The Final Rankings

After some time to sit back and take stock of everything, we both rated the courses we played and the scotches we drank. First, the golf. All of the golf courses were memorable in their own particular and sometimes peculiar ways. But how did they compare to one another? Royal Dornoch, one of the top 20 courses in the world, against Carnoustie, site of the most devilish Open Championship in recent memory, or the Old Course, the home of golf, Mecca for any self-respecting duffer out there. How did all these great courses stack up against one another, and would we ever want to play them again? Which would we recommend to anyone making the pilgrimage out to these distant shores? So after a bit of reflection, we sat down and individually ranked the courses. Here’s what we came up with, from favorite to least.

Bruce

Castle Stuart

Royal Dornoch

Carnoustie

Brora

Crail – Balcomie

North Berwick

Crail – Craigshead

The Old Course

Scott

Castle Stuart

Royal Dornoch

Carnoustie

North Berwick

Crail – Balcomie

Brora

Crail – Craigshead

The Old Course

The two Shively’s came up with pretty similar lists. Castle Stuart and Royal Dornoch stood out amongst the others, with Carnoustie headlining the rest. You might be looking at this and thinking that we are both crazy for putting the Old Course last. The Old Course is the only place neither of us would return to. We did it; we paid homage to the home of golf, we teed off in front of the Royal & Ancient, we walked the hallowed fairways. But once is enough, and as far as we are concerned, there are far better and nicer tracks out there. For any golfing devotee it is a must play, but only once.

Now, on to the important things, the malts! We had the pleasure of tasting a variety of amber hued refreshments, many of which we had never seen let alone heard of. It was truly a fun experiment, looking at menus and bar walls for names we didn’t know and asking friendly bartenders for suggestions. In the end, we tried 15 different single malt Scotch whiskies. Some were good, some were great, but none were bad. Here’s how we ranked them compared to one another, again in descending order from favorite to least.

Bruce

Royal Brackla 16 year old

Clynelish Special 14 year old

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or 12 year old

Glendronach Revival 15 year old

anCnoc 12 year old

Macallan 10 year old

Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 year old

Glenmorangie 10 year old

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12 year old

Benromach 10 year old

Ardmore 12 year old

Cardhu 10 year old

Knockando 12 year old

Old Pulteney 12 year old

Aberlour 10 year old

Scott

anCnoc 12 year old

Old Pulteney 12 year old

Royal Brackla 16 year old

Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or 12 year old

Knockando 12 year old

Glenmorangie 10 year old

Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 year old

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12 year old

Glendronach Revival 15 year old

Clynelish Special 14 year old

Cardhu 10 year old

Ardmore 12 year old

Benromach 10 year old

Macallan 10 year old

Aberlour 10 year old

Scott also created a unique blend using the Glenmorangie Lasanta and Nectar d’Or, which he claims was the tastiest tipple of all. We’ll have to wait for more evidence on that one, though. And of all the whiskies we sampled, we would happily recommend any of them for a taste or two or more. Hard to go wrong with a single malt!

And with that, we wrap up the blog. Thanks for reading! It was a great trip, and we hope you enjoyed keeping up with us on our rounds of golf and rounds of whisky. Until that day, hit ‘em straight and drink ‘em straight!

Castle to Castle

The final day began with a quick breakfast and a fond farewell to Royal Dornoch early in the morning, and an hour drive south to the outskirts of Inverness, where we strapped on the spikes for our final round of the trip, at Castle Stuart. We had heard a lot about the Castle Stuart course, all of it good. Only two and a half years old, the course will be hosting its first Scottish Open in a month’s time, welcoming many of the world’s best players in their final tune up before the British Open. We hit a few balls on the driving range (first of the trip, ranges are pretty uncommon around these parts), and then jumped onto the course with our two caddies, the first group out at 9:45.

Although the sun had been shining on the car ride down, as soon as we stepped onto the first tee, hard against the Moray Firth, the skies darkened and rain began to spit down. Off we went, straight into the wind, and by the time we made it to the second, the rain was beating down and we were dripping. But the rain didn’t keep us down, because the course was beautiful. The first three holes ran along the water, with the fairways and greens running off into the rocky beach. The fourth, a par three, turned inland and looked straight back at the original Castle Stuart (see picture below). From there we wound our way through dunes and wavy grasses, with the occasional gorse and heather clumps scattered throughout, always with a view of the water and the mountains surrounding it. By the sixth the rain had stopped, and the sun began to peek through the swift moving clouds. It never quite broke through for the rest of the day, but the weather stayed fine with no more rain, and we dried off quickly.

