A Course Called Arran
- Paul McLean
- Jun 23, 2020
- 24 min read
Updated: Jun 24, 2020
Arran. "Scotland in Miniature"...except when you're running round its outer edges playing each golf course along the way. To that end, I've recommended Visit Arran change the strapline to "Arran. Smaller Than Scotland But No By Much"
This is the tale of my Arran Golf Ultramarathon Challenge. Not quite swing-by-swing but an insight into what went into it.
The Reason
My Arran Golf Ultramarathon challenge was a result of a promise I made to my Mum that I would help raise money for the Ayrshire Hospice who, at that time, were providing what proved to be palliative care for her as she fought breast cancer for the second time. The fact it took 2 attempts, 20 years apart, for cancer to defeat her was testament to her fighting spirit. At no point did she complain or bemoan her luck of the draw - she simply battled on being an amazing Mum, Gran, Auntie, Sister and friend to many right to the end.
Her 2 weeks in the Ayrshire Hospice was an eye opening experience for me. Not because it is a place where people are admitted and rarely re-emerge from. Well, it is, but it is also a place where people are given the chance to live for as long as they can in an environment that is positive for patients and their families. In our case, the care, attention and stimulation my Mum received during her stay absolutely prolonged her life at a time where every day was precious when spending it with her newest grandson, my son Alexander, who was 10 weeks old when my Mum passed.
Given the hospice relies almost exclusively on fundraising to allow it to provide its care completely free to patients and their families, I felt compelled to contribute in however small a way I could. After a few ideas, adaptations and incarnations, I settled on a physical challenge with a twist in the hope it would generate intrigue and make people think "shit...that sounds tough" and, in turn, part with more of their hard earned for the benefit of the Ayrshire Hospice.
Arran Golf Ultramarathon
Golf was always going to play a part, given its roots in Ayrshire and in my childhood growing up in Troon. Both my Uncles (my Mum's brothers) are keen golfers who both worked for Wilson Golf for years in their former factory in Irvine. Hours/days of my school summer holidays were spent playing the Fullarton course at the local municipal (now Troon Links) in the mid-late nineties and my Mum and Dad always allowed me the freedom and independence to go and play. My love (and occasionally hate) for the game stayed with me throughout my late teens and twenties but often fell down the priority list between school/uni and a fledgling amateur football career. Passion, enjoyment and time for the game has seen a resurgence in the last 5 years or so and it seemed a natural fit as a way to try and base a challenge around this.
When I sat down to plan such a challenge and laid out the geography and logistics of Arran, it struck me, first of all, there was a perfect number of golf courses/holes on the island - 93 in total - through a mixture of 9, 18 and, uniquely in Shiskine, 12 holes. "Playing seven courses" would have an impressive ring to it without it me having to spend a week playing seven 18 hole golf courses. Secondly, they were very neatly spread out around the perimeter of the island, ranging from 3.5 miles between the closest two and 14 between the furthest two. This was absolutely do-able.
The final tweak to the challenge was to change from walking between each course in Arran with my clubs on my back (influenced slightly by an excellent golf book by Tom Coyne - "A Course Called Ireland"), to running between each one with my clubs transported by my support team (at that stage the unsuspecting in-laws who I'd yet to invite!). I figured I was built for speed and not strength and could see my slight frame crumbling under the weight of my golf bag over 50+ miles, so I opted for the freedom of the roads instead. This also meant I could fit it into a weekend and have it over and done with sooner so I could spend longer at the Arran Brewery.
Training
I should've mentioned this earlier, but I'm a firm believer that there's no such thing as a selfless good deed. I'm not lying when I say that I was partly in this for me, dressed up as raising money for charity. A combination of constant injury, fatherhood and Mum passing had seen a rather lengthy hiatus to my amateur football career. Add in the sleepless nights, unhealthy eating and winter weather meant there was a perfect "Dad Bod" storm brewing. Barring a few lengthy injury spells in the past (during which I always had age and natural fitness on my side) I was absolutely the unfittest I'd ever been. I needed a purpose to improve my health and used the challenge as a vehicle to help me get there.
