Four members of the Golf Aficionado crew headed over to United Kingdom to play some old fashion golf. This golf trip is one we planned for well over a year; it was often discussed after our Sunday rounds of golf at Heathrow Country Club. Our adventure began in Manchester, England as we flew direct from Orlando on Virgin Atlantic. After arriving in Manchester we headed over to the flat of one of the Aficionado’s mother for a proper English breakfast. Breakfast consisted of toast, eggs, sausage, “proper” bacon, and beans. Not a normal combination for breakfast in the states but it was a welcome treat to the start of our journey. From there we traveled via our 9 passenger VW van to Royal Birkdale located in Southport, England for our first round of golf.
The golf course at Royal Birkdale which last hosted the Open Championship in 2008 was in great condition. The most memorable hole had to be number 15 with its famous 15 bunkers. The course was a real challenge and we loved every minute. After wrapping up at Royal Birkdale, we knew that the hardest part of the trip was ahead of us; the drive north to St. Andrews in Scotland. Everyone was wiped out from the overnight flight but we had to be in St. Andrews to play our next round of golf. Before making the trek to St. Andrews, we stopped in for dinner at the Swan Restaurant in South Port. We all had the same thing for dinner, Fish & Chips! I can attest this was the best fish & chips I’ve ever had, as my friends from the UK would say we ate proper fish & chips that night.
After the overnight flight, a round of golf at Royal Birkdale, dinner, and the 5 and half hour drive to St. Andrews, we arrived at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, our home for the next 2 nights. We arrived at about 1:30 AM local time and were welcomed by a wonderful staff that not only took our bags to our rooms but opened the bar for us to enjoy a pint after the long journey. We woke up and ate breakfast right next to the 18th green of the Old Course. After breakfast we headed to Kingsbarns for our second round of golf. Out of all the courses we were playing on trip we knew the least about Kingsbarns probably because it’s only about 15 years old; not even a drop in the bucket compared to the other courses on our list. We were all shocked when we arrived and saw the views from the clubhouse. Kingsbarns by far was the most picturesque course out of the five on our itinerary. Needless to say, I would recommend playing Kingsbarns to anyone making the journey to St. Andrews.
After playing Kingsbarns and spending the night out in St. Andrews getting to know the local pubs and trying my hand at Celtic dancing, we were set to play at the birthplace of golf, the Old Course. Lucky enough to win the Old Course ballot and secure a tee time none of us have ever been more nervous than hitting that tee shot off of number 1, just thinking about all the greats in golf that have been on the same tee still gives me chills. The Old Course turned out to be the easiest course we played (we had very little wind) on the trip it’s where we scored our lowest. The course layout was more amazing than TV can do justice, if you happen to be lucky enough to win a tee time in their ballot system this is a must for everyone who considers themselves a golfer, consider it a visit to the homeland.
After our round at the Old Course we packed up and headed south one hour to Gleneagles; host of the 2014 Ryder Cup. Gleneagles was a real treat after having just watched the Ryder Cup on TV a few weeks ago. It was surreal to play the same layout as today’s great players. The only thing better than the golf at Gleneagles, was the spa located inside the Gleneagles Hotel. We did a stay and play package which was required to get the Ryder Cup experience, and this 5 star resort didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a spectacular place to stay in Scotland look no further than Gleneagles.
To finish our trip we had to make another long trek in our van back down to Manchester where we would finish out the trip by staying at the Worsley Park Marriott for 2 nights. This was another late night as we made a detour in Edinburgh to see the castle and walk the Royal Mile delaying our arrival until 1 AM. In the morning we got ready for our final course, Royal Liverpool Golf Club at Hoylake.
HOYLAKE, EGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: The green on the 560 yards par 5, 16th hole ‘Dun’ with The Clubhouse behind which will play as the 18th hole in the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club on September 14, 2013 in Hoylake, Wirral, England. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)