St. Andrews
St. Andrews hotels:
Ken and Kathy stayed at the St. Andrews Golf Hotel; 40 the Scores; Kristin and Mike stayed at Dunvegan’s; 7 Pilmour Pl
We arrived at our hotel around 6pm and were fortunate to find parking. It was graduation week at St. Andrews University and a lot of parents were in town. The second the car stopped both Mike and Ken almost ran down to the Old Course which was only a few hundred yards away. I swear Ken had tears in his eyes as he got his first look. It was heard to tear them away, but we were supposed to be meeting up with Charlotte and Jamie so they could introduce Ken and Mike to their caddies….Jimmy (Jamie’s dad) and Dennis, Jimmy’s friend. Jimmy had been caddying the Old Course since he was 13….he’s 72 now. That’s a lot of rounds of golf. He had caddied for Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Rita Hayworth, James Gardner, Sean Connery….and now Ken Hume. He was just what Ken was looking for, someone with a great sense of humor, tremendous knowledge of the course, good golf tips and plenty of stories.
Ken and I checked into our hotel, room 18, lovely view, nice room, if a bit on the expensive side ($400/night…at least that included breakfast). The kid’s hotel, Dunvegan’s, was more reasonably priced, and they got breakfast too.
We were supposed to be taking a tour of St. Andrews with Charlotte, but everyone was so wiped out that we decided just to go to Dunvegan’s (http://www.dunvegan-hotel.com/) for a drink. That is where the kids were staying…they only had one room available. Owned by Jack (from Texas) and his lovely wife, Sheena, it is the place to see and been seen at if you are a golfer. So while the boys discussed golf, Charlotte filled Kristin and I in on the history and stories of St. Andrews.
Soon Charlotte and Jamie and Jimmy left and the four of us stayed for dinner. We dined on homemade soup, smoked salmon (Kristin said it was the best she ever had). I had a chicken salad that was good, Mike had a cheeseburger, and Ken had a salmon filet. After dinner we walked back to our hotel. It was around 9pm and still very light outside. That night there was a lovely sunset which we could see from our room. (18) We overlooked the park running along the Scores, as well as the sea, West Sands, the beach they used for the opening scene of Chariots of Fire and the Old Course.
Tuesday, June 24
Ken and I were staying at the St. Andrews Golf Hotel and a very nice breakfast was included. We thought it was just the buffet, but found out after we were done, that they actually had a regular menu you could order off as well. The kids also had breakfast included at Dunvegans. We met up around 10 or so. The boys wanted to avail themselves of the very nice practice facility and Kristin and I went for a walk up to the castle. On the way we passed a beautiful house with a sign that said come walk in our gardens. There was a donation box and it turned out that the folks in the house sponsor a scholarship for pediatric cardiac care as their granddaughter had died as a baby. The gardens were very lovely. So many varieties and colors of flowers, all leading down a path to a gazebo that overlooked the sea. After that we toured the museum that was at the castle and part of our Explorer passport. It was interesting to see the history of the town. Afterwards, we walked around the castle…or what is left of it…not much. Interesting tunnel underground, but since both Kristin and I are a bit claustrophobic we decided to pass on going underground. By this time it was getting late, so we met the boys back at Ma Bells (basement of the St. Andrews Golf Hotel) for lunch. Nice pub, but very quiet. Mike and Kristin had the ham and mango sandwich, but said it was too sweet. I had a chicken Caesar, which was great once I removed the sardines! Ma Bells is supposed to be one of the “in” places when the university is in session.
The New Course
Mike said that when he approached the first tee at the new course his knees were knocking. He didn’t want to embarrass his dad or himself. He didn’t want to be like the golfer that Dennis and Jimmy had told them about Monday night that had a 31…and that was just the first hole. Mike tried to come close..with a 9, but then he got his act together, let the nerves go, and even birdied a hole. It was good planning for them to play the New Course first, which actually is a bit more difficult. Gave a chance for Jimmy and Dennis to get to know their level of play and give them helpful suggestions. Mike said these guys really know their stuff. It they tell you hit to the left…and you do it, you end up just fine. Mike is a sports writer and had written about his dad and golf, as well as preparing for the Old Course. Links are below.
