{"id":1051,"date":"2014-09-18T07:43:52","date_gmt":"2014-09-18T14:43:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/?p=1051"},"modified":"2014-09-27T06:48:03","modified_gmt":"2014-09-27T13:48:03","slug":"scotland-2014-a-feast-of-golf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/herbgould\/travel\/1051\/scotland-2014-a-feast-of-golf","title":{"rendered":"Scotland 2014: A feast of golf"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Little<\/a>

Little 9-holer Traigh is a gorgeous off-the-beaten path delight.<\/p><\/div>\n

For American visitors, Scottish golf courses can be divided into three or four categories.<\/p>\n

First come the legends, links like the Old Course at St. Andrews, Turnberry and Muirfield that are familiar from the British Open. Not far behind, or maybe right in step from a playing standpoint, are venerable seaside classics like Royal Dornoch, Cruden Bay and Machrihanish.<\/p>\n

\"We<\/a>

We had so much fun in Scotland last year. . .<\/p><\/div>\n

Next are the modern links classics such as Castle Stuart, Kingsbarns and Machrihanish Dunes. Purists may sniff at their better grooming, which gives players a chance to experience links golf with a reduced fear of heather and gorse, owing to mowing. One Scotsman told me over a pint at the delightful Moulin Inn in Pitlochry that Castle Stuart was a poor cousin of nearby tradition-bound Nairn, But there\u2019s room for both.\u00a0 Modern links are special, and often appreciated more by good ball strikers.<\/p>\n

\".<\/a>

. . . that we did it again this year, including a quick stop at St. Andrews<\/p><\/div>\n

And then there are the quirky fun courses. They don\u2019t make top-100 lists. They may not even have the traditional 18 holes. But courses like Shiskine, a 12-holer on the Isle of Arran, and Traigh, a nine-hole Highlands roller coaster on the West Coast of Scotland, are a treat and an experience that should not be missed.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s understandable that first-time visitors want to pack in as many of the legends and modern classics as possible. I have voted that way before, and hope to do that again. But there\u2019s not only nothing wrong with the occasional round of quirky fun; it can be a welcome break from the demands of the big boys.<\/p>\n