managed to get the Scottish Opens on and for the ladies they got the British Open at Troon , so with everything going on , it was amazing to get those tournaments up and running with all of the players there .
DG : Yes , it is nice to watch professional players take on a course when you know a few of the holes .
CM : Obviously , the Scottish Opens have been at Renaissance for a couple of years now , so people know the course . And golfers know Royal Troon too . If you cannot get out there yourself , it is nice to watch it on television .
DG : You play at North Berwick , but you are blessed with so many wonderful courses along Scotland ’ s Golf Cost ?
CM : We are really spoilt for choice here . You do a lot of dogs walks etc recently and kind of go from North Berwick to Archerfield , Renaissance , Muirfield , Gullane , Kilspindie one after another as you go along the coastline .
DG : I have been lucky enough to play Gullane , which was in top condition . But I also really enjoyed playing Glen , Longniddry , Royal Musselburgh , and even took on a bit of hickory golf at Kilspindie . Those clubs were not easy to hit !
CM : Actually , it is amazing the difference between the two courses in North Berwick . Even though Glen Golf Club is right on the coastline and is quite spectacular right up on the cliffs , it plays more like parkland turf with some great holes . But I love the 13th par-3 , down the hill , right on the cliff line , one of my favourites .
DG : Yes , and the tee shot on 18 is special too , quite daunting with out of bounds but also spectacular view of North Berwick coastline .
CM : Yes , that is a nice tee shot , standing up there on the top .
DG : And when you are back , if you are not playing at your home course in North Berwick , what other courses do you play ?
CM : I am fortunate enough to be a member of a few courses in the area , so I am kind of spoilt for choice a little bit . But to be honest , when I was playing on Tour for over 25-years I did not play much golf when I came back home . I would just practise a bit and rest up . But I am enjoying getting back out on North Berwick , Gullane , Archerfield , Renaissance for example .
DG : The pandemic has made more people get involved in golf . Tour Operators expect this pent-up demand to convert into a boost in golf tourism . So why should a travelling golfer come to Scotland ?
CM : If you play golf , then Scotland , as the home of golf , is your dream destination . As you said earlier , if you do not play links golf , then where better place to come and experience it for the first time . There are so many options too . You obviously have the well-known ones , but there are so many different courses that are really good and worth
coming to play . And golf in Scotland is still relatively affordable , when compared to the rest of the world .
DG : I would agree with that . I have been lucky enough that my job has taken me to all regions in Scotland , from Ayrshire across to East Lothian , into St . Andrews and Fife , and up to Aberdeen and the Highlands . There is enough scope for the travelling golfer to keep coming back to take on the various golf regions in Scotland .
CM : Definitely , like you say – you can go up North , take on East Coast or West Coast . There is lots of choice which is great .
DG : I know your favourite Destination for golf is obviously Scotland , but what is your favourite region for golf outside Scotland ?
CM : I think Australia . I have always liked playing on the Sunbelt courses down in Melbourne . I was fortunate enough to win the Australian Open , which was my first professional win Yarra Yarra Golf Club , which right there with
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