http://impromptufridaynights.com/father-and-son-reunion/Father and Son Reunion…read more Many of you might have noticed that I have gone dark over the last few weeks. No, I haven't gone to that great big supper club in the sky. Rather, I have been on a golfing trip to Scotland with my son. Every father's dream is to share a passion with his son. To spend 7 days together with just Brian and myself was a rare treat. To get to play 10 rounds of golf together with him at the home of golf was...PRICELESS. We had a blast We played 10 rounds of golf on 9 courses in 7 days walking 92 miles in the process of playing (Please note that in golf, the shortest distance between two points isn't always a straight line.) Prestwick North Berwick Muirfield Kingsbarn Old Course Carnoustie Lundin Links Crail New Course Old Course If you tell someone that you went to play golf in Scotland, the first thing they ask is: Did you get to play the Old Course? The Old is truly the home of golf. It is where Old Tom Morris shaped the game and the real champions of the game from Bobby Jones to Tiger Woods have proven their merit by winning the Open Championship. But, it isn't easy to get a tee time to play it. I am lucky enough to have played it years ago. When I was planning the trip I went to great lengths to make sure that my son had the same experience. Back in the 1990's I was in London on business. My boss and I planned a weekend trip to St. Andrews for a round of golf at the Old Course. A friend said he knew the Captain at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club that could get us on. We kept asking and asking but our friend was unable to come up with a coveted tee time. Three days before we were leaving London we told a Sri Lankan friend about our quandary. He knew somebody that knew somebody and we placed our hopes in him. When we arrived at the hotel at St Andrews we got the news that we had a 9 am tee time in the morning at the Old Course. I was like a kid at Christmas. So as we planned the trip with my son, I tried everything I could to replicate the experience. We entered the "Ballot" a lottery for tee times where they offer random tee times to the thousands of golf pilgrims that show up on St Andrews shores to play The Old. I even tried to stay in the same hotel as I did in 1995 to bring us good luck. Unfortunately when we got to the hotel we found out that we were not one of the lucky ones. Michael at the Russel Hotel was great. He told us about the "Dark Times" and how to improve your chances. To be honest we went to bed that first night thinking our chances of playing the Old Course were very slim. The following morning I reconfigured all our plans and at 6 am headed to the Old Course. I found 15 guys that had been sleeping there all night to get their names on a list to fill in for cancelations. A sorry group to say the least. The list also makes you eligible to be given a "Dark Time" which is a tee time between 1:30 and 2:30 pm. Starting times so late that you most likely will finish that last few holes in the "Dark". Brian and I went off and played Kingsbarn another great course outside of town. Late in the round I said to Brian lets go back to the Old Course and see if we can get a "Dark Time". Sure enough we did. It was the beautiful weather of the trip. The sun was shining and the golf gods were gracious as father and son got to play those fabulous links together. As fate would have it, on our last day we got lucky again and played the Old Course second time. This time, Brian who had been playing well all week had the round of his life. He birdied two holes on the back 9 with the most impressive on the iconic par 5 14th. He crushed his second shot over the dreaded "He'll Bunker" and got it up and down for a sweet birdie 4. An amazing close to a glorious week. More than golf it was a special time for father and son. In planning the trip I recalled to Brian how I had played golf with my dad at Pebble Beach in California and on the day he died that is what we talked about. To which Brian replied: Dad you aren't dying on me our you? I certainly plan to be around for awhile, but my guess is that when my time comes I will remember the magical week with my son in Scotland.

Incredible variety, great quality food, and super service! Lobster, steak, duck, chicken, salmon,…read moreand pork options for main dishes. A wonderful wine list and bar menu specials. The desserts were wonderful too!

The hotel is right on the golf course and our room was overlooking the 18th green on the 4th floor…read more I recommend the Bing Crosby room, it has an amazing view! The staff was extremely helpful and courteous with everything from directions to amenities. You get that old time feeling surrounded by history and you can literally see the club house and its a five minute walk to the old course. Breakfast is included with the room and it was great. You can choose continental or order your preference. I would highly recommend this hotel. Note, if you plan on playing the course golfers have to hit off of mats until April. They will supply you with a carry mat. Shopping is a convenient stroll to Tom Morris shop, St. Andrews Links Golf shop, British Golf Museum, and other shops.

Wish we would have planned better to go during the day to take advantage of the view. But the food…read moreand atmosphere was amazing! Finding the place was difficult. The car GPS took us behind the building and we had to walk around. We had a huge lunch so we weren't too hungry by the time our reservation came but we had amazing appetizers and some of the best drinks of our Scotland trip. The servers were great even though we didn't end up wanting main courses and just kept ordering drinks.

I was attending an event nearby and with only one place that served food we had to head to the…read morenearby small town of Crail for a half descent meal. We all decided to eat at the Golf hotel a nice old building from the outside with a sort of 1980's theme on the inside there was no music playing in the background and all we heard in the background was the noise from the public bar in the next room. We all ordered starters but they took forever to arrive, a whopping 45 minutes, the only table that was in was a table of four and they where having their main courses cleared. I ordered the chicken pakora, you got a good size portion and it did taste quite good, everyone else at the table enjoyed their starters. Soon after finishing our main courses arrived, without the tables having been cleared and the waitress had shown impressive skill juggling several meals whilst trying to clear the table at the same time. I ordered the curry with rice, it was nice enough but tasted more like curried chicken via Bisto.

