Posted October 17th, 2008 at 10:04 pm in Golf Destinations

Golf Destinations For The Been There - Done That Golfer

Play The Old Course At St. Andrews Before You Turn In Your Earth Clubs To St. Peter

Not that there is anything wrong with famous name golf courses like, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland. It is on Golftrekker's list of the ten courses you must play before you check your earthly clubs with St. Peter at Heavens Gate while you are fitted for the ones you get to play with in heaven. Every shot is flushed on the sweet spot of those clubs - a feeling and a sound that a golfer never gets tired of hearing -truly Heavenly!

"It's My Favorite Course In The World." - Tiger Woods

Playing the Old Course for the first time is awe-inspiring and really should be played a few times just to get over that look of a "deer in the headlights." It is a special place and a bit intimidating to the first-timer. When given an opportunity to play golf there most golfers would consider that experience as one of those once-in-a-lifetime golf things. After you have had the opportunity to walk in the footprints of Old Tom Morris, guided around 18 of the most famous holes in golf by a Scottish caddy (who will have you clubbed after the first hole for each shot after!) you start to appreciate the reverence in which it is held. And on Sundays when the course turns into a park you can join the people of St. Andrews and just stroll this fabulous place by the North Sea and the Firth of Forth.

Playing The Old Course At St. Andrews Is Magical Golf

In fact, it's a lot like playing golf while dreaming. You can hardly believe you are actually playing at the Home Of Golf. I played St. Andrews for the first time in 1992 and I was very lucky to have been invited to join a threesome of St. Andrews members. I don't think I have ever had more fun playing golf even though the conditions were less than perfect by my fair weather standards, but hey, I was there in early October and I told myself I would gladly except what I got. Windy and cold most of the day with scattered rain showers - perfect conditions for most Scots but I was spraying it around pretty good and spending too much time in the rough.

A Golf Course Where Golfers Marshal Themselves

The thing that I remember most about that day was what was said by one of the members as we approached the 5th green - "we need to pick up the pace a bit gents." There was no one in front of us and no one immediately behind us, no marshal telling us we are out of position, our time was policed by the players! Imagine that happening in the US? Ha! It's generally considered to be "bad form, old twit" if you can't play their courses, while walking (there are very few golf carts over here that have more than two wheels) in under four hours.

Discovering Golf Gems Off The Beaten Path

I have played many of the more famous courses located within the British Isles, Carnoustie, Old Head, Lahinch, Turnberry and Royal Troon, just to name a few but many more whose names I forgot that were just as good. I only bring up the likes of St. Andrews to make a point. Golfers can be terrible name droppers when it comes to golf travel, thereby missing out on some of the greatest courses they never played. For instance, in great golf destinations like Scotland, Ireland and especially New Zealand, most regular golfers are members of a private club, playable by arrangement of a connected tour operator. (If truth be told they might even wish us Yanks never found them - Americans play waaay too slow for them!) But because of their hospitable nature they still roll out the welcome mat when we manage to discover them.

Consult A Golf Travel Specialist

Tee times, especially for the Old Course are hard to get, so it's best to consult a proessional travel consultant that specializes in Scotland Golf Packages that will include other great courses to play there - of which there are many. Would you believe there are 25 links-style courses between Turnberry and Carnoustie? All of them a challenge to playand when you do, ask them about the courses no one hears about that are just as good if not better than the name courses.