Playing in the Links Golf Cup next week (hopefully)!

morning all,

slow day at work so thought i would mention that im playing in the links golf cup next week and wanted to see if anyone else off the forum was playing or had heard of it. i only hope the snow has melted by this time next week!!

ive included the link to the website as i have spoken to the event orgainser several times and he has informed me that he is already planning next years event, hopefully including a round at archerfield links.

http://www.linksgolfcup.co.uk/

looks like a good event lbod, though you could get a whole year of golf in st.andrews for not much more

barragan wrote:looks like a good event lbod, though you could get a whole year of golf in st.andrews for not much more

its somewhere i still havent played yet barragan, and hopefully i will cross it off my bucket list this year or next, but i had to go for the competition as we got a "last minute deal" and its the competition element i really want to take part in.

ive played all the courses but gullane number one and they are some of the best in the east lothian area (in particular the west links, and if you havent played it, you have to get yourself along) so it should be a good week!

i will let you know how i get on when i get back next friday night!

A nice event, but seriously expensive.

Neer heard of it, but it looks like a great little early season foray. Know people that speak very highly of North Berwick when they went a few years ago.

Scottish links sounds very cold and blowy in March but bet it's good fun.

That's expensive for a few days golf.

i've only played longniddry out of that lot - by far the worst i'm sure
still a lot to tick off on east lothian, though i added a few last year. got an offer to play muirfield this year at a very low price, but we're on holiday on that day hopefully get a game at n.berwick, the gullanes sooner rather than later too.
got a probable game lined up at kingsbarns next month which i'm really looking forward to

super_realist wrote:That's expensive for a few days golf.

i thought it was quite reasonable to be honest with you super. i know its about £90 to play the west links on its own and gullane one and 2 would probably run close to about £150 to play them both.

theres also the welcome drinks, post event drinks and 3 course meal and the £3000 worth of TaylorMade gear to play for. overall well worth the layout in my opinion.

barragan wrote:i've only played longniddry out of that lot - by far the worst i'm sure
still a lot to tick off on east lothian, though i added a few last year. got an offer to play muirfield this year at a very low price, but we're on holiday on that day hopefully get a game at n.berwick, the gullanes sooner rather than later too.
got a probable game lined up at kingsbarns next month which i'm really looking forward to

youll have to let me have your thoughts on kingsbarns as i may have the chance to play it for my birthday in june. i know its VERY expensive though (£200+) which is a lot to shell out for one round of golf.

Getting on for much less than that...not as little as super gets it for though. Think Scottish residents get on for under 100 off the top of my head. Similar deals to Castle Stuart - £200 a 4ball if you live in an IV postcode.

Open comps are the best way to play new courses generally. Only entered Ladybank and Lundin Links so far this year, but they are only £20 each which is good value.

barragan wrote:Getting on for much less than that...not as little as super gets it for though. Think Scottish residents get on for under 100 off the top of my head. Similar deals to Castle Stuart - £200 a 4ball if you live in an IV postcode.

Barra, I get Kingsbarns for £25 for being a St.Andrews member (£360 a year +£140 club fees) and I will get Trumps new course for resident fee in Aberdeen too.

Love Lundin and Ladybank.

You playing Ladybank 36?

Nah - both 18 - not 'allowed' to play 36ers anymore...

Played Lundin about 5 years ago, but never played Ladybank so looking forward to that one in particular.

Which open's are you going for this year - Alyth, Newtonmore... I presume?

NOt sure Barra, playing more for fun these days than competition. You'll love Ladybank. One of the best courses around.
Will probably play Blairgowrie and Ladybank 36 holers and maybe up to Newtonmore again. Love that wee course.

£25

do you get guest rates for kingsbarns and st a's yet?

super_realist wrote:playing more for fun these days than competition

bit of handicap protection going on there ?

AS of April 1 I do Barra.

Suddenly Mac will be my best mate.

Nice one. How long have you had to wait/be a member for that?

Was on the list (currently closed) for about a year, then 2 years as a member before getting the points.

little_bit_of_draw wrote:

super_realist wrote:That's expensive for a few days golf.

i thought it was quite reasonable to be honest with you super. i know its about £90 to play the west links on its own and gullane one and 2 would probably run close to about £150 to play them both.

theres also the welcome drinks, post event drinks and 3 course meal and the £3000 worth of TaylorMade gear to play for. overall well worth the layout in my opinion.

West Links at NB is £65 at the moment. You can usually get someone to sign you in and knock another few quid off that as well.
Longniddry is £30 at the moment.
I'd guess Gullane 1 will be about £50 and Gullane 2 about £40, so you're paying a big chunk of money for those drinks and prizes.

That looks pretty good lbod. I always think a bit of competition adds to the experience of playing a new course. Are you staying in the hotel? That looks nice too.

Fingers crossed for some reasonable weather for you.

I concur with Ladybank. One of the best golfing weeks I've ever had. Last 5 holes all par 4's but all have a unique challenge. Would love another crack at it in the future.

Hibbz wrote:That looks pretty good lbod. I always think a bit of competition adds to the experience of playing a new course. Are you staying in the hotel? That looks nice too.

Fingers crossed for some reasonable weather for you.

morning hibbz,

well i have to say i am a little more hopeful to get some golf in now next week after looking at the forecast and a little bit of an increase in temperatures. looking at the longniddy twitter page at the min and they have 3 inches of snow today!

were not staying at the hotel but because i normally play golf every year at north berwick with my usual golf society, we have stayed at a few B&B's and weve managed to get a room at the garden flat B&B (which is very reasonably priced and offer a very warm welcome and a good, hearty breakfast in the morning) and its only 100 meters away from the 18th tee box at the west links.

myself and my wife stayed at the hotel once and it is a lovely hotel and i can also highly recommend the spa facilities.

