SCOTLAND GOLF TRIP: BUDDIES BUCKET LIST TRIP

No destination can claim the title of the “ultimate buddies golf trip” like Scotland golf trip can. It’s truly a golf Mecca, (and where the roots of golf sprang from dating back to the 1500’s), so if you have the opportunity to go, it’s not to be missed! That said, golf in Scotland is vast, so unless you have a few months to explore it all, your best bet is to pick a portion of Scotland to tackle on your Scotland golf trip.

Basically the “bucket list” itineraries in Scotland would fall into:

• Northeastern Scotland (Dornach or Aberdeen)
• St. Andrews
• Western Scotland

While we wound up in St. Andrews, our itinerary actually started north of there and wound down. We played 9 golf courses in 7 days and walked the better part of 80 miles. It was by many measures the most epic golf trip to be had, but some it was bordering on suicidal.

This brings me to a note of caution about the planning portion of a bucket list golf trip. For whatever reason it’s easy when you are planning to get into a macho “pissing contest” about how much golf and travel you want to cram into a trip. Particularly when you are traveling so far to a destination for golf it’s easy to say “oh, but we have to play x or y” and “oh, it’s only a 3 hour drive” and “we must play 36 or 54 holes each day.” Keep in mind that part of the experience is the destinations themselves. Strolling around town or sitting in the pub chatting with locals is part of the experience. Additionally, the Scots are somewhat particular about when meals are served and when restaurants are open. You will want to keep this in mind during your planning process. Especially if you go to Northern Scotland in June keep in mind although it’s light until almost 10:30 at night, that doesn’t mean there will be restaurants open when you get back to your hotel from the golf course. Get on the same page as your buddies, plan something everyone will enjoy.

WEATHER
Time of year is also an important consideration — keep in mind weather and lightening — two big considerations in my opinion. Many people swear that May is the best weather in Scotland. We went in June when the days are very long, which is a really nice feature when playing 36. The high season is definitely June to August and if you go during this time, you won’t be the only ones there. Having advance tee times will be a must, and pick your times carefully as you will most likely not be able to move them. Think about travel times, meals and time to just tool about and enjoy the locals. Either side of the peak season is considerably cheaper, but the weather can come into play. Some courses will even make you use a mat on the fairway in order to avoid making divots.

TRANSPORTATION
The other thing to think about is transportation. Unless you have someone in your group who is 1.) a teetotaler 2.) left handed or British, Irish or Australian you are going to need to think about how to get from place to place if you opt to travel distances from course to course. Dornach is 3 hours north of Aberdeen which is 2 hours north of St. Andrews. So we are not talking about trivial drives. If you decide that you want to do these treks you have a couple options besides renting a car. There are a number of golf tours you can join where you will be ferried from place to place on a Motorcoach bus. The other option to consider is hiring a private driver. This is expensive, but certainly worth every penny.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP
The last thing to think about while planning your journey is how you organize your trip. Unless you are doing a simple trip to St. Andrews and back you may want to consider working through a golf tour company like Pioneer Golf or Garmany Golf. They tend to be expensive, but this may be worth it. It’s a bucket list trip and ensuring your tee time on the Old Course is real is worth every penny; we even found a caddy at the old course that organizes trips. Caddy’s in Scotland tend to have juice and if need be they will call their own Dad to drive you to Stewart Golf International.

CADDYS
Once the Scotland golf trip is planned, you will need to start thinking about how to prepare for your trip. My suggestion would be to use caddies when you play. First of all carts or “Buggies” are largely not available in Scotland. Secondly this is a bucket list trip and these golf courses are not WISIWYG in many cases. For instance, the Old Course was originally played in the opposite direction than it is today. That means the middle 9 of the golf course has gigantic bunkers that are facing the wrong direction. You would never know they are there without a caddy to tell you. Most of the Caddy’s (except St. Andrews) are not professional caddy’s. In many cases they are members of the golf club. The fee’s are not high and tipping in Scotland is relatively modest. It’s worth it.

