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A Zen Approach To
Playing Golf In
Scotland

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James C. Plowden-Wardlaw

James Campbell Plowden-Wardlaw hit his first golf ball into the gorse bushes at Old Prestwick -- the cradle of championship golf and site of the first British Open -- at the age of nine, during a family visit to a great aunt in Ayr, Scotland. He returned home to America impressed by the game, but waited more than fifty years to play again in Scotland...(More...)

Alex B. Pagel

Alex B. Pagel dubbed his first shot at the Maidstone Club course on Long Island in the 1940s under the Scottish eye of the club professional Jack Ross. This legendary man endeavored to teach him how to hit a ball, never a total success, and how to enjoy the game, by contrast a long and continuing success story. Old Jack also frequently implied that the true object of the game was to play in Scotland on a links course in the wind...(More...)

 
 
 

 

Hole # 5 – Machrihanish (1st tee Drive)

Far out on the windy Kintyre Peninsula, north of Ayrshire, you will find Scotland’s premier opening hole, and a good many other fine challenges as well. Founded by locals and J.H. Taylor in 1876, Macrahanish was revised by Old Tom Morris in 1879 and again in 1914 by J.H. Taylor. After a round here, few players will forget Old Tom’s declaration that this area was “specifically designed by the Almighty for playing golf.”

The Machrihanish Golf Club - 18 holes - Machrihanish, Campbelltown, Argyll, PA 28 6PT. Further details in our book 'A Birdie For Buddha.'

Thank the Gods of Golf!

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And now, you have arrived with your clubs at the tee of hole #1. You are ready to pay homage to the Golf course with your presence and your play. At this moment in time you are going to begin a positive and wonderful experience, because this day you are going to feel yourself hit every shot, savor every lie, and walk on velvet and sand.

The player who is developing the Zen Approach to Golf appreciates this jewel of a course, feels it with his feet and soul, and quietly reflects about all this as he looks out from the first tee. This is one of the most wonderful moments of the day. You are about to walk through the door into your special kingdom. It is the only scene like this in the entire round. Enjoy being here...now you can tee up your ball.

It is a mighty moment. Before you adapted our Zen Approach it was usually a rather tense moment because: most first tees are close to the clubhouse and there is usually a small group of other people milling around, waiting for their tee time and watching you! Not any more! Happily, all of this is different when you are using our Zen Approach to Golf - because you are, at the moment of setup, completely and blissfully in your own world. People are no distraction. Your eventual score (much more on this later) is no distraction. And you are feeling your hands on your club and your feet on the green turf, and you are conscious of your slowed down breathing. As the certain result, you can now enjoy the feel of your hips turning, your arms extending back, and then the swinging into the ball, as effortlessly as you possibly can.

You can read the entire chapter in our book "A Birdie for Buddha"
  

 
The Rippling Macrahanish Fairways
 
The Special Effects of Scotland’s Skies

And there it goes! It felt and sounded good at the moment of impact and your body felt good on the follow-through. But you didn’t see where it went, so intensely focused were you on the Zen Approach in action. Your partner and a few of the bystanders say, “Great shot!” and after a few minutes of strolling on the green velvet fairway you will finally see your ball, nicely set up for your second shot. You could, of course, have sent it far into the huge sandy beach on the left which is considered in play, but you were lucky, or was it something else?

Strange things will be coming your way when you can remember to use the Zen Approach to Golf. We know. We’ve been learning too. You finished the first hole well. - Thank the Gods of Golf!
     

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