Oh sheep!

In the top picture is Brora Golf Club, a James Braid classic, in the Scottish Highlands about 60 miles north of Inverness. This particular hole, #17, is regarded as one of the finest par 4's in all of Scotland. It's a beautiful hole with a bygone era touch. Those are sheep out there in the picture. Just like the Ole Tom Morris days. Whilst I took this picture, there were sheep in front of me, behind me and both sides of me munching away. It is Brora's singular organic way of greenskeeping. No fairway mowers or fertilizers needed here when you have herd of sheep wandering around your links unencumbered, forever hungry and endlessly pooping. And what about the greens? Glad you asked. See the bottom picture.

The greens are surrounded by an electrical shock wire that keeps the sheep away. On top of that, is a dummy menacing owl motif for extra protection. Once I was on the greens, carefully, the surfaces were the finest I played on in Scotland. If your ball happens to rest against the fence or the owl, local rule states, "immovable obstruction and relief granted under rule 24-2." If your ball happens to come to rest atop of a pile sheep dung (which is abundant), local rule states, "animal droppings through the green may be treated as casual water."

As famed golf writer Bernard Darwin stated years ago, playing golf in Scotland is full of "pleasurable excitement." Brora is just another testament to Darwin's message.

You gotta love Scotland!

Castle Stuart Golf Links

How about this opening hole? This is Castle Stuart Golf Links on Moray Firth just east of Inverness, Scotland, and it's a gem. It just opened for play and it is a must visit when you tour the Highlands.

Castle Stuart Golf Links sits in the shadow of a 16th Century Castle, Castle Stuart, which serves as the historic soul of the site. The Castle with its unique dome boldly stands as a backdrop to the par 3, 4th hole. The dome of the Castle is appropriately the logo for the club.

The topography is rolling with indescrible views of the Firth, lighthouses, bridges, Inverness and of the Highlands Mountains. The course is very handsome, strategic, fair and meticulously groomed. Although the course is totally manufactured at great expense by clever and artistic joint designers Mark Parsinen (of Kingsbarn fame) and Gil Hanse, it has the look and feel of having been there a long time waiting to be unearthed. The ultimate compliment for a new course.

Holes framed sensitively and artfully by gorse, broom, heather and wispy fescues blowing in the wind give the course instant maturity. When the clouds break and allows the Scottish light to appear, the course becomes almost dreamlike.

The Inverness area is home to some of the greatest golf courses in the British Isles, if not the world. Royal Dornoch, #15 in the world, and Brora are just north of Inverness. While Nairn, a Morris and Braid beauty, lies just to the east of Castle Stuart. Indeed, Parsinen and Hanse have created a worthy addition to an already "rich in playing golf experience" region.

Putting all this glowing aside for a moment, there are some subjective points to mention. For Scotland, it is too damn expensive to play regularly at 150 pounds. I played Royal Dornoch for 40 pounds for three straight days and played with the townsfolk's butcher, baker and candlestick maker. Now those were lifetime experiences. I don't think you'll find those folks at CS unless they have a very special local's rate. The beaux art deco clubhouse, similar to Royal Birkdale's clubhouse, looks forlorn and completely out of place in that fabulously raw setting. Lastly, it feels too American. By that I mean, I'm an American touring in Scotland. I want to play on a pure Scottish golf course with Scottish golfers, bad lies and all. Furthermore, Parsinen, no shrinking violet and with a full breath of can-do bravado, has designs for more golf courses, hotel, homes and everything else on that property. Sounds like what Trump is up to in Aberdeenshire. Is that good?

I admire Parsinen's vision and Hanse's deft touch in the creation of this fine golf course. But in these challenging economic times and with golf waning, one wonders why another golf course is needed particularly in an already rich golf area like Inverness. Anyway, good luck to the Castle Stuart Golf Links.

For me, the simple peacefulness, innocent beauty and subtle challenges of Royal Dornoch is all I need when I'm in the Highlands. Oh yes, that 40pound ($63) rate is not too shabby either.

Happy golfing.

Royal Dornoch

This photo of the 3rd oldest golf course in the world, Royal Dornoch, and globally ranked as the 15th in the world by Golf Digest does not possess the grandeur of Cypress Point or the massive dunes of Ballybunion but what it does possess is pure golf design genius. And who shall we thank for that genius? Start with the Man Above with some earthly help along the way. When you have a site against the sea like Dornoch, you really don't need much else. Your main job is not to screw it up. And designers over the centuries did not screw it up. They realized their duty of stewardship.

Without question, this is one of the most magical golf courses in the world. It's magic because it is so subtle and understated but it grows on you like chia pet.

