Pilgrimage to golf’s ancestral birthplace

My column for the next few weeks will take a slightly different turn from the normal focus on industry news and UAE golf.

Last week as the summer humidity reached dizzy heights I headed off on my annual holiday, which this year I am extremely delighted to say has started at the home of golf – St Andrews. So for all you golf enthusiasts and avid followers of my column I thought I’d bring you with me on my travels by turning my column into my diary notes!

I know you don’t need to ask what I’m doing here, as that’s obvious – but to give you a little more detail, this week is our "inaugural golf tour", which is the result of a plan hatched between myself and a few friends six months ago. There are eight of us altogether – perfect fit for two fourballs and the minibus we hired to get us around.

The venue for our first trip wasn’t a difficult decision to make as Fife in Scotland has arguably the best stretch of golf coastline in the world.

Aside from the world- famous Old Course and the other St Andrews links courses (seven in total), the likes of Carnoustie and Kings Barns (both top championship venues) and a host of other fabulous links are also on the doorstep.

As we made our way through Cupar on our way to the town centre we passed the newly opened Castle Course, designed by David MacLay Kidd (named the hottest architect in golf by Golf World) which is course number seven and the first course to be opened in St Andrews for more than 100 years.

Day 1 of the tour started yesterday at the formidable Kings Barns, which has a reputation as the most challenging course in Fife. The wind that blows over this undulating links will bring you to your knees but when we made our way to the first tee to be greeted by the starter – we could have been mistaken for being in Dubai as the sun beat down on us and a soft cool breeze blew across the course!

The golf course was magnificently turned out. Following a very wet June the fairways and greens were a picture of health, but still there is no denying the challenge of links golf when faced with tight lies, hard undulating greens and my action that’s used to lush Bermuda grass and perfect lies.

I won’t bore you with my slightly disappointing score but I will say that we had great fun and "wow!" what a course! At £165 (Dh1,200) it’s not cheap, but every one of us will gladly pay to play it again. The service was exceptional – friendly and warm, but the course is by far the winner. It instantly grabs your attention as it tears across the coastline, Kyle Phillips should be knighted for producing a masterpiece which is unquestionably at one with nature and the environment.

Day one couldn’t have started better but there’s so much more to come – we’re in for a great week.