# Scotland 2010?



## kelela92 (Mar 16, 2009)

I was hoping some of you Tuggers can help me. DH, his friend, and I are thinking about going to Scotland in 2010 to basically golf. 

Has anyone done that? What time of year would you suggest? How is the weather? How's the golf? Where to golf? What do I need to konw?

This is my first post into researching this. I haven't really traveled outside of N. America and I'll be honest, I'm clueless as to 1. international travel and 2. other countries. 

Thanks for any advice.


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## DeniseM (Mar 16, 2009)

Scotland is pretty far north, so they have cold winters and cooler summers than most parts of the US.  July and August are the warmest months, but compared to California for example, the weather is spring-like in July and August, with far more rain than we get in CA.  Golf is VERY expensive.  Since they drive on the other side over there, renting a car and driving yourself can be challenging.  Most of the country does not have super highways - for instance to get from Edinburgh to St. Andrews (famous golf course) you have to drive on a narrow and winding 2 lane country road and the cars are almost all stick-shift.  From my observation it seems like Scottish drivers are far better drivers than most Americans, and you'd need to be a really concientious driver over there.  A timid American driver who is not used to a stick-shift and changing road conditions, would have major problems.


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## alexb (Mar 16, 2009)

june , july and august are the best months to come.
do you want to play links golf courses?
there are lots of great courses to play in scotland
we are planning a trip to palm desert in october to play golf


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## scotlass (Mar 16, 2009)

The great thing about going in June/July is that the days are so long you can actually get in a full round of golf after 5-6pm.   There are golf tours which would take the driving (of a car, not on the golf course) out of the picture.  Since we aren't good enough golfers to even play a full-sized course, I can't recommend a golf tour, but I'm sure others can.


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## Cotswolder (Mar 16, 2009)

kelela92 said:


> I was hoping some of you Tuggers can help me. DH, his friend, and I are thinking about going to Scotland in 2010 to basically golf.
> 
> Has anyone done that? What time of year would you suggest? How is the weather? How's the golf? Where to golf? What do I need to konw?
> 
> ...



Scotland is the home of golf,

There are so many courses all over the country.
As Denise says it can be expensive but only if you want to play the famous course used for the Open Championship and other European Tour competitions.

There are many other courses, just as spectacular, at a more reasonable cost of you wish to play these.

Just Google Golf Scotland and you will fins many that will suit


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## Lou (Mar 16, 2009)

We took a tour of Scotland in October (no golf involved).  We enjoyed it very much, but the weather was cool and it rained most every day.  If golfing I would look at going during the Summer months.


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## rosebud5 (Mar 16, 2009)

Denise is obviously not a golfer. I think it's cool to fly to Scotland just to golf. Says something about you. It is cool year around. But who cares, golf was invented there. I've been to St Andrews. Just be careful not to golf in August at anywhere close to the British open, where it seems, most of the the time, the location is Scotland.

If your not golfing, the pubs are definitely the other place to spend your time.


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## Simoncc (Mar 17, 2009)

rosebud5 said:


> Just be careful not to golf in August at anywhere close to the British open, where it seems, most of the the time, the location is Scotland.
> 
> If your not golfing, the pubs are definitely the other place to spend your time.



St. Andrews is indeed the venue for the Open in 2010 but the dates are 15th-18th July.

The Visit Scotland website has a section specifically detailing the courses in each area of the country so it is probably a good place to start planning your trip.


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## Laurie (Mar 17, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Since they drive on the other side over there, renting a car and driving yourself can be challenging.  Most of the country does not have super highways - for instance to get from Edinburgh to St. Andrews (famous golf course) you have to drive on a narrow and winding 2 lane country road and the cars are almost all stick-shift. ...  A timid American driver who is not used to a stick-shift and changing road conditions, would have major problems.


We drive stick-shift cars ordinarily, but decided to rent an automatic in Scotland and had no trouble reserving one, thru AutoEurope.


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## Keitht (Mar 17, 2009)

rosebud5 said:


> Just be careful not to golf in August at anywhere close to the British open, where it seems, most of the the time, the location is Scotland.



