2014; The biggest ever year for disabled golf in Scotland

This year, Scottish Disability Golf is celebrating its tenth year of operation and organising golf, golf training and competition for its members.  With over nine hundred members in Scotland and other disabled golfing nations across the world, the SDGP has organised its most comprehensive fixture list of clinics and games.

Starting in April with a two day event in Edinburgh and concluding in early October with a three day competition in St Andrews, throughout the season, the charity will stage The Disabled Open Championship, plus three Team Scotland Ryder Cup's and, many single day games, and is the outlet to over thirty other international events and competitions.

Peter Osborne, the SDGP Chair and a blind golfer, said, "We have taken our time in expanding the golfing opportunities for our members.  There is no point in throwing all our efforts at one project or one fund-raising target, what we have done is built on the fantastic good will that Scottish Golf Club's and Governing Bodies have offered and introduced people gradually to the game.  Also, what is quite unique to the SDGP is that any profit or sponsorship goes directly to all players or beginners to the game and we subsidise entry fees2.

The SDGP is governed and operated by disabled people and is the only group in Scotland which actively encourages and involves anyone of any age, with a disability, who wishes to learn about or play golf and includes people with physical, sensory and/or intellectual disabilities.

Jim Gales, the SDGP Secretary said, "Our members will travel extensively during 2014 and have been invited to play in over two dozen Open and team events across Europe, the US and Asia, but one of the highlights of the 2014 season will be the Phoenix Cup event in the US.  This is a Ryder Cup format game between the Rest of the World squad taking on the North Americans.  The North American Disability Golf Partnership was created just last year, by the SDGP and is already expanding across the continent to bring together both established disabled golfers and beginners to the game".

The 2014 golfing season begins in Edinburgh with a 2-day event at the Pumpherston and Swanston Golf Clubs, on 9&10 April and will conclude after some forty days of organised golf, in October, with a 3-day event at St Andrews, with the SDGP's third Open of the year and conclusion to its Order of Merit Championship, being played on the fallowed turf at the 'Home of Golf'.

You can click here to view a full list of the SDGP's 2014 fixtures

Castle Stuart - A Must Play Highland Masterpiece

If you are planning a visit to Scotland or in particular the Highlands in the next year you absolutely must play the magnificent Castle Stuart Links between Inverness and Nairn. Granted it's not cheap but it is arguably worth a lot more than the simple cost of the green fee.

Designed by Mark Parsinen who cut his teeth in Scotland at Kingsbarns in Fife has exceeded even that masterpiece with a simply flawless layout. Okay maybe escalators at the twelfth would be nice!

Wonderful views, superb rolling fairways, wonderfully tricky and equally massive greens guarded with every potential natural hazard imaginable.

I had the good fortune to play the course at the beginning of September as part of the 54 Hole Tomatin Pro Am which also included Royal Dornoch and Nairn. It really is worth considering entering a team for what was a wonderful event.

The event was a great fun experience over three of the finest golf courses you could play and while yours truly  managed to three putt every second green to drop us out of the prizes we were all delighted when our Pro, Jonathon Lomas, decided to nail his tee shot at the short eleventh for a hole in one.

At Scotland's For Me we are delighted to be working with Go-Golf TV to feature some of their videos and thought we'd start with this one of Castle Stuart which gives an excellent idea of what to expect.

Downloads and Links

You can find out more about the above by clicking the links

• Go Golf TV
• Tomatin Pro Am 2013
• Highland Golf Links

Askernish Open becomes biggest golf tournament in North of Scotland

Askernish Golf Club on South Uist hosted the Askernish Open Weekend on August 24th, 25th and 26th. The three day event saw competitors play over 253 rounds of golf, with over 120 competitors entered into the Saturday competition alone.

The Askernish Open is now the largest Open Golf Competition in the North of Scotland, as well as being one of the remotest. With many competitors already booking their spaces for 2013, the competition will continue to generate a significant boost to the local economy, as well as be one of the most enjoyable events in the golfing calendar.

Players came from all across the UK, as well as North America and Finland to play in the weekend, with many returning after entering the competition in previous years and the Finnish team being particularly keen to defend their 2011 win in the Sunday competition.

