I am often asked by my clients which course I like best in St Andrews. It’s usually quite a hard one and I usually qualify by saying of course we have the Old. And that is still true because of course the Old Lady is the Old Lady and will always be. It’s what St Andrews and the mecca and pilgrimage here is fundamentally about. But….

This year the St Andrews Links Trust took over the Craigtoun Course on the southern outskirts of the town on the pine-laden heathland rising above the spires and the sea and the magic that is the ancient town of St Andrews. And wow what a gem of a place it is.

It is now categorically my go-to course in St Andrews. It’s heaven. The beauty of the surrounds are exceptional. It’s a piece of God’s country in the Kingdom. It’s paradise and a golfing wonder.

The clubhouse sits handsomely with views over the town and nestled above the fir-strewn fairways. If this was in California it would be a very-high end country club. It is exquisite. It is faultless.

We had lunch yesterday courtesy of the very impressive manager, Ayden Robert-Jones, who invited me up after I was a bit critical of my first visit when it was teething. He was unbelievably professional and courteous and I must say that I have never had a customer services experience like this. Again wow. And thank you Ayden and team. The food was excellent, a very tasty burger and fresh and succulent St Monans fish and chips. Also the staff were so friendly and professional. This is going to be the crowning glory of the St Andrews golfing experience may I say.

The course again is superb with so many wonderfully designed holes (Peter Thomson the 5 times Open champion was the original architect). A challenge yes but inspired and so pretty.

So watch this space. The St Andrews Links Trust has pulled off a complete masterstroke here in negotiating the lease of the Craigtoun Course off the Old Course Hotel and now putting it firmly on the map.

Rush to put it on your itinerary .

I have had an extraordinary week with a golf group of 27 Indians from Bangalore. The men were all ex-military and avid golfers and their wives were here for the sights and the crack. And boy we had some crack.

I accompanied the ladies for the week and we had 4 days away visiting the East Neuk, Falkland Palace, Edinburgh Castle and Pitlochry.

What can I say after spending such time with these most entertaining women? For one thing Wow! they are great fun. They can be direct of course and to the point but they have such big hearts and are such a tonic to be around to be honest. I loved their quick easy humour and their big smiles. They have a quiet confidence and seem so content in their own skins. They didn’t need alcohol socially. In fact I think it would have clouded their humour. That was a massive and most poignant insight for me. I will take that away.

Anyway, the week culminated in the Jahangar in St Andrews on Friday evening with a celebratory dinner and prize giving. I ended up giving the whole of the restaurant a recitation of Tam O’Shanter which was a first for me and I am pretty sure a first for the Jahangar restaurant too. I think I just got away with it with the owner and 2 older gentlemen who definitely didn’t appreciate it at the outset but I think warmed.

Anyway, I will have such fond memories of this group from Bangalore which has left me highly curious about Indian culture and the Eastern way.

Put it like this. I shall be commencing my Pranayama yoga this week. T1