First of all, it's beautiful. It's walkable. The green complexes are the best I have ever played on. The bunkers are penal and a lost stroke is a given. The rolls in the fairways simulate the nearby North Sea wave patterns. The short and long views are spell-binding. The sky, the clouds, the light, the shadows and the weather are mesmerizing and ever-changing. The grasses, the vegetation, the colours compose a palette of visual delights that are thrilling to see. And the designer's best friend, Mr Wind, blows, quiets, hisses, blows again from all directions within a day. All the above conspires with each other to present a golfing experience worthy of many visits and of increasing your index.

There's one last thing that makes Dornoch so special. It's a village golf course. The public road to the beach crosses directly in front of the first tee. Mind you, this isn't PCH but it is a road with sporadic traffic...motor vehicles and walkers, and they have right-of-way. The villagers walk about the golf course like it's their backyard...which it is. There is a love affair going on between the citizens of Dornoch town and their golf course. They belong to each other. It's really something to witness.

So, if you go and you must if you're a golfer, don't mess around anywhere else and stay at the Royal Golf Hotel. It's newly refurbished. Comfortable. Affordable. Great staff. Terrific food and drink. And it's only 100 yards from the first tee.

Happy golfing.

Father and Son

For all you golf fans with sons and daughters who love golf, do I have a shared experience for you and your loved ones? Five words. The Open at St. Andrews.

As you may know, my young son, Jack, and I attended The Open at St. Andrews this month. It was a glorious experience for me and for him.

The Open returns to St. Andrews in five years. 2015. Sounds far away doesn't it? But, like all the fleeting years, '15 will be here in a flash. Why is The Open at St. Andrews such a big deal, you may ask? Just look at the picture above. If you're a golf fan and a family man, I don't need to explain.

Believe me, the experience I had with my son for Open week at St. Andrews was one of the best weeks of my life. But what did Jack have to say about it? "Dad, this was really fantastic. I'll never forget it. Thanks." Enough said.

You see, The Open week at St. Andrews is much more than the golf. Sure, it's the reason we were there. But the planning, the journey, the arrival, the village, the University, the sea, the beach, the people, the fresh daily moments, the history, the weather and what we shared with each other is what made the experience so memorable.

So, if you have any interest in any of the above, I implore you to put this on your "bucket list" with your kid(s) before father time takes you. Book it when the time comes. And you and yours will be forever enriched with a legacy lived by few. Trust me. Believe it!

The Craziest aka The Hardest Par 4 in the World

We have just experienced 9 hours in the stands above the famous or infamous "Road Hole" of The Old Course at St. Andrews watching the entire field of The Open, all 77 players pass by. Mind you, these are the best golfers on earth and #17 made only about a handful look like professionals.

Waddya expect? 5 years ago in The Open at St. Andrews, #17 was the toughest on the course averaging better than a half shot over par. This year, the R&A decided to make it even harder by adding 40 yards to the hole now measuring 495 yards. They said the pros were not hitting drivers in '05 and laying up. Outraged! This time the R&A wanted to force the pros to hit a full driver over a shed to a 90 degree blind right turn patch of grass about 30 yards wide. Then hit a mid-iron to a green that is as wide as a surfboard and as slick as a slip and slide. Guess what? This year the hole was #1 in difficulty again and almost a full stroke harder. Captain Frankenstein of the R&A was beaming on the balcony.

We saw golf shots from everywhere today on 17. Out of deep rough, off a dirt path, off asphalt, against a stone wall, off a grassy bank, out of sand, over hill and dale and some even off the fairway. And all of that is in play...no drops, no foot wedges. The greatest shot of the day on this "waterboard of a hole" was by young American phenom and striding orange popsicle, Rickie Fowler, who putted his ball some 60plus yards from the fairway into the hole for one of only four birdies. Only 17 birdies all week on #17. How appropriate. Conversely, the worst shots and/or putts of the day were by Poulter, Garcia, Westwood, Kaymar, Phil, Graeme, Agent Orange, Ricky Barnes, Monty, DJ not a bunch of has beens by any measure.

Our victor, Louis "Shrek (check out the front teeth)" Oosthuizan surrendered to #17 with a bogey but he had plenty of strokes in reserve, if needed. He didn't need any. Beat the field by 7 shots.

So, The Open closes with a whimper. No one gave Shrek any heat. The field was stalled all week except for one amiable South African. He dominated. Happy for him and his young family. Seems like a nice man.

At the awards ceremony, first person he recognized was Nelson Mandella, his fellow countryman, who was celebrating his birthday at home in South Africa. Very classy gesture on Shrek's apart. Also classy was Shrek's victory walk with the Claret jug in hand for all the crowd to see.

