It started as a travelogue through the British Open rota (that is, courses that are, or once were, in the rotation to host an Open Championship). That would have been a whopping fourteen tracks in total. Goodness, how my little golf trip has grown.
It sprouted side-trips. It swelled with possibility. It grew arms and legs and portions and pieces. It multiplied itself, like a gremlin swim team. It went sideways and upways and outways; it hopped over seas and lochs and landed on far flung islands.
It went to Wales.
It grew out of curiosity, and obsession, and easy courage. It was the prodigal golf trip, run away from me and gone wild, barely recognizable as the trip I had envisioned. Bigger, bolder, than anything I had imagined–as the plan stretched from fourteen to fifty to near a hundred courses, I set my aim on the century mark, and then blew clear past it. And for getting away from me, my lost and wanton golf trip–I love it so.
It was a golf journey. It was a June trip to Scotland. What was going to be a summer of high teas and lazy golf and staring at Loch Ness has become what might be the most ambitious golf itinerary ever attempted. At least that’s what I’ll be calling it in A Course Called the Kingdom.
I didn’t design this trip. My own efforts and arrangements and machinations would have come up short. I sort of just collected what the UK golf gods were throwing down. And they threw and threw and threw.
This impossible plan was guided by the wisdom and friendship of my most wonderful reader, Gramma Billy, whose love of golf and of life inspired me to give the links of the UK a shot. The courses she and her husband Gene have enjoyed became my playing priorities, and broadened this trip’s perspective. The itinerary took further inspiration from Malcolm Campbell and George Peper’s True Links, and from Gary Sutherland’s Golf on the Rocks. Its bloat was hastened by the ease of Google Maps, my cursor rambling fearlessly around the coast of the UK, clicking my way across the golfing globe with hope and abandon, always adding, rarely subtracting, and purposely forgetting that somebody was going to have to strap on their spikes and chase down each click.
Visit Scotland made it possible. Golf Tourism England, too, along with Visit Wales, partners who each added suggestions to this itinerary, allowing this to truly become a A Course Called the (United) Kingdom.
This list has been in flux for over a year, and with less than two months to teeing off, that flux may continue. The wrinkles and snafus and road blocks will come, but as of March 1st, I have a final list of courses for the biggest golf dream I never dreamed.
In case anyone is looking for me during the 57 days between April 26th and June 22nd, this is where I’ll be:
- ROYAL CINQUE PORTS GOLF CLUB
- PRINCES GOLF CLUB
- ROYAL ST. GEORGE’S GOLF CLUB
- MULLION GOLF CLUB
- PERRANPORTH GOLF CLUB
- TREVOSE GOLF CLUB
- ENODOC GOLF CLUB
- HOLYHEAD GOLF CLUB
- BULL BAY GOLF CLUB
- CONWY GOLF CLUB
- WALLASEY GOLF CLUB
- ROYAL LIVERPOOL