***100 metres from the 18th tee***

If you are a golfer, how can you even bring yourself to utter the dreaded word "metres"? God intended the world to be imperial, and golf was invented to be an imperial game. You drive in yards, putt in feet, and miss in inches.

Metric stuff should be parcelled up, encased in concrete and despatched to the Sellafield nuclear bunker, never to be retrieved.

Steady George.

I drive in fields and putt in a haze.

ROFL

George1507 wrote:***100 metres from the 18th tee***

If you are a golfer, how can you even bring yourself to utter the dreaded word "metres"? God intended the world to be imperial, and golf was invented to be an imperial game. You drive in yards, putt in feet, and miss in inches.

Metric stuff should be parcelled up, encased in concrete and despatched to the Sellafield nuclear bunker, never to be retrieved.

sorry george, i should have said roughly 109.36 yards to the 18th tee! haha.

on the bright side though i have received an email from the event organiser who stated that the snow has melted and it should be all systems go.......

Good luck, I hope the weather improves for you.

George1507 wrote:Good luck, I hope the weather improves for you.

thanks, ive been told that east lothian has a micro climate so heres hoping!!

i will give you all my opinion of the competition next week when i come back.

you should be fine.

i've a colleague golfing down in dunbar this afternoon and will find out how its playing tomorrow.

i popped up to duddingston at lunchtime for a wee bit of practice and even there the course is open with 17 main greens in play. it's a parkland course - certainly soggier generally than the east lothian swing so you shouldn't have a problem...unless there is more snow of course!

barragan wrote:you should be fine.

i've a colleague golfing down in dunbar this afternoon and will find out how its playing tomorrow.

i popped up to duddingston at lunchtime for a wee bit of practice and even there the course is open with 17 main greens in play. it's a parkland course - certainly soggier generally than the east lothian swing so you shouldn't have a problem...unless there is more snow of course!

morning barragan, did you manage to find out how dunbar was playing yesterday?

ive played duddingston before and can imagine it getting soggy in intense rain or snow. havent even been brave enough to look at the forecast for next week yet but im not hoping for sub tropic weather. i think at the moment i will be happy to play full stop if the damn snow stays away!

dunbar was dry and lovely apparently.
snow in edinburgh forecast tomorrow morning... looks like it'll miss the east lothian swing though!

thank goodness! i would be devestated if i had to miss because of snow in the middle of march!

thanks for the update though!

I hope it happens, but the forecast is terrible...

I can confirm Gullane 1 is brutal in inclement conditions like Saturday just gone

See report on my birthday thread for what I thought of North Berwick

Did the Links cup ever happen?

George1507 wrote:Did the Links cup ever happen?

morning george,

yeah the event did take place but i have to report that it was BRUTAL! Monday was cold and very breezy at Gullane 2 and Tuesday saw the worse conditions ive ever had the misfortune to play in at Gullane 1! Minus 8 with a wind chill, 30mph winds and driving snow made for terrible conditions and one guy even needed an ambulance to take him from the 12th tee to hospital after showing signs of hyperthermia! i had 5 layers of clothing on my upper body including 2 waterproof galvin green jackets, 2 pairs of waterproof trousers (one being a pair of galvin greens again) and i was soaked to the bone by the time i finished playing the 18th. (nice chip in from 90 yards though to finish with a par)!!

Thursday was slightly calmer but still not great but thankfully longniddry has a few trees dotted around which gave a little bit of rest bite from the artic winds then friday we played at the west links in North Berwick and we had to contend with freezing temperatures, hail and 40mph gusts! 2 of the guys powercaddy trolleys blew over the 2nd tee and onto the beach it was that severe a wind!

great event and great organisation but severly marred by the weather. finished 6th overall out of 48 competitors and our team took first place so a pretty good week overall. would defo recommend it and im already hoping to return next year. i only hope the weather is better than this year, but lets be honest, it couldnt be any worse!!!!!

That's hellish luck with the weather lbod
I got very lucky at Muirfield and North Berwick the previous week but luck ran out at Gullane 1. I thought the conditions we had at Gullane were atrocious but pale into insignificance compared to yours.

Will you return before next years event to sample the courses in more enjoyable conditions?

JAS wrote:That's hellish luck with the weather lbod
I got very lucky at Muirfield and North Berwick the previous week but luck ran out at Gullane 1. I thought the conditions we had at Gullane were atrocious but pale into insignificance compared to yours.

Will you return before next years event to sample the courses in more enjoyable conditions?

it was incredibly bad luck with the weather Jas but i guess we were all playing in the same conditions. i have a high ball flight so i was onto a sickner straight away but i still enjoyed the week.

i have played all the courses on previous visits with my golf society apart from Gullane 1 and that was the day with by far and away the worse conditions! typical really! haha. i can remember holes 1, 2 and 3 then nothing until the 17th and 18th. it was just a case of getting the ball on the tee, hitting it, walking up through the weather, finding the ball then getting your head down and hitting it again. it wasnt pretty!

one thing is for sure - i will never complain about the weather on the golf course again after suffering through those conditions last tuesday. they were the thing of a golfers nightmare. one of the guys that was in the same team as me and was out after me on tuesday said his hands were that cold and wet, everytime he put his hand in his pocket to take out a tee it felt like the skin was being ripped off the back of his hand. it was painful really. to rub salt in the wounds he topped every single iron shot he hit and scored the most points on the day (33 points) which won him a rocketballz rescue wood!

Lol horrific!!! The only good that comes out of torture like that is that it helps you to appreciate the rounds you play in relatively benign conditions!!

Well done - to you and all the competitors. Sounds like you should all get medals!!