Picking Splinters: Like Father Like Son to the 'Tee'
Picking Splinters: Cold Feet On the Scottish Green
Meanwhile, while the boys were getting battered by the wind, occasional rain, and cold on the New Course, Kristin and I were enjoying a girl’s spa day at the Old Course Hotel. (http://oldcoursehotel.kohler.com/spa/spa_index.html)
If you have two services, you can also use all the spa facilities for the day. Kristin decided to work out in their well equipped gym. I decided to pursue a more relaxing experience, testing out the several steam rooms, saunas, and thermal spa. I did, however, pass on the Plunge pool….8 feet deep of VERY cold water. Stuck my toe in…that was enough. The thermal spa has 5 stations that have multiple jets and you sort of follow the flow. Very relaxing. There is also a lap pool with a waterfall at the end. We had scheduled our services for approximately the same time. Kristin had a facial and a massage. I have the Sea Lime Sigh and a detoxifying wrap. I have to say, I have been to many different spas, and had many different services. This was by far the best and most relaxing. After our services, we relaxed by the pool, then decided to try the rooftop spa (well I decided and had to talk Kristin into it…she hates being cold) But it was quite nice, with a warm hot tub and the cool air. Unfortunately it began to rain and we were running short of time. So we finished up and headed off to meet the boys who were reliving their New Course experience with a few brews at Dunvegans.
Dinner that night was at Ziggy’s, 6 Murray Place, which was right behind our hotel. Sort of a music themed pub. Ken got the filet steak, which they claimed was the finest in Scotland…maybe it was, but not what we are use to for fine steak. We also had the line coconut chicken, the lasagna, garlic prawns, and one surf and turf. They did have the St. Andrews ale, which they both loved. (£73.50) After dinner we stopped by the very nice bar in our hotel for after dinner drinks. Very classy place.
Wednesday, June 25th
After breakfast at our respective hotels, Kristin and I headed off for some sightseeing and shopping. We stopped at the Public Library (Church Square, between South and Market) where we got library cards that enabled us to use the free internet computers and catch up on our e-mails. It was a good time to do this, as it was raining and we had left our umbrellas back in the room. We stopped by a few shops, ended up buying 2 cheap umbrellas, had a delightful lunch in a café that specialized in soup, then since it started clearing up, headed down to the Cathedral and Cemetery. Once again we were able to use our Explorer passes to gain entrance into the museum. Very ancient gravestones, quite fascinating. One with husband and wife, hands entwined. The story is she died while dancing at her wedding. (Ken would say this is proof you should never have to dance at weddings). We also saw Old Tom Morris’s grave, as well as his son’s who died on Christmas day at the age of 24, just weeks after his wife died giving birth to their child, who also died. Very sad. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Morris,_Jr.)
We did not climb the tower, which at 100 feet high gives great views, but since it was very overcast, and let’s face it…that’s a lot of stairs, we decided to pass. Here is a link to more information on the Cathedral and tower
(http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/standrews/cathedral/index.html). Kristin and I headed back, stopping at James Pirie’s (http://www.jamespirie.co.uk/standrews/welcome.cfm )which had great gift items. It is at 7 Greyfriers Garden St.
In the meantime, the boys went back to the practice facility, which they thought was just awesome, then had lunch at the Scores hotel before their 12:50 tee time. (club sandwich; bree and ham..which turned out to be that fatty bacon) When they got to the course, they found out the Manning family (as in Super Bowl winning quarterback, Eli and his brothers, had teed off just a few groups ahead.
