Ardgowan Hotel St Andrews
In the previous post I announced the gallery of images of the biggest hotel in St Andrews, the Fairmont. The Fairmont is a short drive from downtown St Andrews and from the Old Course. It is a very posh place with large rooms/suites.
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the Ardgowan Hotel, built in 1847.
Location Location Location
The key feature to the Ardgowan is its location along with a more affordable price as compared to the Fairmont or other more fancy places in the “Auld Grey Toon.” The Ardgowan is located about a 30 second walk from the 18th green and 1st tee of the Old Course, and a 20 second walk from the most famous pub in town, the Dunvegan. I’ve made that 20 second walk home from the Dunvegan at 2 a.m. on many a night. I’m guessing it was a little longer than 20 seconds, but then again I don’t really remember.
Rooms
The Ardgowan’s 29 rooms are quite small but clean. They’re so small and the stairway to get to them so tight that most golfers store their clubs in the locker behind the hotel’s front desk.
There are a few different room options which feature single or double beds.
Features
The Ardgowan features the minimum I need as a traveling golfer and nothing more: a place to store my clubs, a bed, a bathroom, a desk with wireless internet connection (for emailing pictures of the Old Course back home to my jealous friends), and a pub/restaurant in the basement (see first image).
Top Floor?
I have to share a slightly embarrassing and funny story. One of my stays at the Ardgowan was in the top floor in a single-bed room. The architecture of the building is that of a Georgian townhouse, and most buildings on North Street share the same slanted roof style. The top floor room is basically in the attic, so part of the room “features” a slanted ceiling (see image below).
Ardgowan Hotel Room – St Andrews, Scotland
In the wee hours of the morning and after a few too many wee pints at the Dunvegan, I had the sudden need to get to the bathroom and quick. An urgent need, if you catch my drift. One or two too many wee pints I suppose. When I very quickly got up from bed in the dark I didn’t realize the ceiling was slanted. I hit my head so hard getting up fast that I nearly knocked myself out.
That morning I had to cancel my tee time at the New Course and sleep off the wee pints and the cranial impact. I did however enjoy the rest of the morning exploring the St Andrews castle while my pals were off golfing.
Conclusion
The Ardgowan serves purpose and does it well. It provides a perfect lodging location within walking distance of the Old Course, New Course, Jubilee Course. Strathtyrum Course, and Eden Course. No car required and that’s a good thing. Parking in the Auld Grey Toon can be tough.
This is not the Ritz Carlton. If that’s your fancy, perhaps consider the Old Course Hotel or the Fairmont. If location is important, the Ardgowan is one of the best lodging options in St Andrews.
I’ll be posting a full review of the Fairmont Hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland soon. In preparation for that review, I’ve processed a gallery of Fairmont Hotel Scotland photos and posted in the Hooked On Golf Blog photo gallery. Click the photo below to see the full gallery.
Fairmont Hotel – St. Andrews, Scotland – As seen from the Torrance Course – click to see full gallery
The Fairmont is quite a place. Very large. The rooms are so much bigger at the Fairmont than the tiny rooms at the hotels close to the Old Course. In fact, I’d guess that my room at the Ardgowan last time was the same square footage as the bathroom in my suite at the Fairmont.
Stay tuned for my Fairmont Hotel St. Andrews review coming soon.
This is one of my quicker review turnaround times. I haven’t had the Bobby Jones Baby Alpaca 1/4 Zip Sweater for more than a few weeks, but after wearing it nearly every day since the temperatures dropped, I’ve logged more than enough miles to post my review. I wanted to be sure to get this review done before Thanksgiving and all the hubbub with Black Friday later this week. This is without a doubt the nicest, most comfortable, best looking sweater I’ve ever worn. No comparison. If you’re shopping for a golf sweater for yourself or for the golfer on your Christmas list, your search ends here.
Bobby Jones Baby Alpaca 1/4 Zip Sweater
Highlights
- Retail Price: $225.00
- 100% Baby Alpaca
- 12 gauge cable rib detail
- Suede piping at front zip placket closure
- 1×1 rib at neck, cuff and bottom trims
- Super soft baby alpaca hand feel
Style
The cable rib pattern and charcoal color of this sweater exude style and class. The suede piping around the front zipper is very sharp. The fit, cut, and ribs on the trim are so sharp.
Bobby Jones Baby Alpaca 1/4 Zip Sweater
Comfort
The baby alpaca fur is so soft. I want an entire outfit, down to the undies, made from baby alpaca fur. I want my bed sheets and comforter made from baby alpaca fur. There is NO itching like one might expect from a wool sweater. The sweater is mega-soft and the fit is perfect.
Performance
This is not a super-heavy sweater. I’d recommend it for fall and spring. Very cold temperatures in the winter might be too much for this piece, unless wearing a jacket or outer layer.
The smooth fur and great fit of this piece do not bind, stretch, or restrict the golf swing. I can swing in full comfort.
Conclusion
No, the $225 price tag for this Bobby Jones Apparel piece is not cheap. Neither is a Mercedes.
Magnecaddy
You know those suction cups which go on the end of a putter or golf club which are used to pick up the ball out of the hole? With my bad back I may be a few short years of using one, to save myself having to bend down.
In that same vein there’s a golf accessory called Magnecaddy which helps golfers avoid bending down to pick up golf clubs. Magnecaddy is a very powerful magnet which screws onto the end of a golf club. The magnet is strong enough to pick up an iron or wedge, probably several. In the photo below I’m picking up a heavy old Hogan 56 degree wedge from a cart path… Don’t ask me about the cart path part.
No problem picking up a heavy Hogan wedge
In addition to the strong magnet, there is an included ball marker:
Magnecaddy marker
Conclusion
Magnecaddy is a bitt of an off-the-wall golf gadget which I would not imagine many serious or “tour” players would use. But it could be a good golf gift for a senior golfer, or one like me with a bad back.
The Art of Fast Play
I’ve had The Art of Fast Play – Solving Golf’s Maddening Problem of Slow Play for a long time and I’ve read every page at least three times. This is an invaluable book which is full of common sense advice for speeding up play on the golf course, and making the game more enjoyable for all playing and more profitable for golf courses.
Below are a couple of really great highlights/suggestions for playing fast. I actually DO these two, and did before reading the book. So I have that going for me, which is nice.
Place extra clubs ON the green, inline with your green exit path
If you come up to the green with some wedges and other clubs you used to get there, put them ON the green. This will help prevent them from getting lost in long grass where they are not easily seen. Putting them on the exit line of the green means you’ll have to trip over them on your way to the next hole, and not forget them!
Shorten Pre-Shot Routine by 10 Seconds
Golf math: A foursome of average 18 handicap golfers could shave ONE HOUR off their time by shortening their pre-shot routine by 10 seconds. Think about it. Each player will probably shoot 90ish. 90 x 4 players is 360 shots. 360 times 10 seconds is 3600 seconds. 3600 seconds comes to one hour.
Conclusion
One reason former golfers left is the time involved to play a round. That same problem is causing golf courses to lose money and the industry is struggling in part for this reason. Speeding up play makes the game more fun, brings more players into it, and helps golf courses’ bottom line.
This book would make a great Christmas gift for golfers of all abilities.
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