The Elon University men's and women's golf teams are in Scotland as a part of the Elon Commitment to its students achieving a global experience. Check in to elonphoenix.com to view the daily updates of the program from its athletes on the overall experience! Be sure to also check out posts and updates on the team's social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
 
Elon men's golfer William Harwood writes about Monday and Tuesday on the global experience trip. Click below for the Adobe Spark version of the story.



Journal Entry No. 2 - Nov. 21, 2017

     Yesterday [Monday] morning, we left Glasgow and headed towards Stirling. We made a stop early in the morning to take a tour of Loch Lomond. It was cold, windy and rainy, giving us a true taste of the Scottish weather we expected to see. While on Loch Lomond, we saw various landmarks, including the Cameron House, which has hosted numerous celebrities over the years. Unfortunately, we did not see Nessie, but that did not stop us from trying to find her. Afterwards, we enjoyed lunch at the Tullie Inn, with most of our teammates trying steak pie, a lovely Scottish dish.
 
Once we arrived in Stirling, we went to the Stirling Castle. The Stirling Castle is built on the highest point in Stirling, and was surrounded by large defensive walls. There were huge drop-offs from the castle too. The amount of history in the castle was truly amazing. We viewed many exhibits about the Scottish army, former kings and queens that lived in the castle, and other intricacies about the castle. There was a William Wallace monument that disbanded the idea that he was a peasant. Wallace was actually a nobleman, which is not mentioned in Braveheart. The fact I enjoyed the most was the poppies that are used on Remembrance Day. Red poppies are used on Remembrance Day as a symbol of blood from those that lost their lives and a sign of new life and hope awakening. In the downtown area of Stirling, there were Christmas lights lining the streets, adding a nice holiday spirit for members of the town.
 
Today we drove over to play Carnoustie, regarded by some as "the toughest links in the world". The weather was rainy and cool, just what we traveled here for. Carnoustie differed from Dundonald because you did not have as much room to miss the fairways. The widest fairway on the course wasn't even thirty yards. Most of the bunkers on the course were being repaired to get ready for The Open Championship next summer. The bunkers were very deep and had severe faces, making them very penal. The first five holes at Carnoustie were straightforward and fairly easy, and it becomes very challenging from there on. Numerous fairways were lined with bunkers on one side and out of bound on the other; the purest form of picking your poison. The green complexes were large too, and it allowed for a variety of shots. One hole, you would use a lob wedge from just off the green and from the other you would use a putter or a seven iron. The fescue was very thick and easy to lose a golf ball in. Because of the rain, it was not as firm, but we still had to play for some run out on the green. The finish is one of the toughest in golf, and it did not disappoint. The 18th hole is a challenging finish with an intimidating tee shot.
 
Talking to professor Ghandour, we agreed that Carnoustie has something very special about it. The layout is challenging, yet fair; intimidating but approachable. The course design is fantastic, probably my favorite course I've ever played. I wish we would have been able to play from all the way back today to see all Carnoustie has to offer. Having played the course now, I am greatly anticipating The Open Championship to see the players face the same challenges we did. The conditions will be tougher, the rough thicker, and it will likely be windier for the players. Carnoustie was truly an extraordinary experience and it is as wonderful and fulfilling a golf course as I have ever played.