The course was fantastic. It was in great shape, and had fabulous views of the firth and the mountains from every hole. We played pretty well, with some solid drives and approach shots sprinkled around some bananas and chunks. All in all, the course and the great time we had playing there was a perfect cap to our whirlwind golf tour of East and North Scotland.

After we dropped our last putts on the 18^th, we had a bite to eat in the swanky Art Deco clubhouse, and then jumped in the car for the drive down to Edinburgh. Once we arrived back in the city, we saluted ourselves with a dram of Glenmorangie and headed out into the sunny evening for some drinks and food. After a few hours of wandering the streets and with our appetites satiated, we headed to Brew Dog, a new bar in town that makes their own delicious craft beer. We ended up chatting and drinking with a really nice guy from Edinburgh, who has the enviable job of “beer judge”. What does that mean? It means he travels around Europe and the UK going to beer competitions and drinking all those wonderful beers in order to decide which one is the best. Where do we sign up for this gig? After more than a few quaffs and some good laughs, we headed home to catch a few hours of sleep before Bruce headed to the airport in the morning for his flight back to Seattle. We couldn’t have asked for a better end to the trip.

Check back later for a final wrap up, including our course rankings, and just as important, how we rated the whiskies. Slainte!

Baa Baa Baa

It's Wednesday and we're off to Bora, opened in 1891, 16 miles north of Dornoch for more links golf, this time through pure linksland. Brora is only two holes wide: 9 holes out along the seashore and 9 holes back, immediately next to the outward 9.

The course is a classic of the "common ground" principle, wherein you can walk your dog or graze your livestock, at random! Each green is surrounded completely by a single electric wire, about a foot and a half off the ground, to keep the sheep and cattle from walking the greens! You step over the wire to reach the putting surface. Rule #5 on the scorecard: "ANIMAL DROPPINGS: animal droppings through the green or on the putting green may be treated as casual water"! The sheep were everywhere - check out our pictures!

We started in bright sunshine and at the furthestmost point, the 9th green, were threatened with thunderstorms with nowhere to hide! But, since we had gone out directly into the wind, we really wanted the opportunity to come back in on the downwind half, so, we played on.

Great billowing dunes and hills with plenty of pot bunkers and grassy rough, it was a hoot! One of Scott's balls landed in a fresh sheep dropping and we did not seek relief! Windy enough to require at least a 2 club difference going out and coming in, this course, like all the others we've played, was not a "grip 'em and rip 'em" track! And, even after consulting each other and the course guide book, it was still a guess as to what to hit.

We cashed in our cow chips after 18, quitting while we were ahead, and returned to Dornoch and our bottle of Glenmorangie 10 year old. Then, a stroll through town (population 1,000) and dinner again with Marg at the Sutherland, the consensus pick for best home cooking in town!

We bellied up one more time at our hotel for nightcaps, downing a 16 year old Royal Brackle and 12 year old Knockando. I think the Royal Brackle is my favorite of the trip so far!

Great people, food and final day in Dornoch! Off to play Castle Stuart in the morning, site of this year's Scottish Open (early July) then on to Edinburgh Thursday afternoon.

Dornoch Destruction

As Northwesterners, we're used to playing golf in less than perfect conditions. So, on Tuesday, when we teed 'em up at 10:30 a.m., the spitting rain and 30 mile an hour winds didn't dent our enthusiasm. But, the first shot foretold a lot.

Aided by our wonderful caddie, Hamish Sutherland (75 years old), we watched as our 4some mates, Wolfgang and Peter from Munich, led off the round. The 1st hole is a 311 yard par 4, pot bunkers to the left and right of the fairway and then several around the green. I hit a good drive, slightly to the right of the right fairway bunker, about 150 yards!!!! Yikes, the wind!! I rallied for a bump and run par and felt pretty good. Then on to the 160 yard par 3 second, where Hamish advised that we Lay Up!!!! On it went, our foursome sharing and glorying in the rare moments of success (I had 5 pars!) and keeping straight faces as it took 4 swings to get out of bunkers (knowing it could be you in there, next hole!).

Royal Dornoch Golf Course lies right on the sea and with the wind up, the crashing breakers could be heard all over the course. And, once you turned for home, the wind behind you prompted lots of downclubbing (I hit a pitching wedge on a 150 yard par 3; it hit the very front of the green and bounded and rolled off the back, down a hill and into the rough; I PUTTED from the rough, up the 8 foot hill, about 40 yards to the hole and tapped in for par!!! Hamish was impressed!)

So we broke for a quick sandwich after 18 and then just Scott and I headed back out for another 18! No caddies and only the wind and rain to accompany us. And, wouldn't you know, we were the last ones out for the day (teeing off at 4:00) and, no wonder, the weather was deteriorating so rapidly. The rain increased, the wind really howled and the temperature dropped. Soaked clear through, we soldiered on to finish at 7:00 and almost ran to our rooms, happy to "warm things up" with some Glenmorangie 10 year old (boy that tastes good when you can't feel your fingers!).