I was literally starting from scratch and had 16 weeks to prepare for an Ultramarathon. Training began on Tuesday 19th February 2019 with a 3 mile stop-start run during my lunch break, followed by a 4.5 mile run 5 days later. I slowly built up the fitness (and courage) to run to and from work, starting off by running to the Subway, jumping on the train and getting off at St Enoch in the City Centre and running the rest of the way. This progressed to running the full distance on one of the legs before my first running commute to and from work on Thursday 7th March - just over 5 miles in each direction.
After a brief (and only) injury lay-off I was soon accumulating 25 - 30 miles per week, peaking at 35+ miles per week for 2 weeks around 3-4 weeks out from the challenge. A final "training camp" utilising the in-laws residency on the Isle of Bute allowed me to play 36 holes of golf and run 15 miles in between on the one day, which served as some ideal acclimatisation for island conditions shortly after. I felt as ready as I'd ever be for a challenge I'd never (and not sure anybody has) done before.
Arran
The "holiday" began on Friday 21st June as we departed from the Ayrshire mainland at Ardrossan, one hour later than planned due to a faulty ferry (something about the phalanges). Our cosy AirBnB was situated in Whiting Bay at the southern end of Arran, a great wee spot and the location of the 7th and final round of golf on Sunday night...which seemed a long way off at this stage. I paid a visit to each of the golf clubs to show face and confirm everything was in order for my visits over the weekend. This also acted as a convenient reconnaissance of the roads I'd be running on which actually only served to unsettle the nerves some more, particularly the pass from Lochranza to Corrie with its steep elevations and undulations.
Challenge Eve saw pasta consumption, foam rolling and, later that night, an awake and crying 10 month old for a couple of hours which hastened the 5.30am alarm call.
Day 1 - Saturday 22 June
Stage 1 - Shiskine Golf Club | 12 holes | 1.6 miles
Tee Time: 6.45am
The wonderful Shiskine. I'd heard only good things about it and was particularly excited to start my challenge here without having covered any miles before it. No excuses for poor golf. Given special dispensation by the fantastic club staff and pro to tee off before the course was open to the public or the green staff were out, I knew it was shaping up to be a unique experience. There was the bonus of a fine summers morning and that of some company in the form of my father-in-law, Dave, who was able to enjoy some golf before transitioning into Support Crew Leader extraordinaire.
Stevie Wonder, though not famed for his golf course architecture career, must have had an influence on Shiskine's course design given its penchant for blind shots. This is by no means a bad thing as every hole had quirky fun element to it. The two opening par 4's had blind approaches and tee shots, respectively, before the notorious 121 yard 3rd hole with its uphill tee shot over a ridge into a punchbowl green. The 4th - "The Shelf" - treats you to a big downhill tee shot with a wedge which, upon arrival at the green, is set against a unique cliff-face backdrop. First par of the challenge on the card.
The 5th I'll mention as it set a trend I was to become accustomed (but not warm) to over the weekend - a 200+ yard par 3. It seems that Arran's golf courses may be trying to compensate for something as, what they lack in overall size and length, they more than make up for in stretching out a lot of its par 3's. Still, a lovely 211 yard hole as you drive towards the sea overlooking the Kintyre Peninsula.
The 7th offers a clue in its name ("Himalayas") that you've got two chances of being able to see the green from the tee (none and hee haw). The par 4 8th is 10 yards longer than the par 3 5th so offers a chance to score (which I didn't with a par) before the only par 5 on the course. The three par 3's to finish are all different so the back 6 carries a great variety of holes to give it a "full 18" feel. A yardage book helps to an extent but by the time you've went back round for another 12 holes you'll have a much better understanding of where to play your shots.
Overall, a brilliant experience on an excellent golf course which I'll hopefully visit again in the very near future. A great way to start the challenge.