If you want to get out alive, don't refer to it as the British Open, particularly in St Andrews.  It is simply 'The Open'.  Other countries add their nation's name for their version.  The home of golf has no need for such fripperies.


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## silvib (Mar 17, 2009)

I think you'll love the Scottish countryside.  My sister lives in the Borders, well worth a visit to the small Border towns.  A good friend of ours is an official caddy at Carnoustie, the course looks incredible.  There'll be plenty of courses to play at all price levels.  You won't have a problem renting an automatic car from any reputable company, they're more popular than people think.  That would be recommended, especially if you're not used to stick shift, makes life on the other side of the road, much, much easier.  If it rains, head for the pub - no drinking and driving though.


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## rosebud5 (Mar 17, 2009)

Oh yeah, forgot to mention...  they drive on the left. I've driven in the UK maybe 4-5 times and a couple of those i forgot to stay on the left. Fortunately, I'm still alive to talk about but.... make sure if you drive you stay on the left and when you come to a round-about, it's clockwise, not counter-clockwise.


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## scotlass (Mar 18, 2009)

Lou said:


> We took a tour of Scotland in October (no golf involved).  We enjoyed it very much, but the weather was cool and it rained most every day.  If golfing I would look at going during the Summer months.



Although the summer months should be warmer and sunnier, that may not be the case.  This morning I was reading my journal from our trip last July, and I had entered 'this is the second day I wish I had gloves'!  It can be rainy and cold any time of year.  I always recommend packing layers and definitely a large umbrella for golfing.


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## dneuser (Mar 18, 2009)

But should you decide to go in the Spring - while it will be rainy and cold -- you will have the unique pleasure of enjoying the sight of the beautiful green hillsides covered with the masses of bounding baby lambs absolutely everywhere but most especially in the Highlands.  We went ill-prepared for the chill in late May but we came home with beautiful woollens as a result. We drove all around the area of Fife (including area around St. Andrew's - although we are not golfers), the Highlands and we took some day tours like the Whiskey Trail and the Isle of Skye so that hubby could enjoy without driving.  Left-hand driving and the minor fender-bender on day 1 of our trip wouldn't deter us from trying again although it did shake us up a bit at first  The Scots are hearty folk and by the end of our 2+ week trip, so were we.


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

DeniseM said:


> Scotland is pretty far north, so they have cold winters and cooler summers than most parts of the US.  July and August are the warmest months, but compared to California for example, the weather is spring-like in July and August, with far more rain than we get in CA.  Golf is VERY expensive.  Since they drive on the other side over there, renting a car and driving yourself can be challenging.  Most of the country does not have super highways - for instance to get from Edinburgh to St. Andrews (famous golf course) you have to drive on a narrow and winding 2 lane country road and the cars are almost all stick-shift.  From my observation it seems like Scottish drivers are far better drivers than most Americans, and you'd need to be a really concientious driver over there.  A timid American driver who is not used to a stick-shift and changing road conditions, would have major problems.



Just curious, Is it expensive because the money exhange, or because it's just expensive? My friend told me it's not overly expensive (except for the well-known courses). Thoughts? I shall read on. 

If they drove on the right side, I'd have absolutely no issues driving stick. It's all I have ever driven. And I've driven the road to Hana, all the way around, so no fear. LOL. But if they drive on the left side, not sure how I'd do. 

Thanks for the info. So far, seems like nothing I'm used to (minus the driving part)


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

alexb said:


> june , july and august are the best months to come.
> do you want to play links golf courses?
> there are lots of great courses to play in scotland
> we are planning a trip to palm desert in october to play golf



I take it you live in Scotland? We'll probably want to play links, but honestly, I'm sure anything would suffice. Kinda like playing in Hawaii. Just being able to PLAY there is the honor itself. How are prices? 

Palm Desert should be cooling down in October, it'll be great! I have yet to play out there. It's only about a 2-3 hour drive from me, but I haven't ever played the desert at all.


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

scotlass said:


> The great thing about going in June/July is that the days are so long you can actually get in a full round of golf after 5-6pm.   There are golf tours which would take the driving (of a car, not on the golf course) out of the picture.  Since we aren't good enough golfers to even play a full-sized course, I can't recommend a golf tour, but I'm sure others can.



