So, I decided to head over to Cruden, in Scotland. You hear the name whispered, you know? Especially if you’re into golf. Cruden Bay. It’s got this reputation, a proper old-school links, tough as nails. I figured, why not? Time for a bit of a “practice session,” though honestly, it felt more like gearing up for a friendly battle with Mother Nature herself.
My grand plan? Well, it wasn’t that grand. Just get out there, feel the turf under my feet, and try to get a handle on what this whole links golf thing is all about, especially in a place like Cruden. Sounded straightforward enough on paper. But man, reality hits different. First thing that smacked me in the face was the wind. It’s not your gentle breeze kind of wind. This was Scottish coastal wind, the kind that seems to come from all directions at once and just laughs at your perfectly planned shot.
My Brilliant Strategy vs. The Course
I started off thinking, okay, I’ll work on my iron play. Keep it low, under the wind. Easier said than done. I remember standing on one of the early tees, looking out at this rumpled fairway, dunes everywhere. It’s like the ground itself is alive. My first few drives were… well, let’s just say the local sheep probably had a good chuckle. They just sit there, chewing cud, judging your backswing. Seriously unnerving.
Then came the blind shots. Cruden Bay is famous for them. You’re aiming at a white post on top of a dune, with no idea what’s on the other side. It’s a total leap of faith. I think I contributed a good half-dozen balls to the local ecosystem on those holes alone. My “practice” quickly turned into an expensive game of hide-and-seek.
- Lost one on the 5th, sliced it right into the gorse.
- Another one on the 8th, just vanished over a dune. Poof.
- Pretty sure one even rolled back down a hill towards me, as if to say “nope, try again.”
It was humbling, to say the least. You think you’ve got some game, then a course like this just strips it all back.
I also tried to focus on my short game around the greens. The ground is so firm, so different from the soft parkland courses I’m used to. You can’t just float a wedge in there. It’s all about the bump and run, using the contours. Spent a good hour just chipping with everything from a pitching wedge to a 7-iron, trying to get a feel for how the ball would react. Some were okay, some were thinned so badly they nearly took my ankles out, and a couple actually ended up pretty close. Small victories, you know?
This whole “practice” wasn’t really about fixing my swing or anything super technical. To be honest, I’d been feeling a bit cooped up, a bit stressed with other things going on. Life, you know how it is. Sometimes you just need to get out and do something that completely takes you out of your head. And wrestling with Cruden Bay, with the wind howling and the sea crashing nearby, that definitely did the trick. It’s raw out there. You feel small, but in a good way.
So, did I walk away a new golfer? Absolutely not. I’m still the same inconsistent player I was before. But I felt like I’d really experienced something. That course has character, real, rugged character. And sometimes, just showing up and giving it your best shot, even if your best shot ends up in a gorse bush, is practice enough. It was tough, it was frustrating at times, but man, I wouldn’t have traded it. It’s a story to tell, right?