The continued growth in participation demonstrates the high regard in which the course is held and the great loyalty many international golfers have to the course.

Ralph Thompson, Club Chairman, said, ‘This was the fifth competition held on the restored Askernish course and the renown of the both course and the hospitality of South Uist continues to grow. We are fortunate to receive ongoing sponsorship from around the world to help fund continual improvement of this world class course and we are also hosting players from an ever expanding list of countries. Many competitors have already booked their place for next year and we expect the competition to be at full capacity in 2013.’

On Saturday 25th August the first Uist Shopping Experience took place alongside the Askernish Open, organised by Stòras Uibhist. This proved to be a very successful event with 22 local arts, crafts, growers, bakers and makers taking up tables to sell their goods to golfers and other visitors.

The restored Askernish Golf Course is now making a significant contribution to the economy of South Uist and the Askernish Open is a major event both for South Uist and the Scottish Golfing calendar.

Published on Tuesday 28 August 2012 by The Stornoway Gazette

Norman Returns To Ayrshire

Greg Norman will make a sentimental return to the scene of his career-defining first Major Championship victory after confirming he will play in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Turnberry from July 26-29.

The Australian finished five shots clear of English Ryder Cup player Gordon J Brand over the famous Ailsa Course to win The 1986 Open Championship, sealing his place in golfing history.

And I remember it well.

I was staying in Maidens at my mum's chalet and I can't remember whether the week started off dry and sunny or not but I'll never forget sitting in the stands to the right of the eighteenth green on the Saturday as the rain was blown off the sea horizontally. It was horrendous. It was also the first time I'd followed Norman around a golf course doing it again at Troon some years later when he lost the play off after birdieing the first six holes, finishing with a 64 and then thundering a ball into a previously unreachable fairway bunker on the eighteenth to lose the play off.

After his Turnberry victory, Norman went on to spend 331 weeks as World Number One and claim a second Claret Jug at Royal St George’s in 1993, but Turnberry will always hold a special place in his heart and he is relishing the opportunity to return to the renowned Scottish links next month when he will join fellow Turnberry champion Tom Watson in the field for the 26th Senior Open Championship

Discounted advance tickets to see Norman, Watson and a world class field including new US Senior PGA Champion Roger Chapman of England at The 2012 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Turnberry can now be purchased online, with season passes now available at £60 and any one day tickets at £18 if booked before July 1. They can be booked online at  or call 0800 023 2557 where other discounts and offers can also be found.

Hospitality packages for each of the four Championship days are also now available at £95 per person inc VAT, which includes admittance to the course along with a three-course lunch and glass of champagne in Turnberry’s signature restaurant, 1906, reserved parking, a Championship programme and a draw sheet.

Downloads and Links

Book your Room DIRECT in Ayrshire for the Seniors Open
Find out more about golfing in and around Turnberry

Carrbridge Tomatin Distillery Scottish Nine Hole Open

Sorry for the non golfers out there we're a wee bit on a roll with some great Scottish golf ideas today
Carrbridge Golf Club Tuesday 10 July 2012.

This was flagged up by Golf Tourism Scotland on their Facebook pages earlier and we thought we should publicise it a little bit more, just to highlight the variations and choices in Scottish Golf.

We used to run a four day 72 hole stableford event in the Speyside area and know this course and the area - just love Landmark - really well from living up there for a while and this is just such a great idea.

When some courses are taking more than five hours to play the ability to play a nine hole open in less than a couple of hours from check in to first beer is brilliant.

They also have Tomatin Distillery as the main sponsors of the 2012 event and the competition will be held on Tuesday 10 July with quite a healthy list of prizes too - although it's not about winning is it?

They ask "Why play a nine-hole open?" and answer, "After last year’s event many competitors commented that it was amazing how only playing nine holes concentrated the mind as you can’t afford to have a bad hole."

Tee times will be available all day from 7.30 am, allowing everyone to find a suitable time but please be aware that late afternoon/early evening slots are filling up fast. Catering will be available all day and there will be a beer tent for consolation or celebration after your round.

And as they quite rightly point out if you're travelling north on your way to watch the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart it's a great wee bonus.