Score: 53 (+11)
Birdie: 0
Par: 3
Bogey: 7
Double Bogey or worse: 2
Stage 2 | Shiskine to Machrie Run | 4.1miles | 36:32
Run time: 8.45am
It was time to slip off the golf shoes and lace up the sneakers for the first run of the challenge, a gentle 4-miler from Shiskine to Machrie. Due to our early start, we had finished as the first "official" golfers of the day were arriving for their respective rounds which resulted in a few inquisitive looks. Perhaps it was the flash of my torso as I changed in the golf club car park, or the fact I changed into an Ayrshire Hospice branded running vest, that caught the eye of a passing lady golfer but, regardless, she began asking questions about my business at Shiskine Golf Club at 8.30am on a Saturday morning. When I explained, she replied with "WAIT THERE" as she disappeared into her car. Fearing she may be going to get her phone to make a call to the Club Pro, she instead returned with a £20 note to put towards my fundraising. Turns out her father had used the Hospice years ago before he passed away so it also had a special place in her life. A nice touch from an islander and it wasn't to be the last.
As I set off on my run my main focus was to maintain a slow pace, a more difficult and unnatural task than I imagined. 4.1 miles and 36 minutes later (8:47 minute mile pace) I was at Machrie tee room a little earlier than expected. Adrenalin and the lure of a roll and sausage can do that to a man.
Stage 3 - Machrie Golf Club | 9 holes | 1.2 miles
Tee Time: 9.45am
A quick change back into golf gear and I was ready to tee it up at Machrie Golf Club for round 2 of the challenge.
The simple world of Machrie Golf Course. No need for a lavish clubhouse, yardage books or perfect lies...this is what island golf should be like. An opening tee shot into the unknown (literally, with no course map and a blind shot in front of me) meant a 7-iron was the safest play. This left me with a 120-yard wedge into a plateau upturned saucer green, which just clung onto the back edge. A par start before the real fun began.
An insight into what lay ahead was probably best summarised by the walk to the 2nd tee...back along the road I'd just ran down!
After giving way to a passing car I found the 2nd tee, where I was met with the following sight:
“The Hummocks” – a 200 yard par 3 consisting of a burn, 2 fairways, two ridges across said fairways and a green hiding behind it all at the end. A fascinating golf hole which I was delighted to depart from with a par.
Some fun short par 4’s followed, though for “fun” do not read “easy”, as two double bogeys will testify. The finishing hole – “The Road Hole” – would give its namesake at the Home of Golf a run for its money in terms of difficulty. Arguably, it is more aptly named as the approach shot to the green has to carry the A841, the main road around Arran, where the green is neatly positioned next to the beach. Look left and right before your backswing:
My +9 probably a fair reflection of how I played and lack of course knowledge, given the quirky nature of some of the holes. A quick rendezvous with the support crew, including young Alexander, helped top up the adrenalin ahead of the biggest running stage of the challenge.
Score: 42 (+9)
Birdie: 0
Par: 2
Bogey: 5
Double Bogey or worse: 2
Stage 4 | Machrie to Lochranza Run | 14.3miles | 2:14.41
Run time: 11.00am
“Just a half marathon”, I told myself. I’d completed a few of them in my time and several training runs of that length. However, I hadn’t run that distance after already running 4 miles and playing 21 holes of golf. Conveniently, the village of Pirnmill was exactly 7 miles along the route, complete with a tearoom, which was an ideal place to pause and rehydrate with the support crew. All of a sudden, I only had to run 7 miles which sounded much more appealing. After the break in Pirnmill, I was entirely aware that I had another 7 miles to go to Lochranza but, although this was relatively uncharted territory for me in terms of long-distance running, I knew that this would be a mental challenge too and breaking the run up into manageable chunks seemed to help keep the motivation level up.
On the outskirts of Lochranza I was greeted by the support crew complete with reinforcements in the form of extended family over on the island visiting friends. A gathered crowd of at least 10 people on Arran would normally result in some kind of police presence and it was great to have such a reception at the end of the longest running stage of the challenge.