Meanwhile, we stopped by Dunvegan’s to drop off our packages and found out the same thing. Kristin and I had a 3pm “Afternoon” tea time at the Old Course hotel, so we walked over. The path to the hotel leads by the 17th green, and as we were walking we spotted the Manning boys, so we stopped to take a few photos.
The tea part of the tea was great. Very tasty in cute tea bags. The scones were a bit of a disappointment and the clotted cream looked like it had been sitting out for days. They did have tiny lemon pancakes that were good and the desserts were very nice. We overlooked the 17th hole, so we watched to make sure our boys didn’t pass us by. It was sunny one minute and raining sideways the next. After tea we went out to see if we could see them and it wasn’t long before we spotted them teeing off. We didn’t realize that they were hitting over the hotel...pretty much where we were standing. They soon spotted us and Jimmy told us we could walk with them the rest of the way. We stopped for photos on the Swilkin Bridge, and then watched them tee off on the 18th. It really was quite exciting. Mike will be posting a “guest review” about playing on both the New and the Old Course. The link to his Picking Splinters column on the experience is below.
http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3255:picking-splinters-sharing-st-andrews&catid=19:sports&Itemid=77
Of course, after a round on the Old Course you have to go to Dunvegan’s. The boys shared their day, the thrill, the excitement, the sun, the sideways rain. It was indeed a day to remember. I hope to post a guest blog by Mike soon with lots of details about playing the New and Old Courses.
Dinner that night was at Number Forty in the St. Andrews Golf Hotel
Kathy had Leek and gruyere tart and Haricots verts (£11.50 and £2.95); Ken had Scottish smoked haddock, poached egg, new potatoes and mustard cream (£14.95); Kristin had some sort of fish; Michael had spring lamb cutlet, shepherds pie and slow cooked shank (£17.50). We had a table overlooking the bay. Very nice, very classy place to dine. There were lots of families there celebrating graduation and lots of guys in Kilts. All in all, I’d say our time in St. Andrews was a great success.
St. Andrew’s photos
Scotland - St. Andrews
St. Andrews hotels:
Ken and Kathy stayed at the St. Andrews Golf Hotel; 40 the Scores; Kristin and Mike stayed at Dunvegan’s; 7 Pilmour Pl
We arrived at our hotel around 6pm and were fortunate to find parking. It was graduation week at St. Andrews University and a lot of parents were in town. The second the car stopped both Mike and Ken almost ran down to the Old Course which was only a few hundred yards away. I swear Ken had tears in his eyes as he got his first look. It was heard to tear them away, but we were supposed to be meeting up with Charlotte and Jamie so they could introduce Ken and Mike to their caddies….Jimmy (Jamie’s dad) and Dennis, Jimmy’s friend. Jimmy had been caddying the Old Course since he was 13….he’s 72 now. That’s a lot of rounds of golf. He had caddied for Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Rita Hayworth, James Gardner, Sean Connery….and now Ken Hume. He was just what Ken was looking for, someone with a great sense of humor, tremendous knowledge of the course, good golf tips and plenty of stories.
Ken and I checked into our hotel, room 18, lovely view, nice room, if a bit on the expensive side ($400/night…at least that included breakfast). The kid’s hotel, Dunvegan’s, was more reasonably priced, and they got breakfast too.
We were supposed to be taking a tour of St. Andrews with Charlotte, but everyone was so wiped out that we decided just to go to Dunvegan’s (http://www.dunvegan-hotel.com/) for a drink. That is where the kids were staying…they only had one room available. Owned by Jack (from Texas) and his lovely wife, Sheena, it is the place to see and been seen at if you are a golfer. So while the boys discussed golf, Charlotte filled Kristin and I in on the history and stories of St. Andrews.
Soon Charlotte and Jamie and Jimmy left and the four of us stayed for dinner. We dined on homemade soup, smoked salmon (Kristin said it was the best she ever had). I had a chicken salad that was good, Mike had a cheeseburger, and Ken had a salmon filet. After dinner we walked back to our hotel. It was around 9pm and still very light outside. That night there was a lovely sunset which we could see from our room. (18) We overlooked the park running along the Scores, as well as the sea, West Sands, the beach they used for the opening scene of Chariots of Fire and the Old Course.