Ah, golf tours. I will look into that. Didn't even think about that. D'oh!


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

Cotswolder said:


> Scotland is the home of golf,
> 
> There are so many courses all over the country.
> As Denise says it can be expensive but only if you want to play the famous course used for the Open Championship and other European Tour competitions.
> ...



See, that's what I've heard about golf there. It's not overly expensive, as long as you're not playing the famous courses. i.e. I like to get in a round in Hawaii that may cost $150+ pp, but I also like to get in the cheapy courses too.


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

rosebud5 said:


> Denise is obviously not a golfer. I think it's cool to fly to Scotland just to golf. Says something about you. It is cool year around. But who cares, golf was invented there. I've been to St Andrews. Just be careful not to golf in August at anywhere close to the British open, where it seems, most of the the time, the location is Scotland.
> 
> If your not golfing, the pubs are definitely the other place to spend your time.



LOL. Especially about the Denise comment. Since someone stated the Open was mid-July, seems August would be the preferred time of the year. At least that way, it won't interfere with school. I'm always going to Hawaii during my finals week.


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

Keitht said:


> If you want to get out alive, don't refer to it as the British Open, particularly in St Andrews.  It is simply 'The Open'.  Other countries add their nation's name for their version.  The home of golf has no need for such fripperies.



Don't call it the _British_ Open. Check.  Wouldn't want to offend. But then again, my golf game may do that.


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

rosebud5 said:


> Oh yeah, forgot to mention...  they drive on the left. I've driven in the UK maybe 4-5 times and a couple of those i forgot to stay on the left. Fortunately, I'm still alive to talk about but.... make sure if you drive you stay on the left and when you come to a round-about, it's clockwise, not counter-clockwise.



Oh man. I'll probably be the one that will need to drive (I get carsick). I am now very afraid I'm going to hurt someone. Don't they have training here in the states?


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

scotlass said:


> Although the summer months should be warmer and sunnier, that may not be the case.  This morning I was reading my journal from our trip last July, and I had entered 'this is the second day I wish I had gloves'!  It can be rainy and cold any time of year.  I always recommend packing layers and definitely a large umbrella for golfing.



Can I bring a large umbrella? Hmm....y'know, all that security and stuff.

Has anyone went there to play? Did you ship your clubs over, or did you fly with them?


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## kelela92 (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks everyone for all the great advice. As I stated in another post....has anyone gone there for golf? Did you fly with your clubs, or ship them? Or did you rent? 

I will check into golf tours, and see about driving. I get carsick, so I'm typically the one to drive. oh man, i'm already kinda scared of driving and i'm not even there! lol

Got all the info about the weather. Seems August would be a good choice.....and layer (including gloves, beanie, umbrella, jacket). Stop at as many pubs as possible. lol. Okay, honestly, DH and I don't drink, so we'll just watch our obnoxious friend drink (and see what happens). 

It would be awesome to golf in Scotland. Now, I wonder how much all this would cost. Time to do some Google research. Thanks!


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## Simoncc (Mar 19, 2009)

The Scottish school holidays end in the middle of August so we tend to go most years for the last 2 weeks. The weather is still about as reliable as you can get in the UK (ie. not very) and most places aren't that crowded.

If you're looking for Links golf then Fife is a good place to start. As well as St. Andrews there are at least 4 other good quality courses. You're also only an hour or so away from Edinburgh (by train or car) or other golf venues such as Gleneagles.


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## Keitht (Mar 19, 2009)

A number of small towns and even villages in Scotland have their own courses so it's worth keeping your eyes open if your a keen golfer.  Most will be extremely happy to allow visitors to play.


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## alexb (Mar 19, 2009)

if you want to play links golf check out these courses
fraserburgh golf club
peterhead  golf  club
royal aberdeen golf club walker cup 2011


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## Judith (Mar 19, 2009)

Hi 

I can highly recommend Fife for golf in Scotland.  We go there regularly as we have a holiday home there. Although we do not go for golf particularly I believe that there are around 42 golf courses in Fife including St Andrews so there should be something to suit you.  

