Travel Royally Podcast

This podcast is all about what you should expect and prepare for if you are going to play links golf for the first time.   The unpredictable weather, the different types of courses, most importantly the food, and much more topics are covered.   We also get to share a little about our experience at the Open Championship and our Scotland trip in July.   Hope you enjoy!

Malcolm Duck is the owner of Duck's Inn.   Malcolm is also the Director of "Scotland Where Golf Began".   We are lucky to have Malcolm join us to talk about his award winning hotel and restaurant!

Clive Clark is back for round 2! Mr. Clark has too many stories to fit them all in one episode.  Hear more about his time playing professional golf and more of his history as a golf architect. Welcome Clive Clark!

Windswept Brewing was founded in 2012 and is based in Lossiemouth, Scotland.   Nigel first started making beer in his basement for fun.   Now 20 years later with award winning beer selections and beer in 6 different countries!

Cruit Island is considered by some to be one of the best 9-hole courses in the world. Cruit overlooks Arranmore and Owey Islands and has Mount Errigal as a backdrop. This is about as far off the beaten track as you can go when searching for a "hidden gem".

GOLFLAND SCOTLAND is the guide to every Scottish golf course. Atkinson has contributed to golfing titles in the UK and USA, including National Club Golfer, Bunkered Magazine and Links Magazine Mike lives in Edinburgh and is lucky enough to play golf at Gullane in East Lothian and Boat of Garten in the Highlands. Craig has contributed golf stories to media outlets including Golf Magazine, The Times...

Alan McPherson is on a quest to play every single golf course in Scotland.   Only a couple of pitch n putts remain for him.    We hope you enjoy hearing the many experiences and stories Alan has from traveling around Scotland.

Ru was lucky enough to have grown up playing Cruden Bay and still spends his days playing the magnificent links. Ru is up to date on everything golf! We loved getting his take on everything happening in the world right now. Enjoy!

Fortrose & Rosemarkie resides in the Highlands of Scotland. She sits on a peninsula giving views of the ocean from every angle. Great golf and plenty of whiskey to go around! What more could you ask for.

Clive Clark has played in 10 Open Championships and 1 Masters Tournament in 1968.   Clive started his own golf course design company in the 1980's.    His most recent course design was Dumbarnie Links which resides just south of St. Andrews.

Durness Golf Club is an amazing Hidden Gem found in the north coast of Scotland.   This gem has an electric fence around the greens to keep the wildlife from leaving tracks in your putting line.   Alistair has kept this course in pristine condition bringing it in at #18 in Northern Scotland!

Evan is the official golf photographer for Pebble Beach and Bandon Dunes.   Evan has photographed tons of championship courses and is well known for his work in the British Isles as well.

My partner for Royal Links Golf Tours, Jeff Bartholomew, talks with John Murray who is the pro at Jeff's course in Lossiemouth, Scotland. Moray Golf Club has 2 courses including the Old and the New. We are excited to be playing in the Moray Open this July, 2022!

Connor T Lewis founded The Society of Golf Historians over 4 years ago!   He is also loved for his TalkinGolf History Podcast.   Connor is an avid collector of Golf History and we dive into it all!

Kevin Thompson is the head Greenskeeper for Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth, Scotland. He has worked there for over 30 years and his dad was the former head pro there as well. We talk a lot about what is expected of a greenskeeper of a links course and how his day to day life is.

Bob Kroger has been to the British Isles so many times you would think he was a native. All he is missing is an accent and a beard. Bob is the author of many book about the culture, golf, and whiskey of the British Isles. Bob has no short of amazing stories from the Isles, Enjoy!

David and Gillian Kirkwood reside in Edinburgh near Gullane Golf Club. They have recently acquired Archie Baird's Heritage of Golf Museum just off the course at Gullane #1. They have been collectors for longer than I have been alive and share some of the special and rare items that they have in the museum.  

Barry Connor is the Director of Spirits at the Kinnitty Castle Hotel in Ireland. He also grew up playing the Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort. Barry has played the highly anticipated new St. Patrick's Links and tells us all about if the hype is true or not.

Curtis E. Wagner first learned golf from being a caddy back when you got paid a whopping dollar for caddying 1 round. Out of college Curtis went into the Air Force where he played golf for the USAF golf team and won many tournaments with them.  From there he became a Captain for Delta Airlines and flew out of Atlanta, GA for 32 years. Curtis is played in countless amateur tournaments as well...

Jim Hartsell is a native of Alabama and a practicing architect in Birmingham. He is the author of the book “The Secret Home of Golf” which is about the creation of Sweeten’s Cove in Tennessee.  He is also writing a new book about his month in Scotland this past year. Lastly, he is a contributing writer to No Laying up and the Links Diary.

My partner Jeff Bartholomew joins me on Travel Royally Podcast to discuss the future group trips we have planned to Ireland and Italy, our last guest Sheena Willoughby, as well as future guests for Travel Royally Podcast. See what's happening with Royal Links Golf Tours and what we have planned for the future! Details for the Ireland Trip in April, 2022 - https://royallinksgolftours.com/group-tour...

Sheena Willoughby and her husband were the owners of the Dunvegan in St. Andrews for over 20 years! The Dunvegan is famous for many reasons, one being that it is 112 yards from The Old Course at St. Andrews. Sheena tells us her many stories of the famous golfers and caddies that have come through the Dunvegan. Enjoy!

Jim and Sara Masters take us on their 12 day couples trip to Scotland!   They explain that couples actually CAN go on golf trips together...   Have you ever heard of The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo?? It is a must see when traveling to Scotland throughout August.   Jim and Sara say it is a must see and explain why.

Johnny Buckley is the general manager of Kerry Coaches who is Royal Links Golf Tours transportation partner in the British Isles. Johnny is also a Gaelic Football star in his home town. Gaelic Football is huge in Ireland and a very interesting sport!

Sean Coyle joins us to talk about Southport Coast Championships. Sean hosts 8-10 golf tournaments a year at magnificent championship courses throughout the British Isles. Sometimes he is forced to fill in and play when someone isn't able to make it...