Having recently retired from Teaching and thus playing a bit more golf. My wonderful wife Vanessa told me I had to now go on my dream holiday. I couldn’t think what this might look like as had lived abroad quite o lot in my life and find short trips very unsatisfactory. Then of course I thought maybe a golf holiday, but couldn’t face hotels. However, we do have a camper van that needed to be fully tested so a golf tour seemed like a good plan. I looked at north Wales and north Scotland, but with the American invasion prices per round we’re looking a bit ridiculous. Which brought me to the idea of the reciprocal courses. I found with difficulty the list on the website, surreptitiously hidden in other information, and proceeded to go through the courses. Soon I was planning a route around the uk, which started at Sunridge to Sandy Lodge in Hertfordshire and then making my way to Oxford – Frilford. I could then make my way to Chester and Helsby, before moving onto my Ancestral home in Blackpool (97 Cocker Street – north pier) and play at St Anne’s links whilst camping at the cricket club.
The next journey would be along one up to Scotland at Edinburgh for Brunsfield links and taste a small slice of golf history. ( Founded well before 1901) . I hope to spend some time there playing an open competition or two, as I have done this in most recent years in August whilst visiting the festival with my wife as she was searching for comedy talent for her Wine Gums Comedy nights.
The final legs of the route would be the longest drive to Newark and across to Leicester to Birstall before finishing off in Ipswich and the hop back home to Cambridge.
My initial planning
To start on the 23rd of April and complete the tour by the 8th of May and am now in the process of getting all the bits to fit together including this little bog site for novices. I will keep you posted as the planning develops alongside the site and my competence and will hopefully inform you about some awesome experiences at our reciprocal clubs and perhaps one or two things to look out for.
Hope you enjoy
Peter Allcock
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