Stage 5 - Lochranza Golf Club | 9 holes | 1.4 miles
Tee Time: 2.15pm
Due to the Hope Cup fixture at Lochranza, the island-wide annual golf tournament competed for by each of Arran’s 7 golf clubs, I was gently encouraged to ensure I teed off before 3.00pm so I would be out the way when the real golfers took to the course. This helped me reach Lochranza with 45 minutes to spare and it felt good to be ahead of time.
The opening tee shot of this 9 holer is very much a risk-reward hole, with the fairway literally split across it’s width by a row of trees and a burn around 180 yards out. Given the adventurous nature of my challenge so far, I probably should’ve been a little more daring and whipped a driver at it but two 7 irons saw me greenside in two and up and down for par.
The 3rd and 4th holes demonstrate the extremes of Arran’s golf holes, with an Arran staple 200+ yard par 3 down towards Lochranza Bay, framing the ruins of Lochranza Castle in the backdrop, followed by a 95 yard tiddler protected only by a small green and meandering stream. A bogey on both, in retrospect, not a bad return given I wasn’t close to a Green In Regulation.
The 5th is a short 263y dogleg right par 4, though for “dogleg” read J-shaped hole that, with a little course knowledge, would be fun to try and reach in one. Another conservative layup to the fairway corner allowed a little wedge approach to the green for a rewarding par.
The last few holes cut back into the course a little, with my greeting on the 9th tee a special way to finish. Given my challenge had almost been a solo pursuit to this point with my only contact outside of my support crew being passing cyclists and cars, I felt a degree of pressure hitting my tee shot in front of one of the resident stags that roam the course. However, I withstood the pressure and scraped a bogey for a final score of 43 (+10).
It may have been the 18.5 miles run and 30 holes played to date or the sense of impending doom about the next stage of the challenge to come, but I trudged off the 9th green needing wind to blow into my sails again. A rendezvous with the support crew in the car park helped, as did Lucozade, an energy bar, an energy gel and some flapjack. I knew what lay ahead, having driven the road the day before. This was to be the most demanding run phase of the challenge not because of the horizontal challenge, but the vertical.
Score: 43 (+10)
Birdie: 0
Par: 2
Bogey: 4
Double Bogey or worse: 3
Stage 6 | Lochranza to Sannox Run | 6.1miles (with a 679ft ascent) | 56:12
Run time: 3.45pm
Having reach the northernmost village on Arran, it was time to traverse the island from West to East. No more pleasantly flat coastal routes…we were going over the top.
Approximately 4 seconds into the run I passed the Isle of Arran Distillery and considered popping in for a tour and whisky tasting experience to help take my mind of the challenge ahead. That would have been the easy option, at least, but I quickly parked the idea and promised myself a return visit if made it over the bastarding hill in front of me. The A841 doesn’t take long to get airborne, winding up and out of Lochranza seconds after passing the “Thanks For Visiting Lochranza, Ascend Safely” sign as you leave the village. Whatever pace (a term I use very loosely) I’d managed on previous stages was pushed to the side to make way for plodding one foot in front of the other along the edge of the road.
Having felt like I’d been travelling “up” for a couple of hours, I paused on “Witches Bridge” for a look at the long, straight road ahead. This was it, Everest awaits.
Finding the motivation at this point wasn’t difficult. I knew why I was here and the cause I was doing this for. However, it’s funny when something is put in front of you to give you a little helping hand. In this case, it was a couple of cyclists – a man and a woman – who were taking on the same stretch of road as I was...albeit on two wheels. As I set off from Witches Bridge I could see they were a hundred or so metres behind me and they would be passing me soon. The gentleman passed first, legs spinning in a blur in his highest gear as he tried to power the bike up the ascent. After a quick share of pleasantries he slowly crept up the hill ahead of me and up to the plateau of the valley.
Not far behind, the lady slowly passed me also in the same gear but legs struggling to keep the wheels turning. Around 50m in front of me she gently tipped sideways and stepped off her bike to begin to push it up the hill. Although I wasn’t travelling at much more than walking pace myself, a little part of me decided it would be funny to try and catch up and overtake her.
