Aberdeen: The New Home of Golf?
submitted: Nov 30th 2008 |
by: Paul McIndoe |
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Word Count: 439
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Scotland is the home of many things - whisky, tartan and shortbread to name a few - but it is perhaps the Scots' contribution to the world of sport that has had the biggest affect on the world.
From 1456, when the first recorded game of golf (for which records survive) took place at Bruntsfield Links in Edinburgh, Scotland has been seen the world over as the main destination for golfing holidays. While St Andrews has become the focus point for the game for many years, with the Old Course being seen as the mecca for golfers, Aberdeen is soon to be in the limelight now that Donald Trump's billion pound proposal has been granted permission from the Scottish government.
Mr Trump's plans include two championship calibre courses and a five-star hotel - as well as a golfing academy and holiday homes - on a 1400 acre stretch of beach and sand dunes along the north east coast, around seven miles to the north of Aberdeen. Work on the development at Menie Estate is due to begin in early 2009.
Aberdeen is home to a high number of golf courses already and its oldest - the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club which was founded in 1780 - hosted the 2005 Senior British Open. This newest inclusion to the local golf scene has hopes to host the Open Championship and perhaps, with its golfing academy, it may help produce players capable of challenging for success at the top level of the game.
Scottish golfers have had their share of success. Tommy Armour and Bobby Cruickshank have more PGA Tour wins than any other European golfers, Colin Montgomerie has the third highest number of European Tour wins and Sam Torrance, Sandy Lyle and Bernard Gallacher all feature in the top twenty. Aberdeen born Paul Lawrie made history in 1999 when, on the last day of the Open Championship, he started 10 shots behind the leader to win the event - the largest third round deficit ever faced by a major championship winner.
Mr Lawrie also has plans for a golf course in Aberdeenshire and Jack Nicklaus has also earmarked a site nearby for a course and hotel, as golfing interest in Europe's oil capital continues to grow.
By now, hopefully, the myth that the word golf derived from the acronym "gentlemen only; ladies forbidden" has been thorough debunked (its origin is likely to be the old Scottish word "goulf" or "gowf" which means "to strike") meaning that both genders can get flights to Aberdeen to enjoy the new golf course.
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