I got a lot of requests before I went to Scotland for a golfing odyssey that I “stay connected” by blogging, tweeting, and all the rest while I was abroad.

I eschewed, as I didn’t feel as though I could do the trip proper justice while I was over there attempting to immerse myself in the totality of the experience.

For those who have not heard, my eldest brother Mike and I spent a week in Scotland golfing, playing the most epic and historic courses on this fine planet. For golfers it was a dream itinerary and a stern test of the true ability of said golfer.

Without further ado and undeserved buildup, I present the postscript of Dream Trip; A Mid-handicapper’s Golf Journey to Links Mecca certain details omitted to protect the innocent.

Day 1: Travel and Castle

Mike and I left San Francisco in the a.m. on July 30 and had a brief layover in Philadelphia before taking an overnight flight to Glasgow. The plane was on-time and we were met by Nan, a local rep of Premier Golf , who helped us get our rental car. She even loaned us the use of her GPS, which would prove extremely helpful.

The reward after a day of flying is this view of the 18th at the Old Course at St. Andrews

It took about 2 hours to drive to St. Andrews but we found the Rusacks Hotel without incident. This 19th century dwelling overlooks the 18th green at the Old Course and immediately had us awestruck. We changed into golfing gear and headed right out to the St. Andrews Castle Course for our first round.

This would be one of our DC (Designated Caddy) rounds of the eight we would play on the trip and I drew Kenny, the former Caddy Master at the classic track Kingsbarns, so I knew I was in good shape.

My caddy Kenny and I at the Castle course with picturesque St. Andrews in the background

The weather was threatening rain and winds upward of 20 mph (wind would be a persistent factor) and I was nervous at the start. I made back-to-back pars on 6,7 and ultimately my 49-46=95 could have been worse playing this tough course for the first time.

The layout at the Castle course is exquisite, running adjacent to the North Sea about 2 miles outside of the idyllic town of St. Andrews. The only issue at this David Maclay Kidd design is the super-tricked out greens. The consensus is these will be altered before too long.

Mike and I agreed to a best of 8 Match Play Battle Royal for Scottish supremacy and after my double bogey at 12, I was 2 down with six to play. Even though I struggled home in +8, my par at 18 was enough to win it 2-up to take the first match.

After the long day of travel we were eager for sleep and also mindful of the long slew of golf yet to come. Looking out the window at the Old Course provided constant perspective and an ominous reminder of what lay ahead.

A view of the 18th fairway and the Old St. Andrews hotel in the distance