This is just One of the best places to go for food. The prices are reasonably good, the high tea is…read morejust brill and the customer service of the staff is something I would rate highly. Personaly I would recommend to pay a visit if you are looking for a good meal and service.

This hotel is absolutely the best hotel we've stayed in. The spacious room was so comfortable. The…read moreview was beautiful. The staff were so helpful and friendly. The food was *chef kiss* so delicious and fresh. We came with a group of golf friends and had a wonderful time. Would highly recommend! A nice walk from the Golf Museum and other bars and restaurants.

From the moment we walked in the door until we left, this hotel hit the mark every step of the way…read more An elegant, modern hotel with outstanding rooms. The staff is both warm and professional. The views of the Old Course from the 4th floor bar and restaurant are terrific. The restaurant was the best place we ate in Scotland.

After BRAVING the wind and rain for 18 holes of golf on the OLD COURSE... Fiancé and I were…read moreinstructed that it's a NECESSITY to refuel here at 1 Golf Place... I was expecting it to just be a bar with crappy nibbles so as to make sure those imbibing didn't get completely PISSED DRUNK... But I was mistaken, for there is a restaurant upstairs, and the grub offered there can also be served to bar patrons. SCORE because I was HUNGRY! I got the chicken salad, doctored but of course... And as you can see from my photo, it was a pleasantly simple, yet fresh salad... And SUPER TASTY! The chicken was VERY well done and I loved the lettuce boats because I used them as vehicles for the chicken. The bell pepper addition to the salad was also spot on as they were incredibly sweet and juicy! Fiancé got a CLUB SANDWICH and I almost broke my water glass from shock, when I heard him say multiple times to our server: THIS IS THE BEST CLUB SANDWICH I HAVE EVER HAD. Say what?! AND he only had a 1/2 a beer at that point so the BOOZE wasn't doing the talking! Ha Ha. The club sandwich was a double decker, one layer of chicken and cheese and the other filled with lettuce, tomato, mayo and bacon... And then of course, it came with French Fries, which he also wolfed down without even blinking. We left this place fueled enough to play another 18-holes, except I KNEW that wasn't going to happen when Fiancé almost fell face first onto the pavement when exiting the restaurant... I mean, when at a Scottish bar, right?

Great pub to hang out after getting brutalized in the Old Course bunkers…read more Recommended by the caddies, whom we saw there ( THAT is the recommendation- vote with your feet) Had some curry - tasty, but not spicy enough for my tastes - it's gotta burn three times to be hot enough! Was much more chill than the Dunvegan- I would recommend '1 Golf Way' way before the dun - plus the service was better

This hotel was a fantastic stay for my husband and I. The hotel grounds are beautiful - the…read morelandscaping is lovely overlooking the sea and the hotel itself is a site to be seen. The staff was extremely kind and the service was great. Our room itself was huge, updated and clean. The bathrooms in the room were so nice - loved the tile details and the rain shower. The amenities available ie gym, spa, bar etc were a great added bonus. Loved the huge breakfast bar that was included with the stay. I would highly suggest staying here for your visit to St Andrews!

Beautiful hotel but the service is lacking. Breakfast line to be seated is absurd. Restaurant…read moreservice at the golf course is slower than molasses and when I try to call to get assistance, the phone just rings and rings and rings. They have to do better if they are to be considered at 5 star property. They are letting their beautiful property go to pot.

The Brasserie on the first floor is a good place to head for lunch after visiting the V&A,…read moreespecially if their cafe is busy. The prices here are no worse and the food is almost certainly better. I had butternut squash and chestnut soup, followed by roast cauliflower mains. Both delicious. I could have done without the piper outside who was welcoming guests to a wedding reception, but fortunately he didn't play for too long.

The staff here are an absolute credit to the brand and are simply amazing! I cannot remember the…read morelast time I received such excellent customer service. The room was well made and had a good mini bar and snacks. There is also a decent menu for room service if you don't want to venture down to the brasserie. Even on Christmas Day they managed to serve bangers and mash to the room!! The bar staff and mixologists were blinking brilliant and I had one too many in the end, as they were just so yummy, and willing to try various and random changes to come up with variants of classic favourites. The bed was lush and a really good size. I would 100% stay here again. The only reason not 5* is due to some decor issues in the room, but was very nearly a 5!

this is a fab wee family run pub and hotel. about 5 years…read moreago i statyed there for 5 weeks, as my house was getting rebuild, so i seen this place for quite a while. The pub is nice, and the real fire is lovely, i use to love it in the mornings while i was eatting my breakfast. the hotel rooms are soo nice and warm. very clean and presentable. the rooms get cleaned every day, and the cleaning staff are very friendly. the staff are so nice in there, and the food is yummy, and very affordable and presentable.

Perfect spot for a patio lunch. Great beers and food! I had the steak and ale pie and my…read morecompanion had the chicken pie. So good! The chips were great as were the mash.