Ten Takeaways from my Mother-Son Scotland Trip (and Favorite Memories)

By: Kelli Stenzel of Top 100 Teacher Nick Dimengo on July 6, 2024.
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Recently I traveled to Scotland’s eastern coast in order to enjoy 10 days of golf with my 15-year-old son Matthew and had an absolutely fantastic time! Our golf trip will always remain fond memories for both of us – something I will treasure as time progresses.

1. The Courses Our experiences on the courses were incredible: from Royal Dornoch, West Berwick and Cruden Bay to lesser-known gems such as Durness with its incredible 9-hole layout boasting stunning landscape views to Montrose with its picturesque rolling greens – each course was unforgettable!

2. The Travel Challenge
Acclimatizing ourselves to traveling overseas took patience and teamwork, but we were soon pros at managing heavy suitcases and travel golf bags with great efficiency. I found the first airport experience amusing; although at that momentous moment of juggling suitcase weight at once I couldn’t help laughing as this had never happened to me before! Our goal was to lighten our loads by playing difficult courses where so many golf balls went astray — something which we accomplished successfully by using various tactics on course management to do exactly this.

3. Driving on the opposite side of the road

Hug left was our motto; although challenging and sometimes scary, we managed to complete this adventure successfully – hopefully without upsetting too many Scotsmen along the way! My co-pilot proved invaluable with directions, especially when I got too close to bushes on the left side of the road; roads may have been narrow, with limited parking spots… yet somehow we made it all work out successfully!

4. The Hard Ground
My son gained so many lessons during this golf trip. Since the ground is very firm compared to courses back home, landing short without expecting the green to hold it was definitely new to him and often left him asking “how?” when something unexpected occurred with the ball.

5. Fescue and Gorse
Scotland can make golf an adventure away from its fairways, with thick rough and uneven hills all making life tough for golfers trying to find their ball in Scotland’s dense vegetation. Finding your ball may prove frustratingly elusive at times; then taking responsibility by punching back out can be hard medicine to swallow.

Ofttimes, trying to force the ball down a fairway often does not pan out well as clubs can often catch on rough terrain or twist their face and send the ball traveling very short distances. Over time you learn that lofted clubs with weight shifted forward are better for this approach: just use one to chop out and back into play at will.

6. The Wind
We were absolutely amazed at how strong the winds were at Cabot Highlands; its lush beauty provided an enjoyable challenge; however, their unrelenting gusts presented both of us with quite the difficulty when playing together!

Downwind was both enjoyable and challenging; hitting into the wind felt impossible! Matt hit more 3-irons than expected while I started hitting more 3-woods than usual – it was enjoyable watching his game transform as he learned to manage these unpredictable conditions more successfully.

7. The Birdie Challenge
Matt and I tend not to compete against one another too much when golfing together – we usually just enjoy ourselves while doing our best – so for this golf trip we decided to have an interesting birdie-eagle competition, with Matt winning by quite an overwhelming margin!

As Matt took it seriously and we competed on friendly terms, it was fun watching him achieve amazing feats — such as driving par-4’s without breaking par. Matt even achieved two eagles during our round, something which truly surprised and thrilled both parties involved!

8. Time To Chat
One of my favorite parts about this golf trip was spending quality time with my son – giving us plenty of chances to walk together and exchange conversation on topics ranging from golf and life in general, to simply having some humorous banter! We talked about everything imaginable!

9. North Berwick
My friend who’s both knowledgeable about travel and golf courses joined us at North Berwick; it was great having someone familiar with its history to discuss while also being there as company! Plus it made our adventure all that much more pleasant!

10. St Andrews: An Epic Finish

Since we were already staying in St. Andrews, on our final day we both entered one final lottery for St. Andrews with an agreement that, should either of us gain entry, one would caddy for each other should one gain entrance – what happened was none other than my son won it and caddying was shared back out accordingly if necessary! Guess who got in? None other than himself! Perfect timing.

Caddying for him was truly incredible; watching him enjoy himself while using some of the lessons from earlier rounds was truly rewarding, leading him to play one of his finest rounds during our golf trip!

“Any parent/child trip can be unforgettable; my recent one with my son served as an excellent reminder not to put off making these memories until later: just plan and go!” I cherish every memory made while together and am truly appreciative for our time spent together.

For tips from my Scotland golf trip – and all things related to golf – head over to Instagram where I share all my best travel and golf related content.

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Nick Dimengo, Golf.com Editor