It does indeed rain in Scotland but in St Andrews not nearly as much as you might think.  Since we are asked this question almost as many times as, “Can you get us on the Old Course?”, we thought we would share some intelligence with you that might be useful for you when planning your trip to St Andrews.

The table below highlights the 2010 monthly (to date) precipitation in St Andrews. We compare it to two other wonderful golf destinations, Turnberry in Scotland and Hilton Head in the U.S.  Also, we thought we would show you how it compares against Rome, Italy and Boston, Massachusetts. We could have measured rainfall against London, Paris, New York and Miami to name a few, and St Andrews would still turn up favourably on top. (Keep in mind that while data is from 2010, it is fairly indicative of St Andrews weather.)

Haste ye back to the St Andrews sunshine!

Watson Bids Farewell

Every five years, the Open Championship returns to St Andrews and the Old Course.  As you might imagine, the town teems with visitors and brims with excitement. Patrons are 5 deep at the Dunvegan, a popular local restaurant and pub. And that’s on the pavement!  Golfers, locals and visitors mix as one. There is no other place and no other event like it.

While on course drama was lacking in this year’s Open, we still took away many wonderful remembrances (and a few we would like to forget!).  Here are some of our memories for the 2010 Open Championship:

• The Road Hole – The golfers proved why this hole, the 17th on the Old Course, is one of the most interesting and famous holes in golf. The lengthening of the hole only added .04 strokes this year versus 2005 but produced more words from scribes then anything else. To quote Shakespeare,  it was ‘much ado about nothing.” The R&A deserve kudos for making the hole the centerpiece of the Open.
• Miguel Angel Jimenez – It seemed fitting to us that a Spaniard would find a way to execute a near impossible shot on the Road Hole (see video). Clearly, Jimenez paid attention to his countrymen, Ballesteros & Olazabal, the original wizards of shot making.
  
• Louis Oosthuizen’s surgical play to win the Open Championship – It wasn’t flashy but Oosthuizen did some things that allow one to win Major Championships. Oosthuizen hit 16 out of 16 fairways on Friday( while belting it an average of 330 yards ), the day the course closed for 66 minutes because of high winds.  He 3 putt only twice on the Old Course’s colossal double greens. Congrats to Louis on his outstanding play to win the Open and for his opening remarks upon winning where he wished his former President, Nelson Mandela, a happy 92nd birthday. Color us impressed.
• Rory McIlroy’s opening round 63 -  OK. His second round wasn’t pretty but his opening round score of 63 was pure dead brilliant. He hit 17 greens in regulation, had 1 eagle, 7 birdies and 10 pars. Flawless. But temporary. Fear not though, Rory is 21 and he will be back.
• Friday’s scoreboard – Hopefully we weren’t the only one who found the humour in the Scoreboard announcement of the course closure on Friday. “Play suspended because of high winds. LOL ” It is an Open after all.
• Tom Watson’s farewell – While he will likely play in more Open Championships, Tom Watson will be 65 years old when the Open returns to St Andrews. His walk down 18 on Friday night in the waning light was likely his goodbye to the Auld Grey Toon.  Tom Watson, a 5 time winner of the Open Championship, will long be remembered in St Andrews. As an aside, it seemed to us a classy move by Justin Rose, Camilo Villegas & Tiger Woods to allow Watson to finish his round by waving him up as darkness began to set preventing Watson’s return the next morning to finish the last hole.
• The Weather – Just like St Andrews to deliver a little bit of every kind of weather imaginable. Perfect for an Open Championship.
• Arnold Palmer in town again – You know how we are about royalty and seeing the King in town puts a smile on everyone’s face. His visit coincided with the tournament but he was in St Andrews to receive an honourary degree from the University of St Andrews.  The one thing we can tell you is this: the only other people to command attention like Arnold Palmer were John Kennedy and Winston Churchill. Powerful stuff indeed.
• The Old Course – Once again the Old Course was the biggest winner of all. It is a special place that everyone loves immediately or learns to love eventually. There are other great courses that make up the Open rota but nothing compares to the wonders of the Old Course (and St Andrews).
• John Daly’s attire – How can we view him as a contender again if he doesn’t take himself seriously?

