Provisional

Sunday, Jul 20th

Cliff Notes

We played at another Open Championship course, Carnoustie, which is a bout a 45 minute drive from St. Andrews. Surprisingly, it has a very small clubhouse with no dining room and no practice area, except for a putting green.

It is famous for having the 5 toughest finishing holes in golf, and the course where Jean van de Velde had his infamous meltdown on 18 to lose The Open.

Jack sprayed many drives; in fact, when he hit one that only went 3 yards into the rough his caddie said, “That’s a good shot … for you.”

Chan was steady all the way and shot 83.

Paul officially became “Mr. Up-and-Down” as he continued to get a lot of great up-and-downs, especially those long 100+ putts from out in the fairway.

Steve missed every 5 foot putt and made every 20+ foot putt (seriously). He parred the 5 closing holes … except for his own 18^th hole meltdown.

Scores: Chan 83; Steve and Paul 87; Jack 89.

Dinner at the hotel was one of the most spectacular any of us have ever had … view, service, setting, food. It was only marred by Jack being an ugly American (read below for details). We overlooked the 18^th fairway and green at St. Andrews. The completely unpretentious nature of the course and the whole surroundings was quite surprising to all of us given the prestige and recognition that the course maintains (see comments below).

 

The Rest of the Story

The day started with us giving up a free breakfast at the Russack’s Hotel to go to Carnoustie at 9AM for breakfast in the clubhouse there. We arrived at Carnoustie only to find that the clubhouse there is quite minimalist – smaller than Old Oakland … and no restaurant for breakfast! It is amazing that such a prestigious course has a clubhouse that is nothing more than what you might find at a run-of-the-mill public course in the US … or maybe even less (for those in Indianapolis, think Ironwood; for those in Cincinnati, think Miami Whitewater).

 

We went across the street to the Calderon Golf Club for breakfast, and as we approached the clubhouse, some local golfers were sitting on the front patio (I say patio but that is very generous … it was more like a sidewalk).  It was barely 10AM on Sunday morning, and the locals were already drinking a pale ale, to which Jack said, “That’s even a little early for me!” We went into a very spartan clubhouse for a full Scottish breakfast (egg, sausage, bacon, hash brown, black pudding, haggis and beans with a roasted tomato). As I looked out the window, I saw something I am quite certain I have never seen before … there on the “patio” was a local member drinking his beer AND a cup of coffee while smoking a cigarette, which he put down to pick up a cigar!! How many vices can you have in one sitting?!?! Really!!

After breakfast we went back across the street for to warm up before our round of golf … AT THE HITTING NETS!!!  Yes, Carnoustie does NOT have a practice range! You have to hit your own balls off a two-bit artificial turf mat into a net. Nonetheless, Paul did manage to lose one of his balls warming up at the nets – imagine that.

 The course is a traditional links course and surprisingly there are no views of the ocean. The day started beautifully, warm and sunny. By the 6^th hole (Hogan’s alley) the fog was rolling in heavy, but by the 8^th hole the fog was totally gone and the day was unusually warm (upper 70’s) with a slight breeze. On the 7^th hole, Jack had to hit out of the very thick rough, and he actually hit a mediocre shot, getting the ball down the fairway. At this point, Jack’s caddie said, “That’s a good shot … for you.”

The last 5 finishing holes at Carnoustie are said to be the toughest finishing holes in all of golf. There are four long par 4’s (the shortest being 421 yards into a prevailing breeze and the longest being 460 yards also into the wind). There is also a 250 yard par 3 where we had to hit driver. The 18^th hole is the famous closing hole where Jean van de Velde had a 3 stroke lead in The Open Championship and created the greatest debacle in golf history with a triple bogey. Along the final five holes, Jack and Steve hit the green on the 250 yard par 3 with Steve hitting it to nine feet!! (but missed the birdie by creasing the edge). See the flag way the heck down there?

 

Steve played the first 4 holes of the 5 closing holes in even par (wow!) and came to the par 4 18^th needing to play the gauntlet in even par. He was the last to tee off. Just as he was in his backswing, the universe tilted and he hit a hard draw that went on to the green and rolled up to 10 feet of the flag. The problem was that was not only the wrong green but the wrong golf course!!! He hit his drive over a fence and on to the adjacent Calderon Golf Club 18^th hole. There was an awkward silence on the tee as there can sometimes be with such a bad shot, until Steve calmly bent over, re-teed and said “Provisional.”  The caddies, in particular, laughed as hard as we heard them laugh all day. Steve hit his second drive into the burn (also known as the creek to us Americans) and had to take a drop. After hitting yet another 20 putt, Steve had his own van de Velde moment and took a another par + 3 penalty strokes = 7.

  Where Jean van de Velde and Steve Ruberg went into the burn (i.e. creek).
 

Jack sprayed many drives; Chan was cheatin’ all the way, and Paul continued to get a lot of great up-and-downs. Steve missed every 5 foot putt and made every 20+ foot putt (seriously). Scores: Chan 83; Steve and Paul 87; Jack 89.

  Walking off the 18th green.

We came back to the Dunvegan to watch the end of The Open and Rory McIlroy’s two shot victory (ahead of Fowler and Garcia). We sat in The Open Room at Dunvegan which has the image of EVERY Open Champion back to 1860, including Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom Morris who together won 8 of the first 12 Opens (though Willie Park won the very first Open Championship).

That evening we ate at the hotel restaurant, The Rocca, and got the premium table by the window overlooking the 18^th fairway and green at St. Andrews Old Course. When the waiter offered that he had an extra-large chateaubriand for two, Steve jumped on it right away and had no trouble convincing the ‘the carnivore’ Chan to share it. Jack then turned into the ugly American and said, “Whatever they are going to pay, I’ll give you $20 more!” The waiter quickly agreed noting that he actually had two chateaubriand left. So, Jack and Paul had to pay an extra $20 for their double-size chateaubriand. Dinner was superlative … soup and scallops (compliments of the chef) as we watched the sun set behind the Road Hole (i.e. the 17^th at St. Andrews for the less informed).

 

 

 

Side notes (for those who care): Amazingly, since 1552 and the initial decree creating St. Andrews as a public space for citizens (i.e. free of Royal control) by the local bishop, there is no golf on Sundays (except for The Open Championship). What is equally amazing is that it becomes like a local park … people are walking all over the grounds with kids or dogs, throwing Frisbee or just taking a stroll. Many people representing many nationalities were walking around, even in and around the greens, taking pictures or merely standing around having a drink. The same is true during the evening as many people stroll the course. There is even a small road that crosses straight through the 1^st and 18^th fairway that remains open during play. So there are times after a group hits their tee shots, they let the cars drive across the course!!  The completely unpretentious nature of the course and the whole surroundings was quite surprising to all of us given the prestige and recognition that the course maintains.