There are questions that a wandering golfer might get tired of (What did  you shoot?  What’s your handicap?  What’s the best course you ever played?  Did they charge you a green fee and/or How much did it cost?), and other inquiries that might grow old for a writer (How did you get an agent?  Can […]

If I’m ever accused of riding John Garrity’s coattails or cribbing from his links insights, I would be happy to be mentioned in such company.  Garrity is one of the golf writers who, in my unsolicited opinion, really gets it when it comes to golf courses.  He ranks Carne and Askernish as tied-first atop his […]

The response so far has been excellent, but spots do remain for a few golfers who might be the first to lift the cup on this inaugural  Old Sod Travel event. The details are still being finalized, but consider Enniscrone, Rosses Point, and my top-rated Irish favorite Carne among the likely venues for this Ryder […]

From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered- We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother. — Shakespeare, Henry V I haven’t been this excited about a golf tournament since the junior-junior club […]

“Who’s this guy they have speaking tonight?  You read any of his books?” “Nope.” “Why are we even having a speaker?” “I have no idea.” “I’d rather listen to myself speak.” “Me too.” Such was a conversation overheard at a visit to a country club’s member-guest this year.  Unbeknownst to the enthusiastic gentleman in the […]

Part one of my interview with Ru Macdonald got a nice response, so I’m posting part two that just went up on the Scottish Golf Podcast.  I can’t bear to listen to my own recorded voice and I rarely recall my responses from an interview (I said that?), so I hope I don’t sound too […]

I wouldn’t trade gigs with many people.  Ru Macdonald, ambassador of all things Scottish golf and host of the Scottish Golf Podcast, might be one of few.  I’d definitely do the deal if it came with Ru’s youth–for his twenty or so years, I don’t think there’s a better known or connected golf lad in […]

If you have followed this blog or my social media posts, you’ll know I’m not spoiling the ending of A Course Called the Kingdom by telling you that I am writing this Open week post from a rainy Philadelphia.  For all my golf around the United Kingdom, searching out my best golf and the secret […]

I recently read an article describing the words one should eliminate from their lexicon in order to sound more intelligent.  “Amazing” made the list, which left me wondering how dumb my notes from Scotland currently sound, and had me building a list of handy superlative synonyms–stunning, stupefying, brain-blowing, bonkers.  It’s the challenge of a story […]

I won’t be golfing the northernmost links on the mainland UK until tomorrow, but as I sit here in my hotel room in Wick, so very high up in the Highlands, it is beginning to feel like it’s all downhill from here.  (For those keeping score, I have already played the northernmost golf course in […]