Golfing in Scotland

If you love to golf, Scotland is the place to be.  As I mentioned in the post on St. Andrews, Scotland is the birthplace of golf.  There are so many golf courses, even just around Edinburgh, and they all look so green and beautiful.  On the drive up to St. Andrews, there were courses almost continuously along the road or coast.  Some of the courses are for members only while some are open to the public.  If you live here, it'd pay to be a member of one of the courses because it's not very expensive.  It can be as cheap as 250 pounds a year.  With that you get unlimited golf.  You can play every day or even twice a day as long as tee times are available.  Some of them you may have to pay an initiation or entry fee but it's not like $50,000 or $100,000 like some golf clubs in Arizona.  Here it's more like 1,000 pounds or about $1,500.  And there are no monthly dues.
My friend Watt took me to play at his club.  He paid only 10 pounds or $15 for me to play as a guest.  The course is called Glencorse.  It's a typical golf course around here but compared to the desert courses around Phoenix, this place is beautiful.  Because of the abundant rain, it is very green.  I was told that this year the warm weather is very late.  Otherwise, all the trees would be lush and green.  I estimate that to play at such a course in Phoenix would costs around $100 a round.  For someone who just walked into Glencorse Golf Club, you pay just 30 pounds or about $45 a round.

Only 250 pounds to join as a member

Beautiful view  of the green from a par-3 tee box

Clubhouse and Pro-shop at the Glencorse Golf Club

18th Fairway

Muirfield Golf Course where The Open will be played this year

You are not welcome here if you are not a member

A typical couse by the sea

The following pictures were taken at the Musselburgh Links Golf Course.  According to the Guinness Book of World Records, it is supposed to be the oldest golf course in the world.  Golf was first played here in 1672!  With so many golf courses around Scotland, it has fallen on hard times.  Today the golf course is used as a race course as well.  On days when there is horse-racing, there would be no golf.

Certification by the Guinness Book of World Records

No, horses don't play golf.  They just run around the tracks.

Some very old hickory-shaft clubs.

This club is used for hitting balls in the water.  That's what the hole is for.

Top club is the driver, bottom is a putter

A proud history for the course

They are serious about dogs doing their business on the course