- amateurgolf.com photo
ABERDEEN, Scotland - They were the two best
shots I hit all day. And I had absolutely no
idea where I was going as darkness set in at
Murcar Links.
With the remnants of a
Hurricane moving across Scotland -- bringing
high winds, rain, and the blackest clouds I've
ever seen -- I was determined to finish my
second round of the day, the Monday after the
2011 Walker Cup.
Reality set in on
the 15th tee, as I tried to make my way back to
a little white clubhouse that seemed miles away
in the distance, its yellow lights playing tricks
with my eyes. I could see the fairway from the
elevated tee, and I hit a ball (which I couldn't
see) that felt solid enough. When I found it in
the fairway, I had 168-yards, straight into the
wind, over one of the most daunting protective
hills I have ever seen. (I'm sure it isn't that bad
in the daylight, but heck, it was almost pitch
black!) 'Miss it short, and it's rolling back to a
little stream at the base of the hill,' I thought. I
could make out the wildly-whipping flag, but
had no idea how much room there was over the
hill. The hybrid I hit felt really good, but I would
have been happy just to find it.
Such
was my final round in Scotland, a fitting end to
a fantastic trip. After covering the Walker Cup,
I managed to
snag one of the media times at the host course,
Royal Aberdeen. Playing the day after
thousands of
spectators watched the world's best amateur
play in "golf's greatest
contest" was certainly a thrill -- but it was love
at first site
when I gazed North to Murcar, which follows
the coast past the 9th green of Royal Aberdeen.
I heard that a group of tourists once made the
mistake of walking from that green to the 4th
tee at Murcar Links,
winding up miles away from where they were
supposed to be. By the time I finished my round
at Royal Aberdeen, I knew I too needed to find
my way to
Murcar, but I took a more traditional route to
the
first tee, by Taxi.
Unfortunately, I didn't tee off almost 6:00
pm. Not exactly conducive to finishing 18 holes
on foot.
Murcar Links, established in 1909 and
designed by Archie Simpson (with later
refinements made in the 1930′s by James
Braid), is a
rugged layout that is a bit quirkier than it's
neighbor Royal Aberdeen. A couple of blind
shots, one or two tiny greens, and a shorter
overall distance (6516 yards, par 71 from the
tips) means that there are many styles of play
that can produce a low number. And it also
means that the penalty for a mis-placed shot is
at times severe. (Note, a link to a Travel Golf
review of Murcar Links can be found at the end
of this post.)
Now
back to the 15th.
My goal in Scotland
was to always have a medal play score, no
matter what. I made some fantastic double-
bogeys after losing a ball, but never more. I
kept that going at Murcar, then walked up the
hill on the 15th wondering if it would all come
to a crashing end, leaving me to ponder
whether I should have strayed so far from the
clubhouse in the dark.
After forcing
my tired legs up the big hill in front of the
green, I spotted my ball, 10-feet right of the
hole, pin high. Had
I pulled off my luckiest shot in Scotland? I
checked the Titleist
with the green dot just to make sure. I
pondered (albeit very briefly) not putting the
treacherous right-to-
lefter, made even tougher by the wind. I picked
out a line, hit it
almost a foot above the hole, and watched with
ecstasy as the break, and wind, tracked the ball
into the center of the cup. I literally let out a
yelp, with nobody to hear it, and, like the
Walker Cup, no money on the line.
FOOTNOTES
IF YOU'RE GOING:
Murcar Links is in Northeast
Scotland, next to Royal Aberdeen just a short
drive out of the Aberdeen City Center. I stayed
at a lovely boutique hotel called the Rox, near
the bustling, up-to-date Union Station railway
station and shopping/dining destination. Bed
and Breakfasts are nice, but I recommend
staying in both Edinburgh and Aberdeen if your
stay allows. From my hotel, it was about a $3
bus ride straight to Royal Aberdeen.
POST ROUND MEAL WITH AN
UNBELIEVABLE VIEW
Murcar's
remodeled clubhouse
has huge floor-to-ceiling windows that provide
an almost 360 degree view of the course and
North Sea. The club
warmly welcomes the visiting public with
excellent food, service, and fantastic practice
and locker
facilities. It was so dark when I finished that I
wondered if I would find a locked door (with my
shoes inside) but the clubhouse manager,
Brenda, not only waited for me to come in, she
served me a cold beer and a warm ham
"toastie" with fries as well. As I thanked her
profusely for not only waiting for the lone golfer
trudging home in the dark, but feeding me as
well, she simply said "Nice is nice." That meal,
by the way was the best I had in Scotland.
DON'T PLAY THE MEMBERS FOR MONEY
Murcar Links hosts many
professional and amateur tournaments, and its
membership boasts at least 100 players with
handicaps lower than 5. There are over 100
members in its junior program alone. Paul
Lawrie, the
1999
British Open Champion, is a frequent visitor --
he opened the remodeled clubhouse in 2005 --
and I was told that Colin Montgomerie had
stopped in for a tea (just a tea, not golf)
several weeks prior to my visit.
MORE
INFORMATION
A Travel Golf review
can be found at:
http://www.travelgolf.com/articles
/murcar-golf-links--aberdeen-city-scotland-
11405.htm
ABOUT THE The Walker Cup
The Walker Cup Match is a biennial 10-man
amateur
team competition between the USA and a team
composed of players from Great Britain and
Ireland
and selected by The R&A. It is played over two
days
with 18 singles matches and eight foursomes
(alternate-shot) matches.
The first United States Walker Cup Team, which
in
1922 defeated the GB&I side, 8-4, at the
National Golf
Links of America, is considered among the best
teams
ever and included Francis Ouimet, Bob Jones,
Charles
“Chick” Evans and Jess Sweetser. Many of the
game’s
greatest players have taken part in Walker Cup
competition, including U.S. Open champions
Jack
Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth for
the
USA
and Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Justin
Rose
for Great Britain and Ireland.
View Complete Tournament Information