Recently, we welcomed our first residents of 2010 at Monarchs House. It was a group lead by Boston-based Bryan Anderson, Tom Baxter and Bill Maffie. This triumvirate were deeply involved in the planning process and decided to visit St Andrews in April.

We talked to Bill about why the group chose the month of April, not considered high season for the area. He said,

A lot of our thinking revolved around weather and the ability to get on the courses we wanted to play. We figured that while school was still in session and it was early in the year, golf tourists would be at a minimum. It worked exactly as planned. We played the “Old”  and all of the other great courses on our list.

But what about the weather?

It was fantastic. We had a little bit of everything but mostly it was blue skies and warm. It was like we dialed it in.

Bryan Anderson was sold on Monarchs House and St Andrews. He remarked,

I want to make this an annual pilgrimage. I have talked to the guys and everyone agrees that this was the most enjoyable trip ever.

Bryan, we appreciate the kind words and would be delighted to welcome you any time. Most of our residents are repeat visitors, some staying with us bi-annually.

Visit Monarchs House, your home at the home of golf.

From L-R: Mike Charland, Dan Pimental, Bill Maffie, Monarchs House Chef Kevin Low, Curtis Mueller, JR McDonald, Bryan Anderson, Tom Baxter

Usually there are two things people ask first when inquiring about a golf trip to Scotland: can you get me on the Old Course and when is the best time to go? The Old Course question is a story for another posting. This time we’re talking about Scottish weather.

Does Scotland deserve its reputation as the home of the constant shower?

When you talk to a native Scot they would have you believe that their weather is bad all the time. We never understood that. Why say your weather is bad when it’s not? There may be a secret campaign to convince visitors not to expect much and then, when the weather is grand, you have exceeded expectations. Here, we are only dealing with facts.

Unlike the United States, golf in Scotland is a walking sport. There are few courses where you can take a motorized cart or buggie with out a Doctor’s note. If you start with that premise, Scotland has the perfect weather for golf and walking. It is neither too hot or cold. Yes it rains but much less than you think, unless you’re on the west coast (region A, if you’re following along). There it rains 300 days out of 365. On the east coast (regions B, C, D & E) it rains far less than you might imagine.  St Andrews, for example, has less average annual rainfall than Rome and far less than New York City.

Scotland’s visitor golf season (locals play all year round) is between the months of May and September, with the shoulder months of April and October providing some great golf opportunities as well. Here are some handy charts that will help you plan your next trip.

Temperature (warmest to coolest/min -max temps in F°)
July (56-72)
August (54-68)
June (50-65)
September (50-62)
May (42-58)
October (40-55)
April (38-50)

Rainfall (driest to wettest)
April
June
May
July
August
October
September

On the West coast, you should consider that during the months of August, September and October rainfall levels are double that of April, May and June.

Personally, we favor golfing in April and October. During those months there are fewer crowds, better opportunities to make tee times and if you are a price sensitive consumer, there are more bargains.

The Weather

We are often asked about the best time to travel to Scotland because of a general misconception that the whole of Scotland experiences high rainfall. In fact, rainfall in Scotland varies widely depending upon topography and location.

While the Highlands and western Scotland have very high rainfall, most of the East Coast is quite dry and sunny. St. Andrews, in particular with its unique micro-climate, has the good fortune to be considered the sunniest and driest location in all of the United Kingdom. According to historic data, October and April are the driest months while July and August, the warmest. For further reading about our sunny climes click here—>Average rainfall.

Average annual precipitation in St. Andrews is approximately 27 inches, the same as Rome, Italy and less than New York City, Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Dallas. We’re convinced that it is another case of under promising and over delivering!

I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St Andrews and I would still have had a rich and full life.

Bobby Jones.