Recently, I had the opportunity to tour some of Scotland’s famed links courses along with seven of my golfing partners. This tour took us along Scotland’s east coast which included one of my favorites and the backdrop for the remarkable story I’m about to share, Kingsbarns Golf Links.
Before I begin my tale, let me set the scene. Scotland boasts a unique law unknown to many, the Land Reform Act 2003. This law grants everyone the right to roam freely across land and inland water, including the iconic links courses that hug its coastline. So, it’s not uncommon to see locals meandering alongside golfers, sometimes even venturing onto the hallowed fairways. At Kingsbarns, this freedom takes the form of the Fife Coastal Path, a breathtaking 117-mile trail that winds along the east coast, brushing shoulders with the course itself. Though this detail may seem like a detour, trust me, it plays a pivotal role in the extraordinary story that unfolds.
The Par 3 2nd Hole…
My day’s drama unfolded early, on the 165-yard par 3 2nd hole. The pin was tucked tantalizingly close to the front edge, and with the wind blowing left to right, a perfect shot was paramount to even sniffing the target. Alex, my caddie for the day, suggested a precisely-placed 7 iron, aimed just left of the pin. Fortunately, I managed to execute his words with pinpoint accuracy. My ball soared through the air, landed softly on the green, took one bounce, and then… BAM! It struck the flagstick dead center. But alas, a hole-in-one was not meant to be this hole, or on this day as you will soon learn as the ball cruelly caromed off, stopping a few feet from the hole.
The scene of the crime, the Par 3 8th…
This brings me to the scene of the crime, the 154-yard par 3 8th hole. This hole is visually stunning as it winds back directly toward the rugged coastline framed by beautiful birch trees. From the tee, the green itself takes on the shape of a bean with a strategically placed pot bunker guarding the middle and only the left and right sides of the green visual from the tee.
On this particular day, the pin was placed on the lowered tier left flank. Given my caddy’s expert advice on #2, who was I to argue when he suggested the perfect shot is an 8-iron, not at the pin but rather to the middle of the green just over the left edge of the trap. As instructed, I again hit the shot to perfection over the left edge of the trap onto the hidden part of the green. Anticipation mounted as we waited for the ball to catch the left slope bringing it down towards the pin. Finally, the ball appears, gently catching the slope winding down directly towards the pin. Inches became feet, and just as it seemed poised to disappear into the hole, it happened. As if summoned from thin air, a dog emerged from the beach, shot across the green and snatched the ball inches from going in the hole sending a collective “IT’S IN!” from the tee box into a heartbroken “NOOOOO!”
What happened next was pure slapstick comedy with the dog’s young owner and his dad running chaotically across the green chasing this canine thief. When the dog finally realized my ball didn’t make a good chew toy, he left it on the top of the green where it lay in mocking defiance. Never in all our collective years of playing this crazy game had any of us encountered a situation like this nor did any of us, caddies included, know how to score it. Sensing my frustration, my group was kind enough to let me card a two on this hole.
The Story Continues…
But alas, this isn’t the end of the story. Two days
after “the incident”, our group had the pleasure of playing another Scottish treasure, Muirfield. After our morning fourball, we followed tradition and joined the other golfers in the formal dining room for the lunch feast. As we admired the historic memorabilia in this great dining hall, we came across a glass case that contained the original rules of golf. Written in 1745, these 13 rules were thought were so important, they must be documented as the official rules of the game. And there it was…rule 10 “If the ball be stopped by any person, horse, dog or anything else, the ball stopped must be played where it lies”, which unfortunately in my case would have been on top of the green where my ace could have easily become a much bigger number. Certainly not the two I was awarded!
Kingsbarns
Despite this unfortunate experience, Kingsbarns remains one of my favorite golf courses in Scotland and is continually ranked by our guests as one of their favorites. Check out our tour curations for some wonderful tours that include this amazing course. This particular story happened on the The East Coast Golf Extravaganza tour.