Golfing Vacation in Scotland
Playing golf in Scotland is the ambition of many die hard golfers from the US. But traveling in Scotland and playing golf in Scotland can be very different from what you may be used to at home. Any international travel results in jetlag when your body and eyes say one thing and the local clock another. It may help to give your body some time to recover before you play some serious golf or participate in a tournament.
People who have never driven in Scotland will find that quite a challenge too with right hand drive cars that have manual transmission. There is also the trauma of driving on the other side of the road and going around the roundabouts in a clockwise direction! The roads are mostly narrow winding country lanes which call for a lot a skill while steering.
Talking of driving and steering, in golf too you may find the game more vigorous. There are no golf carts and the locals play at a brisk pace finishing eighteen holes in under three hours. It rains most days so the fairways are not watered artificially. The rain can result in ankle high grass or the lack of it in rock hard greens. A let up in the rain often means high wind and driving a ball can indeed be a challenge here particularly when it gets cold.
The lush courses of the US require one to play high shots. In Scotland the challenge lies in shaping shots over ancient mounds and one has to keep the ball low on the courses
The audience at the championships and other tournaments in the UK are very attentive and appreciate the game. They take golf seriously and watch every shot that is played on the windy golf course. The sound of the applause carried over the breeze warms the heart of the golfer when he hears it. It is quite different from the US where for the audience it is usually more about socializing than watching the game. Despite the tougher playing conditions and perhaps less luxury as compared to the US, playing in Scotland is an experience not to be missed by the American golfer.