If you're on holiday in the area or play locally but haven’t yet entered you're asked to telephone the clubhouse on 01479841623 or download and complete an application form to enter.

We genuinely hope this competition and others like it will go from strength to strength with bigger prizes and over the coming years.

For info, The Scottish Open will again be held at Castle Stuart from 12 - 15 July 2012 and Carrbridge Golf Club will host the next "Tomatin Distillery Scottish Nine Hole Open" on Tuesday 10 July to coincide with this event.

This makes us think that it would be great to run the Scottish Golf Classics again. All we need now is someone to replace Drambuie as our lead sponsors...

Golf in Scotland? Yes But Where?

The choices facing the golfer to Scotland! Well there's a great selection of options open to you across the length and breadth of the country and loads of advice on which ones you should play.

The Scotland's For Me blog is constantly highlighting some of the best offers and events taking place across the country and throughout 2012 we'll be featuring some of the best courses to play and the best accommodation to stay in.

Anyone as a starter for ten we thought we'd collate some of the VisitScotland gold guides into the one blog - you can read them on line or download them. They don't cover all of the regions of Scotland as some areas didn't produce some - The Highlands is an obvious miss but we'll cover the others with private brochures and destination websites in future pages.

Anyway even if you just flick through the pictures it is sure to whet your appetite on what is another Major week with the US Open

Mar Hall added to EuroPro Tour line-up

The Earl of Mar Golf Course at Mar Hall in Renfrewshire is the latest venue to be added to the 2012 line-up on the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour.

The course, near Glasgow, boasts spectacular views of the River Clyde and the Kilpatrick Hills and will host the Tour on August 8-10.

The Earl of Mar course was designed by respected golf course architect Dave Thomas, who is best known for his work at The Belfry, as well as at San Roque and La Manga in Spain.

Mar Hall is another exciting addition to the EuroPro Tour and joins fellow five-star venues Concra Wood (July 11-13), Frilford Heath (July 18-20) and Rowallan Castle (August 1-3) in the line-up for 2012.

“We are delighted to be hosting an 888poker.com EuroPro Tour event here at Mar Hall in 2012,” said Jamie Darling, Golf Operation Manager and PGA Professional at Mar Hall.

“The EuroPro Tour is a great platform for up-and-coming professionals to gain great experience and we have been very impressed with the tour and their vision and are thrilled to be a venue.

“We are sure that our fantastic championship course and hotel will prove both a challenge and a first-class facility for sponsors and players alike.”

Danny Nickless, operations manager for the 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour said: “We are delighted to welcome Mar Hall to the most exciting line-up of venues in the Tour’s history.

“We look forward to arriving at this stunning new course which will provide a stern challenge for the golfers.”

The 888poker.com PGA EuroPro Tour gets underway with the Motocaddy Masters at Wensum Valley on Wednesday, April 25.

You can book your golf break direct with Mar Hall at the best available rates

Hunter's Tweed for Royal Dornoch

Royal Dornoch Golf Club, the renowned Championship course in the Scottish Highlands, is proud to introduce a bespoke new Royal Dornoch tweed fabric, designed and produced exclusively for the club by illustrious Scottish fabric brand, Hunter’s Tweed.

Being launched today (20th April) at Royal Dornoch Golf Club, by Gavin Hastings, Former Scottish International Rugby Player and keen golfer, he was delighted to be involved in the launch of Royal Dornoch Tweed, a combining of two iconic Scottish companies.

Inspired by a traditional tweed design that dates back to the early 20th Century, the 700 gram fabric features a broad check in the club’s house colours of emerald green and golden yellow, with a touch of cerulean. The tweed is available for a new ready-to-wear selection of apparel and accessories for men and women.

Neil Hampton, Royal Dornoch Golf Club General Manager, comments on the club’s new venture: “The Hunters of Brora roots of Hunter’s Tweed can be traced back almost as far as our own distinguished history, and both names boast exceptional international reputations. There is a distinct synergy between these Highland brands and collaborating seemed like a perfectly natural move. The Royal Dornoch name is synonymous with exacting standards and warm hospitality, and our new tweed is a beautiful quality fabric that represents the proud, gracious heritage of our club. Our unique fabric will enable the club’s admirers to take a piece of Royal Dornoch and Scottish history with them wherever they go.”

