I Lost 13 Balls at One of Scotland's Best Links Golf Courses

Ross and Colin are back with a proper mixed bag this week. Colin's been living his best golfing life at two very different Scottish gems, the windswept championship links of Western Gailes and the quirky Old Tom Morris charm of Cullen, though the Gailes part of Western Gailes lived up to its name and cost him somewhere north of thirteen balls. Ross, meanwhile, is preparing for an Open qualifier by wisely not treating it like an Open qualifier, recommitting to his fade after a flirtation with draws that cost him a ball in the water (and, somehow, still a par).

The middle of the episode is a short game masterclass by way of confession. Colin wants to know how Ross chooses between a pitch, a chip and run, or the hero flop, and the answer starts with the lie, every time. Colin then reveals the moment that converted him to the chip and run for good: a 70-yard seven iron scuttled along the ground at Cullen's 18th that dropped in for his first ever eagle. The pair also dig into a fascinating MyGolfSpy article built on Arccos data from over 660,000 par 3s, which shows that almost nobody flies the green, nearly everyone comes up short, and we're all guilty of clubbing for our best strike rather than our average one.

They wrap up with tales of the toughest par 3s at Ross's course, a case for laying up when the carry isn't there, and this week's competition recommendation: a cracking open at Royal Burgess in Edinburgh, one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. Colin leaves with homework (pitch and run practice, possible Vokey purchase) and listeners leave with an invitation to send in their own course reports.

Episode Highlights

🟢 Colin's first ever eagle: a 70-yard chip and run with a seven iron that rolled straight into the hole on Cullen's 18th

🟢 The Arccos data on par 3s: fewer than 10% of golfers fly the green at any handicap level, yet we all plan for our perfect strike

🟢 Ross loses his tee shot on a 560-yard par 5, drops, watches his playing partner accidentally play his ball, and still walks off with the par of his life

🟢 Thirteen lost balls at Western Gailes: what playing a top links course in a full-blown gale does to a recently cured slice

🟢 Claude Harmon's short game rule that stuck with Ross: whatever you do, never leave yourself two chips to get on the green

Gear & Resources Mentioned

🟢 Western Gailes Golf Club, Ayrshire: https://westerngailes.com

🟢 Cullen Links Golf Club, Moray: https://www.cullenlinksgolf.co.uk

🟢 Golspie Golf Club, Sutherland: https://www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk

🟢 The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh: https://www.royalburgess.co.uk

🟢 MyGolfSpy article: You're Playing Par-3s Wrong. Here's What the Data Says to Do Instead: https://mygolfspy.com/news-opinion/youre-playing-par-3s-wrong-heres-what-the-data-says-to-do-instead/

🟢 Arccos shot tracking: https://www.arccosgolf.com

🟢 Scott Fawcett's DECADE Course Management: https://decade.golf

🟢 Son of a Butch with Claude Harmon (podcast)

🟢 Titleist Vokey wedges: https://www.vokey.com

🟢 Trackman (for gapping sessions and knowing your average carry): https://www.trackman.com

Weekly Competitions

Gents Individual Open at The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, Barnton, Edinburgh. Sunday 26th July 2026, individual stroke play open with a handicap limit of 32, £50 entry for visitors. Ross mentions three spots were still available in the field between 2:15pm and 3:00pm at time of recording. Entry is via HowDidiDo: https://www.howdidido.com/Directory/OpenCompetitions/3010. A brilliant parkland course less than five miles from Edinburgh city centre and the airport, so it's an easy trip from almost anywhere in the country. HowDidiDo

One thing to double check before publishing: the transcript reads "handicap limit £32" which I've interpreted as a handicap limit of 32 (a transcription artifact). The listing online also shows £35 for members versus £50 for visitors, so the £50 quoted on the show is the visitor price. HowDidiDo

Chapter List

00:00 Welcome and catching up

01:10 Ross's Open qualifier prep and committing to the fade

04:02 Course review: Western Gailes in a gale

11:07 Ross's competition round and the par of his life

14:47 Colin's handicap update and Golspie course review

18:35 Chip and run vs pitch: choosing the right short game shot

27:20 Par 3 data: why we all come up short

42:03 Weekly competition: Royal Burgess Gents Open

44:25 Wrap up and listener course reports