Tain Golf club

After a trek to the highlands I stopped off at Tain on a Saturday evening when all was quiet and still. My pal Mr.Spiers had recommended it so with a decent twilight deal I teed off.

Where the schnell was the first green? Up ahead there was a fence where the fairway ended... but no green?? I walked up and to my amazement there it was ..over the fence. This epitomizes a quirky old course that has touches of everything from links to deep parkland and even a par 4 with spectacles ala Carnoustie!

I whizzed round with only the odd sparrow-hawk for company in just over 3 hours and loved it. Playing well raking 3 woods down the fairway did help but even so definately worth a visit if you are in this neck of the woods.

Best golf pro tip

BEST GOLF TIP EVER

The best tip I ever got was from an old boy I played a medal competition with at Aberfoyle Golf Club. A lovely woodlands course near Glasgow(although you do need to be a bit of a mountain goat). Anyway we were at the 10th hole and I had been hitting it all over the place. I had been bemoaning the fact since about the fourth hole and without realising it I was boring the pants off my playing partners.

After yet another duff tee shot I started moaning again, "I just dont understand it, I'm lining up right, I've checked my grip, my stance. I'm taking the club back slowly within the line. Keeping my eye on the ball etc.etc. you get the picture. Anyway the old boy whom I had only just met on the first tee that day, turned to me and said,"just effing hit it".Do you know what? Thats what I did and it flew straight down the fairway 250 yards!

So now I practice all my technique at the range and leave it there. When I play on the course I just effing hit it. If it goes straight and far great. If not, I just shrug my shoulders and go to the next shot and just effing hit it!!

Try it.

Best Golf Babes

1.Natalie Gulbis







2.Paula Creamer





3.Michelle Wie





4. Maria Verchenova

5.Blair O'Neill

Best Hidden Gems Golf Courses In Scotland

OK here goes.

Here is my Top 5.

1.Shiskine - Arran
This is a quirky 12 holer on the wonderful Isle of Arran. There are two crazy holes - one where you hit up to a green atop a cliff the other you hit over a big lump of a hill to a blind green on the other side.Its great seaside golf.

2.Makrihanish
Stunning scenery and interesting holes make this a must play. Its a real struggle to get there but well worth the journey.

3.Boat of Garten

Set in the valley tucked away in georgeous speyside this is a quirky wee course with tons of wildlife to keep you ocupied if your golf is rubbish.

4. Isle of Harris

This course is in the middle of nowhere but when you find it you'll love it for its spectacular vistas. When I was there in summer the sun shimmered on the water and a horse trotted along the beach. Nick Faldo found it and wrote in the visitors book how beautiful it was.

5.Balcomie - Crail
Tucked away in the East Neuk not far from St.Andrews this lovely wee course conjours up images of bearded old codgers from hundreds of years ago battling against the elements with their spoons. Its more seaside links with a great par 3 hitting down a cliff to the green perched in the rocks below. RELOAD!!

Bubbling Under.....
Alloa, Kilspindie, Dunkeld, Dunbar, East Renfrewshire, Nairn

Best Golf Courses In Scotland

OK here goes.

Here is my Top 5.

1.Turnberry - Ailsa Course

I know its been show cased at this year's Open but this course has everything in Links Golf. I've played this course in benign sunshine and in a giant hailstorm and every time a new challenge arises.Just spectacular

2.GlenEagles - Kings Course

Another big hitter. About the 5th hole you can easily forget where you are and expect to see a clan chieftain rampaging through trying to club an unsuspecting deer to bits for supper. The views are stunning and the golf is magical.Well worth the doe - not the deer!!

3.Kingsbarnes

Just down from the auld grey toon sits this magnificent beast of a links course. You really have to think round this course and the par 5 which hugs the coastline right round to the green is a classic

4.St.Andrews - New Course

Ah The Home of Golf. My favourite of the town's plentiful courses is The New Course. Its obviously similar to The Old Course but its less palaver to get on and anyway the holes are much more interesting. Play The Old to say you have played it but The New is more fun.

5.Gullane - Number 2

Perhaps surprising choice but not to those who've played it. Immaculate and breathtaking views make this course a must-play

Bubbling Under.....

Carnoustie, Lundin Links, North Berwick West, Loch Lomond, Western Gailes, Royal Dornoch, Cruden Bay