I’ve been living a check-list: cameras and Gopros, passports and reservations, pedometers and sharpies and golf balls and Body Glide.  Two days until wheels-up for Heathrow, and through all the preparation I’ve tried to remember that it’s all about the journey, not the destination; as much as I want to plan and predict, there’s nothing about the next two months that I can know for sure.  And for that, I’m not so much afraid as I am really, really grateful.

I’m looking forward to the end of the check-lists, or to where the check-lists turn into the on-course golfing sort–target, tempo, take-away–and that time is very close. But of all the things I can’t forget to carry with me on this adventure, the most important are pockets full of gratitude–I’m the luckiest golfing bastard alive–and for the 17 rounds scheduled for the first week, I’m not leaving it to chance as to whether they sell Bengay in Great Britain.

I’ll save the thank yous for the acknowledgements — the list is LONG — and a fitting thank you to Allyson and my family is an impossible task.   The only proper way to even attempt to show my gratitude to them is to make the most of every minute ahead of me, and make them proud in this book, and maybe even on the golf course.  And that’s really the only part of this plan that isn’t subject to the whims of Scottish weather or the demands of lost country roads.  Making my girls proud is alone on its own checklist, and it’s set in stone.

I will make one early thank you here to a new friend — there are so many of you for whom I’m appreciative — and give my warmest regards to Ru Macdonald at the Scottish Golf Podcast.  Not only has he helped spread the word about this journey, but he’s been an invaluable resource and contact in Scotland.  And he’s like twelve years old or something, and doing extraordinary things to promote golf in his homeland (I think he’s actually 21, but still.)  Ru was great enough to put out a podcast today in which we discuss the trip, and he’ll be updating Scottish Golf Podcast with A Course Called the Kingdom check-ins as I go along, so be sure to follow his fine work.  Click below:

http://scottishgolfpodcast.com/tom-coyne/

And on Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/scottish-golf-podcast/id769012915?mt=2

Do keep following as I hope to update on almost a daily basis from the road.  Be well, and fore!