Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland

Top 100 scoTland 2015
THE DAY JACK CAME TO PLAY
Playing with Clinton & co was nervy. With Mr Nicklaus it was a dream, says skibo Castle’s david Thomson.
It was the last day of the 1970 open at the old
Course in st Andrews. I was sitting on my
father’s shoulders behind the 18th tee, eagerly
awaiting the arrival of the flamboyant
American doug sanders, my favourite player.
He walked onto the tee with his compatriot,
Jack Nicklaus, who proceeded to drill a
3-wood through the back of the green of this
iconic par 4. I had a new favourite player and
turned, wide-eyed, to my father and said
“I want to be a professional golfer like him.”
My wish came true, and after playing on the
European Tour and coaching several Tour
players, I took the job of director of Golf at
skibo Castle, part of the Carnegie Club.
one day three years ago I was telling one
of our members, an American lady, about my
afection for Mr Nicklaus stretching back to
that July day 42 years ago. she nonchalantly
murmured “we’ll have to set something up
then” as she threw her putter into her bag.
I thought nothing more of it until I was in
America the following year playing with her at
lost Tree. As I was teeing it up on the 1st she
suggested we play briskly as we had a
lunchtime appointment... with Jack Nicklaus.
I could barely hit a fairway after hearing that.
And sure enough we spent an hour or so in his
house, chatting, examining memorabilia and
generally having the experience of a lifetime.
or so I thought. Earlier this year, word
reached me that Mr Nicklaus was coming to
stay in the castle at skibo. on his second day
we met and he wondered if I’d like to play
with him the following morning. of course,
I protested he mustn’t feel obliged to do so,
but secretly I was absolutely thrilled.
We arranged to play at 10.30am and when
I returned to the clubhouse after hitting a few
balls on the range to warm up and try to lose
some of the nervous tension from my limbs,
my staf wondered if I could swing a bit faster!
I’ve been fortunate to play with Greg
Norman, sandy lyle, Ernie Els in my career.
I’ve played with Bill Clinton. I’ve teed it up in
the PGA at Wentworth. I was nervous before
on each occasion, but this was diferent. This
was meeting a man and a golfer I had admired
ever since I watched open-mouthed at him
drilling that 3-wood in st Andrews.
Mr Nicklaus told me to lead of. My swing
was a blur but what I can distinctly recall is the
sight of my ball disappearing so far right it
must have landed on the 1st tee at dornoch.
I apologised and revealed how nervous I was
at playing with him. Mr Nicklaus told me to have
a ‘breakfast ball’ and I got the second away.
Then Mr Nicklaus stepped up... and hit the
same block I had! I almost think he did it
intentionally, to put me at ease. He turned to
me and apologised, saying how nervous he
was playing with me... His second was a drive
into the wind that went 270 yards. Age 75.
By the 4th I could feel the club in my hands
and the conversation was flowing. Gloriously
so. We talked course design, equipment
technology, the future of the game. It was an
education listening to his considered opinions
and watching him manouevre himself around
what he noted was a proper championship
course. I was watching so closely I was fearful
I’d start mimicking his mannerisms –
crouching over the putter or rolling my ankles.
I took great pride in Mr Nicklaus saying he
enjoyed our course. He felt it was strategic,
beautiful and in the best condition he had
experienced in the UK; an accolade to cherish.
He especially loved the short holes, notably
the 6th, which he said reminded him of the
Postage stamp, and of the longer holes the
12th and our signature, the 17th, took his eye.
It was he who suggested photographs,
autographs and signing memorabilia
afterwards, which I would never have asked
for but which I now absolutely treasure.
Not that I need physical reminders of my
four hours in the company of my hero; every
drive, every opinion, every chip and every
mannerism is etched in my mind.
I got home that night exhausted. I poured
myself a drink and reflected on how lucky that
boy on his father’s shoulders had been to end
up playing with his idol 44 years later.
n David Thomson played on the European
Tour before becoming Director of Golf at
Skibo Castle, which he helped re-design.