Royal Dornoch tweed is only available through the Pro Shop at Royal Dornoch Golf Club and its website royaldornochproshop.co.uk, which receives orders from all around the globe. The Pro Shop is stocks a range of men’s and women’s headwear, club and putter covers in the new tweed, to name but a few items.

Hunter’s Tweed Managing Director, Tamara Inness, says: “We are as delighted with the opportunity to be associated with such an eminent Scottish institution as with the design and finish of the Royal Dornoch tweed. It is a connection that can only serve to further strengthen each brand, both at home and abroad.”

Founded in 1877, Royal Dornoch Golf Club presents exceptional standards that extend beyond the courses and greens to the restaurant, bar and lounge and other facilities. The course is currently ranked 12th in the world’s top 100 courses and has previously been awarded Golf Tourism Scotland’s “Course of the Year”.

About Royal Dornoch Golf Club
Royal Dornoch Golf Club was founded in the late 19th Century as a private members club, and was given the Royal title by King Edward VII in 1906. The club boasts a Championship course as well as a second 18-hole course, the Struie. Over the years, the club has played host to the Northern Open, the Scottish Ladies, and the Scottish Professional Championships. The club is situated in the town of Dornoch, 45 miles from the gateway to the Highlands, Inverness and its airport.

About Hunter’s Tweed
Hunter’s Tweed is a family run business that produces 100% pure new wool tweed in traditional dark colours and light, natural hues. The fabric is exclusively manufactured in the Highlands and the collection boasts original Hunters of Brora patterns which date back more than 100 years. The tweed is produced at a renowned mill in the Highlands, capitalising on the skills of local artisans who have been making this indigenous fabric for generations. Hunter’s Tweed is one of the only companies in the UK to offer 700 gram tweed, a fabric of such high quality that it can be applied to everything from upholstery to robust outdoor wear. Hunter’s Tweed is available at Calluna Country, the brand’s retail outlet in Brora, Sutherland, and online at hunterstweed.com.

Free Golf at Machrihanish Dunes

Looking for a great golf break? You could do an awful lot worse than this one in our inbox today! How about free golf? Great location in the Kintyre Peninsula? Two newly refurbished hotels?
And a great price to boot right through to the end of June!

Another reason why Scotland's For Me!

St Andrews Golf Trip Auction

Fancy some world class golf in Scotland? Well how about bidding for it in the St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation Auction?

The winners will play Golf in St Andrews and Carnoustie, Scotland in the footsteps of Open Champions between the 2nd and 8th July 2012 giving an exceptional opportunity to experience Golfing Heaven!

The auction prize includes 6 nights in the home of golf  and a once in a lifetime chance for 4 golfers to walk in the footsteps of Open Champions and enjoy special, exclusive privileges that money cannot buy

Golf Package Details

Best Western Scores Hotel is the nearest hotel to the 1st tee of the Old Course. It has spectacular views over the West Sands and St Andrews Bay. The hotel is adding 6 new Junior suites in 2012.

• The auction prize will be for 2 sea view twins for 6 nights bed and breakfast. 
• Guaranteed tee time for 4 on the famous St Andrews Old Course in the home of golf
• Guaranteed tee time for 4 on the challenging links of the Championship Course Carnoustie
• Guaranteed tee time for 4 at the fabulous Kingsbarns Links, hailed as a natural golf wonder
• Guaranteed tee time for 4 at the Jubilee and the New on the St Andrews Links
• Guaranteed tee time for 4 at both Craighead & Balcomie Crail Golfing Society, the world's 7th oldest golf club instituted in 1786. Designed by Old Tom Morris
• Private visit to the R&A Clubhouse with conducted tour
• Surface transport from Glasgow/Edinburgh airport and throughout the 6 day stay
• Whisky tasting and a lot of warm Scottish hospitality

NB: Proof of golf handicap will be necessary. A complete day-by day itinerary will be issued to the successful bidder.You can bid online here with the current bid standing at £7100 (13th of February).

Good luck to the lucky bidders!