But what wasn't so classy was Captain Frankenstein blowing a vuvuzela from the rooftop of the R&A signaling the end of the show. (Just kidding, Will)

A Moment of Respect

It was near dark on Friday evening when Tom Watson strided out of the gloaming and into our view. He hit his teeshot on 18 and walked up to the revered Swilcan Bridge bent over and kissed it. That was his way of paying final respects to an event, a course, a country and a people he loves so much. It was one of those rare life experiences when you say to yourself "I'm grateful I was there." I saw Arnie then Jack take their strolls up 18 in The Open years ago on TV but being there in the flesh was surreal.

Following Tom up 18, I was moved by the genuine love the Scots have for Tom, the golfer and the man. Over the years, I knew something of this love affair but when a chorus of "we luv you, Tom" echoed off Rusacks and the other buildings that align the 18th, I was tingling. At that moment, I looked over to my left and there was a slight old-aged Scottish woman crying. Now that's a golf fan! You see, Tom is their adopted one from "the states." And he accepted their adoption with continued grace and warmth.

On the 18th green watching this spectacle was Tiger Woods and his group. Lately, Tom and Tiger are not the best of buds. But on this special night in St. Andrews even Tiger was visibly moved. In fact, with light fading fast, in a magnanimous gesture, Tiger waved Tom's group up and to finish the hole before dark...in front of Tom's assembled fans. Perhaps a bridge was rebuilt then.

Tom's tee ball was just short of the green. He pitched his ball off a tight lie to a tight front pin that damn near went in the hole for a final birdie. Settled for par. Un-donned his cap, looked over to all of us, grinned that wide toothless smile and then mouthed "thank you." Then winked and mouthed..."I'll be back."

We all thanked him in return.

Scottish Picnic Weather

The Scots are a hearty people. They have to deal day in and day out with some of the most miserable weather on the planet. They do it with a smile and a wink. Saints all!

The second day of The Open began with another downpour early in the morning, followed intermittently with brilliant sunshine offset by fierce sudden watery outbursts. Notwithstanding the vagaries of the Fife weather, the golfers with heads down trudged onward through it all, while the indomitable patrons held their ground watching them play. Until...

At about 2:45P Scottish time, the winds returned with a vengeance. I was watching one of the featured groups of Tiger, Justin Rose and Camillo Villegas on #1 green. Rose was sizing up a 2 foot par putt when a jetstream of cold air arrived from the grave of old Tom Morris overwhelmed the green and moved his ball 15 feet. Isn't golf hard enough on a perfect day? Needless to say, the post on the monster yellow scoreboard came swiftly, PLAY SUSPENDED DUE TO HIGH WINDS.

Just got word that the winds have abated and play will resume in 30 minutes. The R&A will try to work out a deal with the heavens and get this round in. They have connections you know!

It doesn't get dark until about 10PM around here, so we'll have plenty of time to watch some exciting golf in dull-free Scottish weather. It will be a helluva ride for all of us.

Cheers.

JD

Guess who is in the early lead at The Open? After 11 holes, John "Loudmouth Pants and all" Daly is 7 under with a HUGE following. What a redemption story this could be!!!!!!

By the way, have you ever seen a stranger/funnier picture in your life than the one above? It looks like somebody just passed gas. My bet is the smiling Padraig is the culprit.

Cheers!

Well today at St. Andrews was a wet and wild one. The plan was to enjoy the final light-hearted day of practice on The Old Course before The Open officially starts play tomorrow, Thursday. So much for plans. A stubborn squall set in over the R&A and hasn't moved in hours. Horizontal rain buffetted by 30mph winds put the kabash in everybody's plans today. Even the seagulls were walking.

So, putting golf aside for the day, what other Scottish activity could be embraced on this miserable day? Hmmm, didn't take us long to figure that one out. We headed off to our home away from home, the Whey Pat Tavern for another lesson from our new best friend/instructor/publican, Andy, in a single malt Scottish whisky appreciation class.

For the past two evenings, we have attended Andy's special tutorial bar-side on how to drink and appreciate the wide variety of Scottish single malts. At last count, we have "sampled" 5 with another 10plus to go.

With new textbook in hand, The Whiskey Classified by David Wishart, we waddled over to the Whey Pat dripping and soaked from the rain not the whiskey. As has been our newly adopted custom, Andy gives us a bit of a welcome followed by his yawning discourse on the beauty of the whiskey flavours. After that tedium, mercifully, we get to business.

Andy places three glasses of single malt samples in front of us. One from the previous evening, our favourite to date is the Glenmorangie "Quinta Ruban", bookend by two new comers. On the right is the 12 year old Dalmore. On the left is the 12 year old Mortlach. All numbered by Andy so we can keep score.

We swirl the glasses looking for the "legs", notice the colours of the malts and then sniff the contents for distinct aromas. After all that tomfoolery, we get down. We gulp...no, we sip the contents. Andy watches us closely.

