
Links. The most important is The Open Championship, which was
first held on the Old Course in 1873 and came here for the 26th
time in 2000.
In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under
its original name of the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This
club, originally composed of 22 noblemen, professors and landowners,
was to become the foremost golf club in the world, and now governs
the rules of golf everywhere except the USA. The club also runs
the Open Championship and the important amateur championships.
As for the Old Course itself, wide fairways and vast greens,
may seem forgiving, but disguise a unique test of golf. The
"Road Hole" and the 18th Hole, characterize the Old
Course and give St. Andrews its formidable reputation.
St. Andrews - New Course
A typical out-and-back seaside links layout with some tacking
to and fro, the New Course, designed by Old Tom Morris in 1895,
offers many of the renowned features of the Old course (rolling
undulating fairways, hidden greens, thick gorse and testing
winds), yet still presents a different challenge.
St. Andrews - Jubilee Course
A popular course, the recently upgraded links offer a thorough
examination of golfing ability and shot making. Marvelous panoramic
scenery enhances Jubilee Course, particularly the fantastic
sunset view of the historic town from the 18th tee.
Additionally, the Eden Course, the Strathtyrum Course and the
Balgove Course make up the St Andrews Links Trust. The Balgove
Course is a nine-hole course primarily for children and beginners.
Prestwick
The
course, founded in 1851 and the birthplace of The Open Championship
(British Open), serves as an interesting historical example
of the type of golfing terrain on which the first Open champions
had to play. The challenging, long 3rd hole, known as The Cardinal,
may be the most famous hole of Prestwick.
Prestwick shares it boundaries with Royal Troon and is just
20 minutes from Turnberry, with The Open Championship final
qualifying courses such as Kilmarnock Barassie, Glasgow Gailes,
Western Gailes and Irvine Bogside, all within just a 5-minute
drive. Located a short 55 minutes from Glasgow, this legendary
club is still haunted by the spirits of Tom Morris, Harry Vardon
and James Braid. Take a gander over the wall half way down the
first hole to see an immaculately groomed and ancient cemetery.
The par three fifth hole needs your undivided attention. There
is a blind tee shot over an enormous hill and the only guides
that are offered are a red target disk and a box beside the
teeing ground indicating the day’s pin placement in the
forward, rear or center of the green.
St. Andrews Bay
St.
Andrews Bay consists of two cliff top courses, the Torrance
and the Devlin that have combined the skills, expertise and
personalities of Gene Sarazen, Bruce Devlin and Sam Torrance
to create a magnificent golf resort.
The Clubhouse, which opened August 2002, sits overlooking the
18th greens of both courses and then out over the sea and down
towards the skyline of St. Andrews which provide stunning views
of St. Andrews’ famed Old Course as well as Carnoustie,
both sites of The Open Championship. A stunning new addition
to St Andrews Bay, the Clubhouse serves an array of cuisine
using the best local produce.
In addition to solid practice facilities, St. Andrews Bay also
features a full spa and gym, 209 guest rooms, conference center
and a well-stocked pro shop among other hotel amenities. And
all of this comes at a reasonable price. The 4 Star hotel lives
up to its reputation of great service, accommodation, food and
golfing.
Finally, should you flinchingly decide to extend your trip
to Scotland, amongst the many other courses to play are venues
such as Crail, Royal Troon, Gullane, Turnberry, Machrie and
Gleneagles. One of the finest true links courses in Scotland,
North Berwick West sits along the shore of the Firth of Forth
with fine views of the Bass Rock and the distant green hills
of Fife. The course is most famous for the 15th hole, as well
as the bunkers, beach and rough. Sea winds constantly play a
factor.
PerryGolf not only offers Scottish golfing itineraries, but
also can organize trips to England, Wales, Ireland, Spain and
Portugal. PerryGolf's renowned " Private Jet Links Tour"
offers a Gulfstream IV that stands ready to transport twelve
travelers who wish to spend four days in the British Isles encountering
the very finest hotels, personal service and the best links
golf imaginable.
In conclusion, and as one would expect from a links layout,
the bunkering can be penal, off-line shots are rarely forgiven
and aside from wind, rain, evil bunkering, waist high fescue
and gorse, massive greens and fairways no wider than a bowling
alley, golfing is great from the center of the fairway at any
of these remarkable courses.
As for PerryGolf , they continue to stand out as the leaders
in their field by offering exceptional value and service, making
a trip to Scotland one of the very finest golf vacations you
could ever dream of taking.
Visit Perry Golf at www.perrygolf.com
or 800.344.5257
The United Kingdom’s Most Favorite Golfing Playground -
Scotland
Chances
are that if you are a truly devout golfer, a pilgrimage to golf’s
mecca, a trip to Scotland, is first and foremost your primary
goal. Just close your eyes to conjure up the trip of a lifetime,
to the birthplace of golf, to images of St. Andrews and the
Swilken Burn Bridge, probably one of the most photographed sites
in the world, to the various venues of the The Open Championship
(British Open) and the history of it all. 
