It is sunny when I look out of the window of my descending plane. That descent, which happens to be to Glasgow, is confirmed by the captain only a couple of minutes later, but almost as a contradiction to the sunny skies, he goes on to add that the temperature is zero degrees. Now, I know it’s Scotland, and yes, I have flown in from Singapore, but “Sunny Skies” on “28th October” does not equate to zero degrees. Not that I mind the zero degrees too much (after all, how would I know, coming in from Singapore, where anything less than 30 degrees is nice weather), I am only concerned whether any golf will be possible or will the links be dead? Is it still going to be a good time to play the Scotland golf courses?
It will take only an hour and a half to find out, informs my newest acquaintance who is driving me from Glasgow Airport to the Trump Turnberry Resort. He wants to take control and I am not about to protest, even though I am yet to experience any signs of jet lag. A long flight does calm you down, and it is for the best. The Driving Scotsman quickly assesses my knowledge of golf in Scotland and then unleashes his own. He belongs to Ayrshire, the region, home to three Open Championship venues – Royal Troon, Turnberry, and Prestwick, the third of which I make sure I speak out before he does, lest he thinks I am a newbie. But that’s where it ends for me and begins for him. He has played the best golf courses of Scotland and Ireland and nothing beats the links of Ayrshire, and it is not just these three courses that make up the canvas. “There are a host of other beauties, which are not necessarily off the beaten trail – Dundonald Links, Gailes, and Western Gailes, that a discerning links aficionado will be sure to cover”, he says. His knowledge and insights of links golf and Scotland golf courses, in particular, makes for interesting hearing especially with the allusions to history. In all this, he doesn’t miss the detour to show us Robert Burns’ little cottage and remember his birthday – on the 25th of January 1759.
Back to the Scotland Golf Holiday, I say, and he obeys with some more interesting itinerary ideas. In any case, the ride is surely about to end as we spot the Turnberry lighthouse.
It’s a breath-taking view with the clear blue skies, the blue sea, the Ailsa Craig and the magnificence of the Trump Turnberry Resort Hotel with its 190 odd chandeliers gleaming through the sunlight from a distance as I catch my first glance. Very soon, I find myself checked in and rewarded with a room that reeks of luxury. The view is better. And, it takes an effort to shake off the stupor to head out and see it from up close. Even Better. I make my way to the Lighthouse, now positioned between the 9th green and the tee of the grand 10th, aptly known as the Halfway House for that reason. The halfway hut is small, and is full to its 15 seater capacity, but doesn’t contain even a single person who is stopping by midway through his round. But then it’s a beautiful day and no better way to celebrate it than in the best halfway house in the golf courses in Scotland.
