Once in a lifetime, a trip comes together that exceeds every expectation. This was one of those trips. Last September I spent a month touring Scotland, Spain, Gibraltar and France. Numerous items were checked off my bucket list. Thirty-one days, four countries, and more golf than any reasonable person has a right to play. Here’s how it all broke down.
The Trip at a Glance
13,296Total miles traveled — more than halfway around the Earth. And that’s before counting the miles walked between tee and green.
11,325Miles Flown 6 flights
1,827Miles Driven 4 countries
144Miles Walked on foot
31Days Aug 21–Sep 21
Behind the Wheel
970 miles of Scottish roads navigated — from Fife to Angus, East Lothian, the Highlands and back, dodging sheep and highland “coos” on single-track roads without a single complaint.
Scotland
970 mi
France
435 mi
Spain and Gibraltar
422 mi
Miles Walked
Scotland
110 mi
Spain
22 mi
France
12 mi
110 miles walked in Scotland – All but two rounds on foot – Across some of the finest links and heathland terrain on Earth. Worth every step.
How The Trip Unfolded
Aug 21
MCO → JFK → EDI
Departed Orlando. Arrived Edinburgh. The trip begins.
Aug 21– Sept 3
Fife, Angus and East Lothian — 13 rounds in 13 days
Home base in St Andrews with a close friend. Highs in the 60s and sunshine almost every day. For Scotland, that’s a gift.
Sept 4–7
Inverness – Cabot Highlands
Highland golf overlooking the Moray Firth. One of the world’s great modern links. Played right behind European Ryder Cup hero and Scottish golf royalty – Colin Montgomerie. Toured Inverness, Loch Ness, Fort William and Glen Coe on the way back to Edinburgh.
Sept 8-10
Edinburgh – Gullane No. 2
Back to Edinburgh and East Lothian. My last round in Scotland before heading south. A proper Scottish send-off on a gorgeous sunny day. No. 2 rightfully plays second fiddle to Gullane No. 1, but many members secretly prefer it.
Sep 10–17
Spain — Costa del Sol
What started as a buddy golf trip becomes a relaxed vacation in Southern Spain. Landed in Malaga and drove south to Estepona, where I had a beachfront penthouse all to myself for a week of relaxation and amazing food. Played one round at the excellent Los Naranjos Golf Club in Marbella. A day trip to Gibraltar capped off a great week.
Sep 17–21
France — Normandy
Finally returned to France, 45 years after I left Paris as a child. Spent several days touring D-Day sites and memorials. Paid my respects at the Canadian and American WW2 cemeteries. One round at Omaha Beach Golf Club. Several visits to quaint little cafes and bakeries. CDG → JFK → MCO.
The Swilcan Bridge — St Andrews Old Course, August 2025The Golf
17 Rounds. 16 Courses. 3 Countries.
Scotland accounted for 15 of the 17 rounds. The weather — sunshine and 60s across almost every round — No rain! – Made an already epic trip borderline unfair.
1
St Andrews Old Course
The Home of Golf. Every time feels like the first time.
THE Bucket List Course
2
St Andrews New Course (×2)
Played twice. Underrated by most visitors, which only makes it better.
Underrated Links
3
Dumbarnie Links
Modern links on the Firth of Forth. One of the best new courses in Scotland.
Instant Classic
4
The Dukes (Craigtoun Course)
Heathland course above St Andrews with sweeping views of the town and the sea. Brutally difficult from the back tees. Recently taken over by St Andrews Links Trust and renamed The Craigtoun Course after the former Craigtoun Estate that owned the land it sits on.
Heathland Gem
5
St Andrews – Castle Course
Clifftop drama just outside town. Known for panoramic views of the “Auld Grey Toon.” Sloping greens are not for the faint of heart. When the wind blows, the locals stay away.
Amazing Views
6
Kingsbarns Golf Links
One of the world’s most scenic links. Every hole hugs the coastline. One of three host courses for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour. World class golf at a world class price.
World Class
7
Anstruther Golf Club
9 holes, £20, views that would embarrass courses charging ten times the price. Home of The Rockies – One of the UK’s toughest par 3s
Hidden Gem
8
Kingarrock Hickory Golf
Hickory-only 9-hole course with clubs from the 1920s and 30s. The course has never seen a lawnmower or pesticide. Managed by the National Trust for Scotland exactly as it was over a century ago. Par – 34. Course record – 34. Nuff said. One of the most unique experiences in golf, full stop.