First the favourite. Still appealing. Second the Mortlach. Too flat and tasteless. Third the Damore. Wow...three alarm fire...smoothy bingo...a bit nutty with a slight fruity bouquet...a new champ. To confirm, we splashed a wee bit of water in each glass for whatever reason...same results.

The local lad sitting next to us made some snide comments about our methods and preceded to show us what he thought of our "tutorial" by putting the glass of the remaining Mortlach in the way of his pee stream. So civilized. He was sent home by Andy.

So there you go, a day changed unalterably by the weather made good by a whiskey adventure. Welcome to Scotland.

The Open

Arrived on some holy ground today on The Old Course at St. Andrews. Words cannot adequately express the feeling of being on such hallowed grass. There is a hushed reverence about the place that is palpable. That's what happens when mother nature creates and man only maintains. The players respect it. The visitors feel it. The locals live it.

To heighten the dreamy effect of the Old Course, The Open has arrived once again to the attractive seaside town of St. Andrews. There is a buzz in the summery air. The heart beats faster. The eyes more alert. The ears hear nature's siren call.

The course looks perfect for play. The fairways narrowed. The greens shorn shorter. The rough grown out thicker. The winds dialed up. The bunkers deepened. And the angles tweeked. The R&A has set the stage to reveal the best player in the world. The journey begins on Thursday.

And glistening in silence in the backroom of the R@A sits the most beautiful and sublime trophy of all trophies, the Claret Jug, awaiting the jeweler's inscription of the 2010 winner's name on Sunday. Will it be Harrington, Els, or Watson?

Until then...there is much to enjoy.

Cheers.

Theatre of the Absurd

SPORTS FANS MARK THIS DATE: FEB 20,2011 NBA ALL STAR GAME at STAPLES in LOS ANGELES

East meets West. The Question meets The Answer. James v. Bryant. The match-up will be epic!

Swilcan Bridge

If the computer gods are with me, I'll be blogging from the birthplace of golf, The Old Course at St. Andrews, next week for the 139th Open Championship and from the Highlands the following week. It should prove to be a thrilling time. Cheers.

America The Beautiful

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed His grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

Happy Fourth of July to all of us fortunate to call the United States our homeland.

May God bless this great country and keep our troops safe around the world.

With the deepest gratitude for being an American, may freedom continue.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum

The foxes are watching over the hen house. Good gracious.

Can you believe that Barney Frank (D.Ma.) and Chris Dodd (D.Conn.) are the two authors of the recently House passed Financial Reform Bill? Having these two in charge of financial reform in this country is like having the disgraced John Edwards in charge of Marriage Encounter International.

These two slippery scoundrels and Chairs of House and Senate Financial and Banking Committees, were directly responsible for contributing mightily to the financial meltdown in 2008. Their joint delicate glass menageries were Fannie May and Freddie Mac, two Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) and notorious linchpins in the economic collapse. These GSE's main function was to purchase risky bundled loans from people who had no business getting loans in the first place. Then the economy turned south, borrowers defaulted on their loans and Fannie and Freddie were stuck holding their rear ends. And we pay for it all. How does that taste Mr and Mrs Taxpayer?

Because of this reckless business plan and non-existent oversight from Frank and Dodd, Fannie and Freddie are bankrupt and wards of the taxpayers. To date, Fannie and Freddie have cost the taxpayers $400BILLION. That is more than the 9 year war in Afghanistan. And they continue to lose money everyday! Shockingly, these two lunkhead authors of the bill, did not include reform of their two pets in the new 2,000 page bill. Why? As stated in the media, Frank said, "...we'll get back to them later." Hey, knuckleheads, F&F are hemorrhaging taxpayer dollars right now and you'll get back to them later. ARE YOU SERIOUS?

What do you expect from political careerists who have never had to meet a payroll, balance a checkbook, cut costs, take a pay cut and fly commercial? Red ink to them is just a bright color.

Sure, Frank and Dodd continue to blame the previous administration for Fannie and Freddie failures. Their year and a half chorus grows tiresome. But the record is the record.

In 2003, President Bush fought to get Fannie and Freddie under stricter regulatory control. Bush's independent report stated that Franklin Raines, Fannie's chairman, was cooking the books for self-aggrandizement. Between 1998-2003, Franklin minted over $90million in salary and bonuses...not bad for government work. Frank and others dismissed Bush's report and the President's call for scrutiny, saying, "The more people exaggerate a threat of safety and soundness (at Fannie and Freddie), the more people conjure up the possibility of financial losses to the Treasury which I do not see. I think we see entities that are fundamentally sound financially." Really.

Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Fannie and Freddie need to be fixed and fixed now and not when you get around to it. Do it now...you're on the clock.

{This frustrating reality is indeed stranger than fiction and it continues...unabated. Good gracious.}