Finally, a hot shower and a quick hike down the hill to the Sutherland House Restaurant where, after sharing some local gossip with Marge the owner, we devoured venison, pork and a wonderful Haggis, Neeps and Tatties, all washed down by a good Malbec. Back to the Golf Hotel in a driving rain, we finished the day with a Cardhu 10 year old from the Highlands. Wednesday, on north to Brora for 36!

Bruce and Scott

Glen of Tranquility

Monday is travel day to Dornoch. We leave St. Andrews about 10:00 a.m. and head up through the Highlands, stopping in Pitlochry long enough to purchase some delicious Mull Cheddar cheese and then we're on our way again, the sun breaking through in the early afternoon. Firths, lochs and rolling hills with spring flowers all the way.

On past Inverness we are excited to reach Tain, the home of Glenmorangie (glen-MOR-an-gee) Distillery, one of our favorite scotches! We stop for a tour and a tasting and with smiles on our faces arrive in Dornoch 5 miles further up the road. Golf, or some form of it, has been played in Dornoch for over 400 years. On the same latitude as Juneau, Alaska, the daylight lingers and lingers and lingers! We check in to the Royal Dornoch Hotel and our room overlooks the first tee.

Dinner overlooking the course and the sea to the sound of pipes, a stroll across the fairways afterwords, beer in hand, we finish up the day with some Glenmorangie 10 year old and Clynelish Conniseur's Choice 14 year old. Sweet dreams of 36 holes on Tuesday at Royal Dornch Golf Club, ranked by Golf Digest as #15th of the top 100 courses in the world!

Bruce and Scott

"Glenmorangie" - Gaelic for "Glen of Tranquility"

Sunday Services

South of St. Andrews about 10 miles lies the charming village of Crail, home of the Crail Golf Society, founded in 1786. We left our hotel, even par, and arrived for our first 18 holes on the Craigshead Course, perched just back of the headlands. At 9:40 the Issaquah twosome teed 'em up and off we went in 50 degree weather and grey skies. Craigshead is crisscrossed with rockwalls and yellow bloomed gorse (pretty to look at but deadly to play in!). With wonderful seaviews across the wide open terrain we met some fine gents from Aberdeen on the 5th tee when I "went off line" with an approach shot! We caught up with Colin, Douglas, Peter and John again at the end of the round and they may be reading this blog! Best of luck and hope the rest of your golf holiday goes well!

We played well enough to break 100 and then took a lunch break before taking on the original of the 2 courses, Balcomie. While slightly shorter, Balcomie included some of the best and most spectacular scenery and holes of the trip so far. Hard against the seashore, this was Pebble Beach in Scotland! Again, we were brilliant at times (birdies!) but often humbled by the everpresent and well hidden pot bunkers.

After our finish, we were more than ready to head back to St. Andrews for brews (my favorite is St. Andrews Ale) and a delicious dinner at Rocca's with a surprising serenade by a 20 piece bagpipe band on St. Andrew's 18th fairway! Then, a dram of Macallan 10 year old and anCnoc 12 year old, a fitting end to the St. Andrews leg of our trip!

Off to the north and the highlands on Monday a.m..

Bruce and Scott

Carnoustie Smackdown!

My Oh My!

After a great British breakfast of porridge, eggs, croissants, bacon, cereal, toast, juice and cappuccino, we were off to Carnoustie, about 45 minutes north of St. Andrews. Friday the temperature reached the 80's; today only 55!

Site of Ben Hogan's only British Open victory, we were expecting to be humbled and chastised. But, in the best American tradition, we stepped up and hit driver whenever we could with no regard to the consequences. Once again, heading to the first tee we held tightly to even par and once again, we were paired with two great English bloaks from Norfolk, Kevin and Paul. We had a terrific time!

Carnoustie has bunkers from Hell - some front walls exceeding 10 feet in height. And, they're everywhere, or, at least everywhere we were! There was plenty of wind and heather for the taking and it was a good thing that for much of the time we didn't know how much trouble awaited us down the fairways.

In fact, we played damn well; Bruce birdied 2 consecutive holes and we rolled in some long putts to boot! We teed off at just after 3:00 p.m, and finished at 8:00 p.m., with plenty of light to spare.

Then, back to St. Andrews and Dunvegan's bar for burgers, beers and an Ardmore 12 year and a Benromach 10 year old. Perfect ending to another perfect day!

Tomorrow, Sunday, off to Crail to play both courses, 36 holes.

Bruce and Scott