We hadn't really planned it like this but a week's holiday at Rose Cottage ended up coinciding with the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and this actually became a real highlight of the week. If you're a golf fan you will absolutely love this opportunity to see some of big pro names' swings and putts in the flesh. If like me you think a bogey is something you would find up your nose it's still a great event for the celeb-spotting!
This is a 4 day event where professional golfers pair up with amateurs - many of them celebrities from the worlds of sport, music and film. Over three days the competitors play a round on each of three famous Scottish links golf courses - The Old Course, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. The best professionals and teams then play a final round on day 4 at the Old Course. The first three days are FREE for spectators to attend (including free parking at Kingsbarns). Tickets for the final day, the Sunday, are £15 for adults (£10 for OAPs and free for students and under 16s - its also possible to get free tickets e.g. by wearing visible tartan or buying something at the Farmers Market on the Saturday). There are gourmet food stalls, toilets etc and, in St Andrews anyway, lots of scope for some post golf drinks should you feel the urge e.g. at the Dunvegan Hotel (at the end of Golf Place) - we saw some of the Day 1 star players here.
We spent our first day at St Andrews where we based ourselves mainly at the 14th and 15th holes. The air was cold but with some welcome sunny spells. First up we saw Ian Botham (pictured) in a fetching neon green jumper and a pair of patterned trousers which had to be seen to be believed, topping the whole ensemble off with a cigar. He stopped to speak to his son Liam who was playing on the 4th. Botham senior was playing in the same group as Shane Warne (and I believe his wife Liz Hurley came to watch him play the next day at Carnoustie). Then came a group with Scottish sporting legends Gavin Hastings and Alan Hansen (commentating on his fellow players' performances). Staying at the same spot we also saw US Vice President Dan Quayle (my partner joked that his swing was "almost presidential"), Bon Jovi drummer Tico Torres and two more ex-footballers Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit. We finished the day by following ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp's group's game to the 18th. After a fantastic drive to about 40 yards from the pin at the 18th he rather strangely (I'm told) decided to use his putter from the fairway rather than chip onto the green. After putting to about 8 feet from the hole and receiving a round of applause, he turned to the crowd smiling and admitted he was "a scaredy cat really - I went through the back of the green the last two years I played".
By day two, this time at Kingsbarns, my partner quipped that it was like being on some sort of celebrity safari, with household names popping up behind every bush. With the sun splitting the sky we had arrived to see Paul Lawrie, fresh from the European team's Ryder Cup success, teeing off on the 1st. The Scot was partnered with his young son Craig. Then we saw actor Bill Murray (making chicken noises) and singer Huey Lewis. Later at the 5th Huey accidentally hit his ball while doing a practice swing at the tee. It went into the rough just to the side of the tee and Bill Murray's pro partner David Howell was winding Huey up that he had to hit it from there. Huey sportingly went to do just that, with Murray saying to the crowd: "Ladies and gentleman - Huey Lewis - what a sportsman". Howell then 'fessed up that he didn't have to.
We also saw Colin Montgomerie and Sir Steve Redgrave (pictured) on the 5th - a team who went on to end the day on an impressive 12 under par - and also the actor Greg Kinnear (pictured).
A highlight for me and a lot of excited kids was seeing the Olympian and Paralympian group - US swimming legend, the giant Michael Phelps and the Bladerunner himself, South African Oscar Pistorius. We were within inches of Pistorius when he had to move the barrier to take a shot in the rough on the 5th. Earlier in the day Phelps' pro partner Paul Casey had apparently had his ball stolen on the green by an over-enthusiastic dog!
We also saw a jovial Ernie Els, a giant of a man, who had won the Open earlier this year. His fellow South African partner Johann Rupert said to him at the start of the 3rd "you birdie this one and I'll get the next!".
My partner enjoyed getting up really close (right behind the tee) to see the incredible speed and accuracy of the pros driving. Often it was impossible to see the ball at all - just a whooshing sound high up in the air. I enjoyed the celeb-spotting and the light-hearted atmosphere - the players seemed to be really enjoying themselves and having a bit of banter with each other and the crowd. Though I imagine things might get more competitive on the final day!
We finished off by quaffing some Rob Roy burgers and getting the programme signed by two pros: Dustin Johnson (from the American Ryder Cup team) and Northern Irish golfer (and possible future Ryder Cup captain - though he wasn't giving anything away to the press on that) Darren Clarke.
The 2012 event was won by a South African pro, Branden Grace, who had led right from Day One - click here for the full results. Looking forward to next year's event already!
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