A few minutes later I overtook her. Clearly not keen to have a guy outrun her while on her bike, she got back in the saddle and made another attempt at cycling up the hill. She travelled another 100m or so and came off the bike and pushed. I caught her up. I overtook her. You get the picture.
This Benny Hill sketch continued until, without really realising it, the road levelled out and there it was laid out in front of me. The highest peak on Arran – Goatfell. I’d made it to the top. I stopped for a photo opp and to thank the cyclists for helping me up the hill, before they began to “WHHHEEEEEEEEEE” down the other side.
The euphoria was soon replaced with the realisation that I was actually less than halfway through this stage in terms of miles, with another 3.5 miles to Corrie Golf Club. However, the fact that this was (mostly) downhill made the rest of the run a nice relaxing jaunt into the village of Sannox, on the edge of which was the picturesque Corrie Golf Club where the support crew were greeted with some sweaty hugs and high 5’s. Just 9 little holes of golf before some food and a rest.
Stage 7 - Corrie Golf Club | 9 holes | 1.1 miles
Tee Time: 5.15pm
With Corrie GC the “smallest” of the 7 courses Arran has to offer there was only limited correspondence when organising to play, concluding in a very informal “just turn up and play I’m sure it’ll be fine” approach. With only one other car in the car park with a gentleman lacing up his shoes in the back seat, I gestured to him to crack on while I caught my breath and changed into golf mode (which constituted stinking golf shoes and a not-so-smelly t-shirt).
If you look up “quirky” (adj.) in the dictionary its definition is given as “Corrie Golf Club”. This term can be used to describe golf courses in one of two ways: slightly derogatory or affectionately. Corrie is definitely the latter. It might have been the high of completing the toughest running stage prior to teeing off, or the dramatic backdrop of Goatfell, or the perfect evening conditions for golf, or a blend of all three which made this one of my favourite rounds of the challenge.
With five Par 3’s and four Par 4’s its lack of length is more than made up for by feature-esque holes. For example, a green directly behind a tree:
Small, square plateaued greens. Blind tee shots. And, my particular favourite, a tee box with greens equidistant in both directions neither of which I’d already played to. After a few rotations I picked one and teed off before deciphering that it was the wrong green.
Despite zero course knowledge and designing my own course routing, my +8 was one of the best of the challenge, and certainly one of my favourites. It was time for bed.
Score: 38 (+7)
Birdie: 0
Par: 2
Bogey: 7
Double Bogey or worse: 0
Day 2 - Sunday 23 June
Stage 8 | Sannox to Brodick Run | 7.5miles | 1:08.01
Run time: 6.21am
Day 2. 5.00am alarm ahead of 5.30am departure. Check phone, it hasn’t charged. Get out of bed, hobble to shower with a sore foot. Notice heating not on. Go to put on freshly washed running gear, it’s still wet. Make porridge, burn it. Begin to panic. The 30 minute car journey from the digs in Whiting Bay back to Corrie to begin a day of 54 holes of golf and 16 miles of running is somewhat subdued.
However, as I started to put one foot in front of the other with the sun rising over the Ayrshire mainland to my left I remembered why I was doing this, and all I had to do was play lots of golf and run a little over a half marathon in 14 hours. I put my lacklustre start to the day behind me and began to enjoy the deadly quiet island roads as I passed through the occasional picturesque coastal village on my way to Arran’s “capital”, Brodick.
While I enjoyed my relatively uninterrupted views of the Firth of Clyde between Corrie and Brodick, it was actually a godsend when this disappeared from view, as the coastal road cuts inland at the outskirts of Brodick to wrap around the golf course so I knew I was nearly finished this stage of the challenge. Not knowing how I was going to react to restarting the challenge on day 2 I’d factored in a lot longer for this stage, so rocking up at Brodick Golf Club 30mins ahead of schedule feeling radiant was a very pleasing feeling (and only 8.5 miles left to run!).