Tuesday, June 24
Ken and I were staying at the St. Andrews Golf Hotel and a very nice breakfast was included. We thought it was just the buffet, but found out after we were done, that they actually had a regular menu you could order off as well. The kids also had breakfast included at Dunvegans. We met up around 10 or so. The boys wanted to avail themselves of the very nice practice facility and Kristin and I went for a walk up to the castle. On the way we passed a beautiful house with a sign that said come walk in our gardens. There was a donation box and it turned out that the folks in the house sponsor a scholarship for pediatric cardiac care as their granddaughter had died as a baby. The gardens were very lovely. So many varieties and colors of flowers, all leading down a path to a gazebo that overlooked the sea. After that we toured the museum that was at the castle and part of our Explorer passport. It was interesting to see the history of the town. Afterwards, we walked around the castle…or what is left of it…not much. Interesting tunnel underground, but since both Kristin and I are a bit claustrophobic we decided to pass on going underground. By this time it was getting late, so we met the boys back at Ma Bells (basement of the St. Andrews Golf Hotel) for lunch. Nice pub, but very quiet. Mike and Kristin had the ham and mango sandwich, but said it was too sweet. I had a chicken Caesar, which was great once I removed the sardines! Ma Bells is supposed to be one of the “in” places when the university is in session.
The New Course
Mike said that when he approached the first tee at the new course his knees were knocking. He didn’t want to embarrass his dad or himself. He didn’t want to be like the golfer that Dennis and Jimmy had told them about Monday night that had a 31…and that was just the first hole. Mike tried to come close..with a 9, but then he got his act together, let the nerves go, and even birdied a hole. It was good planning for them to play the New Course first, which actually is a bit more difficult. Gave a chance for Jimmy and Dennis to get to know their level of play and give them helpful suggestions. Mike said these guys really know their stuff. It they tell you hit to the left…and you do it, you end up just fine. Mike is a sports writer and had written about his dad and golf, as well as preparing for the Old Course. Links are below.
Picking Splinters: Like Father Like Son to the 'Tee'
Picking Splinters: Cold Feet On the Scottish Green
Meanwhile, while the boys were getting battered by the wind, occasional rain, and cold on the New Course, Kristin and I were enjoying a girl’s spa day at the Old Course Hotel. (http://oldcoursehotel.kohler.com/spa/spa_index.html)
If you have two services, you can also use all the spa facilities for the day. Kristin decided to work out in their well equipped gym. I decided to pursue a more relaxing experience, testing out the several steam rooms, saunas, and thermal spa. I did, however, pass on the Plunge pool….8 feet deep of VERY cold water. Stuck my toe in…that was enough. The thermal spa has 5 stations that have multiple jets and you sort of follow the flow. Very relaxing. There is also a lap pool with a waterfall at the end. We had scheduled our services for approximately the same time. Kristin had a facial and a massage. I have the Sea Lime Sigh and a detoxifying wrap. I have to say, I have been to many different spas, and had many different services. This was by far the best and most relaxing. After our services, we relaxed by the pool, then decided to try the rooftop spa (well I decided and had to talk Kristin into it…she hates being cold) But it was quite nice, with a warm hot tub and the cool air. Unfortunately it began to rain and we were running short of time. So we finished up and headed off to meet the boys who were reliving their New Course experience with a few brews at Dunvegans.
Dinner that night was at Ziggy’s, 6 Murray Place, which was right behind our hotel. Sort of a music themed pub. Ken got the filet steak, which they claimed was the finest in Scotland…maybe it was, but not what we are use to for fine steak. We also had the line coconut chicken, the lasagna, garlic prawns, and one surf and turf. They did have the St. Andrews ale, which they both loved. (£73.50) After dinner we stopped by the very nice bar in our hotel for after dinner drinks. Very classy place.
