A Good Walk Spoiled

If you are a golfer, (or married to one),no trip to Scotland would be complete without a visit to some of the country’s most famous courses. Just over an hour drive from Edinburgh are Carnoustie and St Andrews, sites of many British Open Championships. Sorry, I meant THE OPEN.

Scottish courses can be very different from those in the United States. I had seen the rugged landscape before, both on television and on other courses we visited this trip. But Carnoustie seemed almost desolate. If not for the greens and the flags and the golfers it could have been any one of a number of moors overlooking the ocean.. We were surprised and delighted to discover that the course

Pot Bunkers

was open to anyone wanting to go for a walk as long as we stayed on the path and listened for the call of  FORE. There were others walking the these paths, some with their dogs and others cutting through to climb down the cliff to the beach. Of the four courses here I am not sure which one we walked but after days in the city it was nice to be away from buildings and traffic noises.https://www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk/

On to St Andrews, known as the “Birthplace of Golf”. The town itself reminded us of Carmel, California. Upscale boutique shops and restaurants filled small streets and alleys located off the main thoroughfare. We stopped for lunch at Forgans http://www.forgans.co.uk/st-andrews/ a very cool restaurant (it had a reading room in the dining area). Butternut Squash

literary lunch

Wellington and Duck Confit Shepherd's Pie, my taste buds are happy just writing about you.

St Andrews is actually seven courses with the Old Course being the most famous. https://www.standrews.com/ While this one is not accessible to non players there were quite a few people like us driving up to look at the course from the walkway along the border. Although there were some running out on the course during play to quickly snap a selfie on Swilken Bridge at the 18th Tee most spectators left the links to the golfers. Near the Old Pavillion is West Sands where the beach scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed.

Can you hear the theme song?

                 

     As always, too soon it was time to leave. A good walk spoiled? Not if you walked here.