Stage 9 - Brodick Golf Club | 18 holes | 2.6 miles
Tee Time: 7.35am
Having negotiated with the excellent secretary at Brodick Golf Club to tee off before members or visitors times (8.00am), I again found myself in the enviable situation of having a golf course entirely to myself of a lovely summers morning.
Although pretty much flat terrain for 18 holes, which allows views of the Firth of Clyde from the majority of holes, the first 10 holes are routed inland, some with a parkland feel. The 126 yard Par 3 4th is the first to bring water into play – but over Glenrosa Water which feeds out into the bay and isn’t so much of a hazard as a great aesthetic feature and satisfyingly long walk over the bridge to access the green (especially after my tee shot to 10ft which was converted for….par).
The “physical” turn on the course is actually the 10th green, with the walk to the 11th tee bringing you within literal touching distance of the sand of Brodick Beach as you turn and head back towards the clubhouse. There still wasn’t a breath of wind in the air as it turned 9.00am and teeing off with the sound of lapping waves in my ear gave me a small sense of reward for my efforts so far.
An almost mirror-image of the 4th hole is found at #15 on the other side of the bridge. At 121 yards over the water again, my tee shot was dialled in and, you may or may not have noticed reading this so far, but my first birdie of the challenge duly followed when I rolled in the 8ft putt. It only took 54 holes.
This actually helped me to my best round of the weekend, with a +11 75 carded. A relatively short course with eight Par 3’s, if you can keep your irons straight then a good score awaits, with the benign conditions and general calm of the course helping me begin my 54-hole day on the right footing.
Finishing 18 holes by 10.00am, without a hangover, is the dream start to a Sunday. Still well ahead of schedule, I decided to spend some time in the clubhouse post-round in which the staff had kindly put together a thoughtful goody bag for me to refuel on. Although having never played the course before, the clubhouse wasn’t completely alien to me. In fact, I’d visited it three times without swinging a club thanks to pre-season training days with my football team Cambria AFC, where we would train at Ormidale Park across the road and begin our post-training rehydration protocol in the clubhouse bar before working our way, unsteadily, to the ferry terminal and onward to the mainland. As I polished off a pint of blackcurrant and water with a Lucozade chaser, I took comfort from the fact I probably felt better now than I did after a day of pre-season football training and looked forward to the next stage…as the reinforcements arrived.
Score: 75 (+11)
Birdie: 1
Par: 8
Bogey: 6
Double Bogey or worse: 3
Stage 10 | Brodick to Lamlash Run | 3.5miles | 36:33
Run time: 10.20am
“Hello. How 'bout that ride in? I guess that's why they call it the Isle of Arran. You guys might not know this, but I consider myself a bit of a loner. I tend to think of myself as a one-man wolfpack. But when I needed a willing running partner when the going got tough, my father-in-law, Dave, duly obliged. I knew he was one of my own. And my wolfpack, it grew by one. So, there were two of us in the wolf pack. I was alone first in the pack, and then Dave joined in later. Then, 12 minutes after departing from Brodick GC for the penultimate running stage of the challenge, I met Dobbie and Big Neil off the ferry and I thought, "Wait a second, could it be?" And now I know for sure, I just added two more guys to my wolf pack. Four of us wolves, running from Brodick to Lamlash together, looking for strippers and cocai….”
I must’ve heard that somewhere else, but the sentiment is true to this story – the reinforcements in the form of good friends Colin Dobbie and Neil McIntosh made the journey over to Arran to support me in my challenge. And just in time, as the going was about to get very tough.
The Wolfpack made the ascent out of Brodick towards Lamlash, in single file along the roadside. Stopping for a few snaps along the way, the mood was lighthearted, jovial and, most importantly for me, inspiring that these guys would give up their time and make a huge effort to do nothing more than push me up a hill. That was, until Big Neil made a break for it at the halfway point, kicking on like the hairy Mo Farah over the apex of the hill as he disappeared into the village of Lamlash.
