Woke up late with lots of time today. Thought we brought up all essential wet things to the room yesterday. Then went to the car and found everything that we’d left behind also wet, so set up a pretty display of umbrellas, bags, and towels in our small little car park. Just as everything was laid out, a very old lady with a cane teetered by and said, “Oh my! What pretty brollies!”

After a few hours of visiting golf shops in St. Andrews, we hit the practice areas where I met loads of women from all over the world— well, all over Europe. They had come from Germany, Ireland, Sweden, and even the US to play in the Strathtyrum, a huge event at St. Andrews New and Eden courses, alternating days and reducing the field until a small playoff group remained. All were embarrassed that they weren’t scratch, embarrassingly admitting to 9 and 10 handicaps. Wow and good luck, I wished each of them. Then watched several tee off while we had lunch just above the New Course’s first tee. And what a great day for golf!

Here we are at the Old Course of St. Andrews, the hallowed home of golf, but not the oldest course in Scotland— that honor goes to Musselburgh. The Old Course was worth all the trouble of the ballot and the price ($$), gorgeous, tight, open, and with lots of double greens that meant lots of 70-foot putts, or longer! And no ocean— but that’s okay. Plenty of ocean coming up. Love this sideways view taken by my caddy, Graham, a fine older dude who volunteers in Vietnam in the off-season.