The villages of the East Neuk of Fife eg Anstruther, Crail, Pittenweem etc are all really charming old fishing villages and there is plenty of accomodation to suit all budgets.  St Andrews is a lovely town to visit not just for the golf and there are good restaurants there that don't cost the earth.  Seafood is very good as you would expect from local fish and chip shops to high quality restaurants.

You are only an hour away from Edinburgh by train or car and the roads in Fife especially east Fife are not all that busy even in the summer in comparison to many areas in the UK so you should be OK for the driving.  There shouldn't be a problem with hiring an automatic if required especially if booked in advance of arrival.

Best wishes

Judith


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## Garry (Mar 19, 2009)

We went in May, 2007 and stayed at Kilconquhar, about a 20 minute drive from St. Andrews.  I took my own clubs and played at St. Andrews twice: once on the New course; once on the Jubilee.   On both days, I arrived at the courses about 6:45 a.m., paid my money (65£) each, and played by myself.  I scooted around in about 3 hours and was back at Kilconquhar by 10:30 both days.  The Old course would have cost about 185£ in comparison, assuming  engaged a local caddy and paid the usual tip.
I could have played the Old course if I'd been willing to wait for an hour or two.  The starter advised I could get out as a single, particularly if I arrived early.  The Old, the New and the Jubilee parallel each other and playing the New was pretty much (but not quite) the same experience as playing the Old.  Both were very good and fair tests of golf, at about one-third of the cost of playing the Old course..  
I also played the 9 hole course at Elie, near Kilconquhar.  The 18 hole course there was 70£ to play, fairly expensive actually.  There are about 60 courses within an hour's drive of St. Andrews so you wouldn't have to travel far to get your fill.


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## nerodog (Mar 21, 2009)

*good web site/scotland*

check out www.cometoscotland.com   has lots of info, travel packages if you arent doing ts... Also Frommers.com   and look a the community section under Scotland.. lots of tips, etc


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## Chrisky (Apr 26, 2009)

> Has anyone went there to play? Did you ship your clubs over, or did you fly with them?



We were in Scotland in Sept. 2007 for 3 weeks. Drove everywhere, it was great.  DH brought his clubs, didn't play the expensive courses.  He found the courses excellent and challenging.  
For renting a car look at this site, they were excellent and very helpful.
http://www.celticlegend.co.uk/car/index.htm
Look at this site for information about Scotland and golf.  There are also golf passes you can purchase which are good value.
http://golf.visitscotland.com/.   This is also an excellent site for golf information.
http://www.scottishgolfcourses.com/index.html


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## falmouth3 (Apr 26, 2009)

We don't play golf, but we were in Scotland in July 2007.  In most of our pictures I have on a fleece jacket so it was cool.  We had rain showers almost every day, but they passed and then it would be glorious again.

Have fun!

Sue


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## Cotswolder (Apr 27, 2009)

kelela92 said:


> I was hoping some of you Tuggers can help me. DH, his friend, and I are thinking about going to Scotland in 2010 to basically golf.
> 
> Has anyone done that? What time of year would you suggest? How is the weather? How's the golf? Where to golf? What do I need to konw?
> 
> ...



If it is just golf you are planning for, have you thought of staying at Seasons at Brunston Castle in Ayrshire.

It has its own golf course and is within easy reach of Turnberry, Open venue for 2009, Royal Troon and about 12 other wonderful links course along the Ayrshire coast.

I have stayed at Brunston Castle resort and the course there  looks very interesting as done all those along the coasy.

If you google map Ayr and scan the coast you will see where they all are


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## Rmelnyk (Jun 14, 2009)

Remember, if you can get on a great course you have to show them that you shoot under 100, so bring your handi-cap card.
I'll find out more from my friends, 6 couples from our church went and had a ball...is that a pun?
Roman


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## Keitht (Jun 15, 2009)

Rmelnyk said:


> Remember, if you can get on a great course you have to show them that you shoot under 100



That reminds me of a cartoon I saw.  Two lady golfers and one says "See.  I told my husband we'd break 80.  Now let's do the second hole".  :hysterical: :rofl:   Sorry ladies.


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