28/04/2025
Wonderful repeat clients and a great story of their most recent Scotland trip in East Lothian.
With an increasing amount of bandages, ralgex, liniment, and op**te based medication, the usual suspects headed north for the now fabled ‘chateaubriand’ tour of Scottish courses. Held over 5 continuous days of golf. Golfing ability and age related injuries are tested to the point of destruction at times. Special mention to Laurie Berry who’s admin and on course scoring keeps everything tight for the duration.
Day 1 saw wall to wall sunshine hit the manicured facilities at Archerfield. Staggeringly good folks. The fidra course was a good first test of links golf. A steady breeze kept scoring honest. Notable rounds for Andrew Johnston and phil Allen saw them near the top of the day 1 leaderboard. Richard Johnson took the spoils with a fabulous 21 points back 9. Level gross no less.swift trade at the st Johns ambulance stand saw
Running repairs to the knee of kevin Rowe, and the bunions of Richard johnson. No-one on tour is getting any younger. Special nod to the belt that RJ was wearing which gave up the ghost and snapped after one too many 300 yard drives.
Day 2 at Royal Musselburgh saw a change in dynamics. A chance encounter with our taxi driver on last year’s tour alluded to him being the president of the aforementioned club. A match was muted. 12 months of communication led to our 8 vs theirs in wall to wall sunshine. As ever with golf it’s the company you’re in that counts. The welcome was fabulous, the golf competitive. Newbury and crookham edging the hosts out 3&1. We’ll take that on away soil!
precious golfing history was passed around in the shape of the original hole cutter from 1829. Cruel suggestions that Kevin Rowe was cutting his teeth as a police cadet back then were quickly quashed.
Cool dry weather heralded day 3 at Gullane. The facilities there have had a major refurb over the past 2 years. Very visitor friendly. Scoring up the hill proved competitive. The climb up the third hole saw most of the tour participants reaching for oxygen, ice axe and crampons, but Phil Allen managed to keep his card ticking over to take the spoils
Day 4 saw the lads turn up feeling decidedly underdressed at Luffness. Collar and ties, no women members, and a host of do’s and don’ts was a throwback to golfing yesteryear but each to their own. We gathered in a broom cupboard that doubled as a spike bar before heading out onto the windy links. Tough day. With 31 points. Laurie Berry took the spoils. Day for the lowest handicap for sure. middlemass and errington went shot for shot with berry and Johnson in the match. Honourable half and a chance to rest up and shelter from the cutting wind was taken at the last.
Saving the best until last? Probably, definitely, maybe. Dunbar, game changer. Wonderful links experience. This group plays its golf all over the world and this course really does hold its own with the best. Some impressive scoring saw Paul Walden and Kevin rowe pile early points into the bag. phil Allen and Andrew Johnston were always competitive. Big Rich Johnson was the quiet man plotting his way round the course to eventual victory for the week. It was never about the spoils though. Yet again our sport provided the conduit for good friends to enjoy excellent golf and good food in like-minded company. Roll on 2026. We’re heading north again . AJ and Phil may even use the same ball having never lost them all week. Impressive that!
As ever, please get in touch with Martin Strain of “Golf Made Simple in Scotland” for all your parties needs. Nothing is too much trouble
Fabulous service.
