George M. Hiller Jr.
Greetings from Atlanta GA. I wanted to submit two photos for your 20th anniversary memory project. I have made 6 visits to your course over the past 10 years and Kingsbarns is among my favorite courses in all the world.
A round on Saturday, 3 June 2017, a 16:00 tee time, was unquestionably the most extraordinary round of golf I have experienced. When I arrived the links were shrouded in a dense, thick, blanket of fog and mist billowing in from the North Sea, such that I thought it may have been a mistake to turn up for the round. From the clubhouse and 1st tee, it was not possible to see beyond 100 yards or so, thus the majestic surrounds of the sea, coastline, and rumpled terrain of the course was all obscured and hidden from view. The fog was so intense that it was only possible to know where to hit a tee shot from the red flashing signal poles that were placed in the landing zones. Adding to the weathery drama, my wife agreed to accompany me for the walk – which turned out to be a real blessing since she brought her camera – although I was concerned that we could get trapped in disagreeable weather conditions and also disheartened that she may not see and enjoy the beauty of the course that I had described to her.
The initial trepidation of venturing out, however, was rewarded. We played in the mist for the first 4 or 5 holes, then in some sideways cold rain, followed by winds accompanied with clouds of darkness – which by the turn to the 10th all began to give way into brilliant early evening Scottish summer sunshine. It was the most extraordinary range and variety of weather to be experienced and encountered within a single round, and to share these wonders on the Fife coast alongside my wife has given to me a lasting memory to treasure.
After our return home, my wife presented to me, as a birthday gift which adorns the wall of my study – the first attached photo of my second shot on Hole 3 in the sea mist, where you can note the flashing red signal light in the fairway. And the second photo is in the sunshine a couple hours later on Hole 12 with my playing companions walking ahead.
Happy 20th Anniversary indeed! My warmest best wishes to the staff and the full Kingsbarns team. I hope and trust that all will remain safe and in good health. I can’t wait to get back to Kingsbarns again.