Using a caddy means you need to make sure that you bring a light golf bag, and seriously think about what you are putting into it. If you bring your tour golf bag they will just take your clubs out of it and you won’t have any of your precious items.

WHAT TO BRING
Quality rain gear is absolutely essential on your Scotland golf trip. Old Course tee times are very hard to come by and you are going to play golf no matter what the weather is, so be prepared. Even on the most beautiful day the weather in Scotland can change out of nowhere. And when a squall comes in, it’s seriously no joke. Think of all the Open Championships you have seen with 50 mile an hour wind and sideways rain.

Rain gear includes a jacket and pants, but also rain gloves and a good bucket rain hat. If you forget these things they will be happy to sell you some, but at a pro shop in Scotland you are going to pay a pretty penny. It’s a good idea to bring two of everything, that way you’ll have something warm and dry to put on for at least the start of each round while the other set is drying. It’s easy to forget sunblock when heading to Scotland, but bring it and be sure to use it. Lastly, if you have a travel adapter that will be important for your electronics. My suggestion would be to purchase a universal travel adapter on Amazon before you leave! If you forget this, you can probably borrow one from your hotel.

SHOPPING
While on your Scotland golf trip, enjoy yourself, and be sure to bring back many mementos of your trip. Most golf courses are well suited with golf shops that will give you a solid choice of logowear. While in St. Andrews, the entire town likens to one giant golf shop. If you are buying clothing, be sure to try it on. European sizes vary greatly in many cases, and in a golf shop with merchandise from around the world, you can’t be guaranteed that the size on the label will remotely resemble the size you wear back home.

FOOD AND DRINK
By in large you are not in Scotland for the food. Be sure to ask around for the best “Chippy” (fish and chip restaurant) and trust the locals on that one. Other than that, my advice would be to ask your hotel where to eat. Also, be sure to understand when these places are open and how it fits into your schedule, as this can be tricky. There’s nothing quite worse than walking 13 miles golfing and coming back to the hotel with no hopes of food in your future.

The old saying, “When in Rome: Drink Scotch” certainly applies to Scotland. My advice would be to try all the various Scotch you can — learn the difference between Peety and Smoky and have fun with it. In fact if you are doing Northeastern Scotland you should definitely make time to hit The Malt Whisky Trail (link to www.maltwhiskytrail.com). It’s on the drive between Dornoch and Aberdeen, and it’s Scotland’s answer to Sonoma wine tasting… only with Scotch Whisky. Not to be missed. One word of caution about Scotch: Americans tend to drink Scotch on the rocks with no water. While trying to keep up with the Scots at the Pub this will be a dangerous approach. Take a lesson from the Scots and put a splash of water in your drink. It will make it easier to understand the nuance of the tastes, and it should make your head feel better when staring at the golf ball the next day on the first tee.

MONEY
In Scotland they use the British Pound sterling, and you’ll certainly want to have cash on hand to pay for (and/or tip your caddie). For caddy fees and customary tips ask your tour provider or golf shop as this does vary from place to place. Arguably the best place to get pounds is from an ATM in Scotland. You just want to touch base with your bank and make sure you understand which ATM’s will be compatible with your card as well as ask about any fees. Additionally, putting a “Travel Plan” on your ATM and credit cards will be essential. It’s never a bad idea to get some currency before you head to the country as it may take time to fix any issues that occur. Travelers checks make absolutely no sense at all.

Hopefully with these tips and tricks you will put together and enjoy an epic bucket list buddies golf trip to Scotland you will be talking about for many decades to come.

Best Buddies Golf Trip Rankings:

• Bucket list rank (from 1 to 5 buckets): 5 Buckets
• Location: 9
• Spectacle/ visual: 9
• History: 9
• New/ancient: If you do it right Ancient
• Playability : 9
• Memorability : 9
• Buddy-a-bility : 7- do your homework on the places you are staying carefully to ensure the best experience. Or pop for single rooms
• Service/etc: 6
• Shopping: 8
• Food & Drink: 5