Wednesday, June 25th
After breakfast at our respective hotels, Kristin and I headed off for some sightseeing and shopping. We stopped at the Public Library (Church Square, between South and Market) where we got library cards that enabled us to use the free internet computers and catch up on our e-mails. It was a good time to do this, as it was raining and we had left our umbrellas back in the room. We stopped by a few shops, ended up buying 2 cheap umbrellas, had a delightful lunch in a café that specialized in soup, then since it started clearing up, headed down to the Cathedral and Cemetery. Once again we were able to use our Explorer passes to gain entrance into the museum. Very ancient gravestones, quite fascinating. One with husband and wife, hands entwined. The story is she died while dancing at her wedding. (Ken would say this is proof you should never have to dance at weddings). We also saw Old Tom Morris’s grave, as well as his son’s who died on Christmas day at the age of 24, just weeks after his wife died giving birth to their child, who also died. Very sad. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Morris,_Jr.)
We did not climb the tower, which at 100 feet high gives great views, but since it was very overcast, and let’s face it…that’s a lot of stairs, we decided to pass. Here is a link to more information on the Cathedral and tower
(http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/standrews/cathedral/index.html). Kristin and I headed back, stopping at James Pirie’s (http://www.jamespirie.co.uk/standrews/welcome.cfm )which had great gift items. It is at 7 Greyfriers Garden St.
In the meantime, the boys went back to the practice facility, which they thought was just awesome, then had lunch at the Scores hotel before their 12:50 tee time. (club sandwich; bree and ham..which turned out to be that fatty bacon) When they got to the course, they found out the Manning family (as in Super Bowl winning quarterback, Eli and his brothers, had teed off just a few groups ahead.
Meanwhile, we stopped by Dunvegan’s to drop off our packages and found out the same thing. Kristin and I had a 3pm “Afternoon” tea time at the Old Course hotel, so we walked over. The path to the hotel leads by the 17th green, and as we were walking we spotted the Manning boys, so we stopped to take a few photos.
The tea part of the tea was great. Very tasty in cute tea bags. The scones were a bit of a disappointment and the clotted cream looked like it had been sitting out for days. They did have tiny lemon pancakes that were good and the desserts were very nice. We overlooked the 17th hole, so we watched to make sure our boys didn’t pass us by. It was sunny one minute and raining sideways the next. After tea we went out to see if we could see them and it wasn’t long before we spotted them teeing off. We didn’t realize that they were hitting over the hotel...pretty much where we were standing. They soon spotted us and Jimmy told us we could walk with them the rest of the way. We stopped for photos on the Swilkin Bridge, and then watched them tee off on the 18th. It really was quite exciting. Mike will be posting a “guest review” about playing on both the New and the Old Course. The link to his Picking Splinters column on the experience is below.
http://www.fcnp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3255:picking-splinters-sharing-st-andrews&catid=19:sports&Itemid=77
Of course, after a round on the Old Course you have to go to Dunvegan’s. The boys shared their day, the thrill, the excitement, the sun, the sideways rain. It was indeed a day to remember. I hope to post a guest blog by Mike soon with lots of details about playing the New and Old Courses.
Dinner that night was at Number Forty in the St. Andrews Golf Hotel
Kathy had Leek and gruyere tart and Haricots verts (£11.50 and £2.95); Ken had Scottish smoked haddock, poached egg, new potatoes and mustard cream (£14.95); Kristin had some sort of fish; Michael had spring lamb cutlet, shepherds pie and slow cooked shank (£17.50). We had a table overlooking the bay. Very nice, very classy place to dine. There were lots of families there celebrating graduation and lots of guys in Kilts. All in all, I’d say our time in St. Andrews was a great success.
St. Andrew’s photos
Scotland - St. Andrews
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