One of a Kind
9
Ladybank Golf Club
Fife heathland golf. Open Championship Qualifying site and past Scottish Open venue that flies completely under the radar, but shouldn’t.
Hidden Gem
10
Crail Golfing Society — Balcomie Links
Founded in 1786. One of the oldest golf clubs in the world, still playing on its original ground. Local favorite. The modern Craighead Links 18 is also worth playing.
Local Favorite
11
Panmure Golf Club
Where Ben Hogan prepared for his 1953 Open Championship win at Carnoustie. Classic Angus links. Member for a day feel. Wonderful staff and impeccable playing conditions. Really enjoyed this place.
Historic Gem
12
North Berwick Golf Club
One of the trip’s standouts. The staff treated us like members from the first tee. The back nine features the original Redan, a Biarritz-style green, and the Gate hole — three of the most historically influential holes designs in golf, each replicated many times worldwide.
Trip Favorite
13
The Himalayas Putting Course
The Ladies Putting Club of St Andrews, est. 1867. The best £2 you’ll spend in Scotland. Short walk from the first tee of the Old Course and the main clubhouse. Great place to unwind after golf.
One of a Kind
14
Gullane No. 2
My last round in Scotland on this trip. A fitting farewell in East Lothian. Weaher was amazing. Town of Gullane is home to 4 courses, with Gullane #1, #2 and #3 joined by Luftness New, sometimes called Gullane #4 by the locals.
Must Play
15
Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart)
Highland golf on the Moray Firth. One of the world’s great modern links. Worth every mile of the drive north. Now joined by an equally stunning new course called Old Petty.
World Class
16
Los Naranjos Golf Club
Costa del Sol, Spain. A welcome change of pace after two weeks of links golf. I little slice of heaven for British expats in Marbella.
International
17
Omaha Beach Golf Club
Normandy, France. The name says everything. 36 holes of top notch golf named after the location of one of the most infamous battles of World War Two. A German bunker located just behind the 6th green exists to this day as a reminder of the region’s place in history.
International
St Andrews from the Castle Course — The cathedral ruins, East Sands and the Eden EstuaryHighlights
The Moments That Stood Out
Membership
Golf Club of St Andrews
Founded in 1843. A golf club that coexists with the R&A and other clubs whose historic clubhouse sits beside the 18th green on the Old Course. Joining was a trip highlight. I could sit on the front porch and watch golfers come up 18 all day.
Weather
Sunshine. Almost Every Day.
Highs in the 60s, blue skies and calm winds prevailed for most of our trip. Ask anyone who’s played St Andrews in a 50mph gale and they’ll tell you — this doesn’t happen often. Less than 30 minutes of rain in 18 days? I’ll take it!
Most Unique Round
Kingarrock Hickory Golf
Donated clubs from the 1920s and 30s on a course that has never seen a lawnmower. The National Trust for Scotland runs it exactly as it was. Nothing else like it. The course record is even par. Hickory golf is hard!
Trip Favorite
North Berwick – West Links
The staff, the history, the back nine. The Redan hole alone has been replicated hundreds of times worldwide. There’s a reason architects keep coming back here for inspiration. A favorite fun stop for tour pros in town for the Scottish Open played down the beach at the Renaissance Club.
Gullane #2A Glorious morning at Gullane #2Cabot Highlands – Castle StuartCabot Highlands – Castle StuartNorth Berwick – East Links & CraigleithClubhouse at Panmure Golf ClubCrail Harbor Gallery & Tea RoomKingarrock Hickory GolfKingarrock Hickory GolfKingarrock Hickory GolfSt Andrews – West Sands BeachRocky Ness – #15 at Kingsbarns Golf LinksOrrdeal – #12 at Kingsbarns Golf Links
Normandy, France
One More Bucket List Item
The golf at Omaha Beach Golf Club was almost beside the point. I’ve been a student of World War II history since I was old enough to learn about it, and returnign to France and visiting the D-Day sites in Normandy was something I had carried on my list for decades. Standing on those beaches — Omaha, Juno, Pointe du Hoc — and walking through the American Cemetery above the bluffs, you feel the weight of what happened there in a way that no book or documentary can prepare you for. These were ordinary young men and women who did something extraordinary. Paying my respects in person was the right way to close out a 31-day trip that had already given me more than I could have asked for. Bucket list: checked.
