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PGA PRo:FoRMANCE
pRO:tRavel
gOlf hOuse at elie:
Heading up the hill towards the start's hut at Elie, an age-old golf club just south
of St. Andrews, isn't a typical walk to the first tee. For starters the opening hole is a
monster, a 420-yard beast that plays over a hill to a runway slope of a fairway that
is invisible from the tee. But it isn't the hole that captures your eye. Instead, it is the
periscope sticking out of the starters hut. And yes, it is as cool as Johnny Depp in
wayfarers, and it allows you to peer over the hill to see whether you're good to go.
Elie was likely the surprise of my tour of Scotland in the spring. I expected it
to be good, but I didn't have a sense of just how strong it would be. It has all the
key elements of great links golf: quirky components, seaside views, firm turf and
requires a creative game. When I was finished and walked to the parking lot with
my clubs over my shoulder I became convinced of something I'd long thought
true: that a course doesn't need to have hosted the British open to be great. Elie
was great. Full stop.
Best paired with: Old Course at St. Andrews; Kingsbarns