- ROYAL LYTHAM & ST ANNES
- ROYAL BIRKDALE
- ANNES OLD LINKS
- EYEMOUTH GOLF CLUB
- DUNBAR GOLF CLUB
- GLEN GOLF COURSE
- NORTH BERWICK GOLF CLUB
- ARCHERFIELD LINKS
- MUIRFIELD GOLF CLUB
- GULLANE GOLF CLUB
- KILSPINDIE GOLF CLUB
- LUFFNESS NEW GOLF CLUB
- CRAIGIELAW GOLF COURSE
- EDEN COURSE, ST. ANDREWS LINKS
- THE OLD COURSE, ST. ANDREWS
- BURNTISLAND GOLF CLUB
- KINGHORN GOLF CLUB
- LUNDIN GOLF CLUB
- LEVEN LINKS
- THE GOLF HOUSE CLUB, ELIE
- THE JUBILEE COURSE, ST. ANDREWS
- ANSTRUTHER GOLF CLUB
- CRAIL GOLFING SOCIETY BALCOMIE
- CRAIL GOLFING SOCIETY CRAIGHEAD
- THE NEW COURSE, ST. ANDREWS
- KINGSBARNS GOLF LINKS
- THE CASTLE COURSE, ST. ANDREWS
- PANMURE GOLF CLUB
- SCOTSCRAIG GOLF CLUB
- MONIFIETH GOLF CLUB
- THE CARNOUSTIE GOLF CLUB
- MONTROSE GOLF LINKS
- STONEHAVEN GOLF COURSE
- ROYAL ABERDEEN GOLF CLUB
- MURCAR LINKS GOLF CLUB
- NEWBURGH ON YTHAN GOLF CLUB
- TRUMP ABERDEEN GOLF COURSE
- CRUDEN BAY GOLF CLUB
- PETERHEAD GOLF CLUB
- CRAIGEWAN LINKS
- INVERALLOCHY GOLF COURSE
- FRESERBURGH GOLF CLUB
- ROSEHEARTY GOLF CLUB
- ROYAL TARLAIR GOLF CLUB
- CULLEN GOLF CLUB
- STRATHLENE GOLF CLUB
- BUCKPOOL GOLF CLUB
- SPEY BAY GOLF CLUB
- MORAY GOLF CLUB
- COVESEA GOLF LINKS
- HOPEMAN GOLF CLUB
- COVESEA GOLF CLUB
- NAIRN DUNBAR GOLF CLUB
- NAIRN GOLF CLUB
- ASTA GOLF CLUB
- SHETLAND GOLF CLUB
- WHALSAY GOLF CLUB
- STROMNESS GOLF CLUB
- CASTLE STUART
- FORTROSE & ROSEMARKIE GOLF CLUB
- TARBAT GOLF CLUB
- TAIN GOLF COURSE
- SKIBO CASTLE
- GOLSPIE
- ROYAL DORNOCH LINKS
- ROYAL DORNOCH STRUIE
- BRORA GOLF CLUB
- WICK GOLF CLUB
- REAY GOLF COURSE
- DURNESS GOLF CLUB
- ULLAPOOL GOLF CLUB
- GAIRLOCH GOLF CLUB
- ISLE OF SKYE GOLF CLUB
- TRAIGH GOLF COURSE
- COLONSAY GOLF CLUB
- THE MACHRIE GOLF LINKS
- MACHRIHANISH GOLF CLUB
- MACHRIHANISH DUNES
- DUNAVERTY GOLF CLUB
- SHISKINE GOLF AND TENNIS CLUB
- TURNBERRY AILSA GOLF COURSE
- PRESTWICK ST. NICHOLAS GOLF CLUB
- PRESTWICK GOLF CLUB
- ROYAL TROON GOLF CLUB OLD
- BARASSIE GOLF CLUB
- GAILES LINKS GOLF COURSE
- WESTERN GAILES GOLF CLUB
- IRVINE GOLF CLUB
- BARRA GOLF CLUB
- ASKERNISH GOLF CLUB
- HARRIS GOLF CLUB
- MUSSELBURGH LINKS
- BRITISH OPEN QUALIFIER – BRUNTSFIELD LINKS
God bless us, every one.
What a historic challenge! Thoughts of Sir Ernest’s Shackeleton’s Antarctic adventure come to mind! A voyage across the wild greens of the UK…..WOW! Endurance the ship…hmmmmm I will eagerly wait for your words describing your adventure. Your endurance. You are a captain of this!
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Just finished reading ‘A Course Called Ireland’. I’m more excited than ever for an upcoming golf trip to Ireland this summer with three colleagues. We will play 14 rounds on 11 of the courses Tom played during his great adventure. And now 105 in 57! Can’t wait for the book. I’m already working on an ask to my better half for her blessing for a UK golf outing in the not to distant future. Tom, I hope your UK trip is as enjoyable
as your summer in Ireland was. @kanatamike
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