Luckily, for every ascent there is a descent and the run down to Lamlash village brings the golf course into view which, again, prompted the positive thoughts that I was about to play 18 holes of golf with my mates, which isn’t exactly a hardship.
Stage 11 – Lamlash Golf Club | 18 holes | 2.6 miles
Tee Time: 11.30am
Turns out that Big Neil was the perfect playing partner for this stage of the challenge – a regular visitor to Arran, a good golfer and a regular accomplice at Ibrox, he had played Lamlash a number of times. His invaluable course knowledge, club and yardage advice made absolutely no difference as I shanked my way around the course, the first time I’d felt the effects of my exertions so far.
In saying that, having secured my first birdie of the challenge that morning at Brodick, I thought I’d gone one better on the Par 3 5th, a beautiful 168y downhill hole set against a forest backdrop, with the cameraman also expecting it to drop as my 9-iron landed a few feet from the hole.
Add caddy/supporter/general banter merchant Dobbie to the round and it was a rather lively few hours, despite some questionable golf played (by me). The course was in magnificent condition with some majestic views over to Holy Isle and beyond:
With up to 11 Par 3’s (depending on choice of white/yellow tees) it also requires accuracy off the tee, most of which I’d used up at Brodick. In addition, potentially four of these holes stretch to over 200 yards, in keeping with the common theme of the “short” holes on the golf courses of Arran: that of length being the main form of defence. An understandable feature, but not one conducive to me scoring well given the state of my long iron game.
After some firm handshakes and the necessary photos on 18, Big Neil and I wished each other well…as he departed for a relaxing evening at Auchrannie resort with the wife and I looked forward to running 5 miles with Dobbie on the last leg of the challenge. As good as Neil's night sounded, I wouldn’t have swapped places with him as the end of my challenge was very much in sight. Plus, his wife might’ve had something to say about me joining her for a spa treatment.
Score: 76 (+15)
Birdie: 0
Par: 6
Bogey: 9
Double Bogey or worse: 3
Stage 12 | Lamlash to Whiting Bay Run | 5.1miles | 53:10
Run time: 2.30pm
Putting the running sneakers on for the final time felt good, until I started running, then I remembered I’d already ran 35 miles and played 75 holes of golf in the past 33 hours. This is where the recruitment of Colin Dobbie proved a masterstroke, with his dulcet tones, quirky anecdotes and occasional humorous limericks helping the run from Lamlash to (almost) Whiting Bay pass relatively quickly.
The run along Lamlash waterfront was lovely and, once Colin and I stopped holding hands, we made great progress up the hill out of the village. The big hill. The big, long, winding, undulating hill. The big fuck off hill between Lamlash and Whiting Bay, which I only survived because Dobbie was telling stories which I could occasionally respond with “uh-huh”, “yes” and “wow” to. It would be an understatement to say it was a godsend to have the company/distraction to get me through the final few miles, before a seamless handover to my final running partner of the challenge. On a remote, particularly unremarkable stretch of farm road on the outskirts of Whiting Bay, Dobbie and I found my wife, Louise, who had been dropped off by the support team at a farm gate a couple of miles from the finish line. After a quick selfie, The McLeans waved Dobbie goodbye as he headed back to Brodick ferry terminal to return to the mainland. The lad took a day trip to run about Arran, just for fun. And I thought I was the mad one.
As Louise picked up the baton of making sure I don’t fall over in the final mile or two, the descent into Whiting Bay was performed at a leisurely, pain-free pace. Getting to sea level was an achievement in itself, and one which should’ve seen me enjoy a procession to the challenge finish line. However, Whiting Bay Golf Club was not at sea level. Nope. It was 50 metres above sea level, and only accessible by a single track road leading ½ mile inland.
I’d ran over a half marathon in a single stage. I’d ran over a rather large hill. I then got up and ran 8 miles at 6 o’clock in the morning. All while playing 75 holes of golf in between. All that was nothing compared to the last ascent to Whiting Bay Golf Club. I’d planned everything to the very last detail and very little had gone wrong, except deciding to finish at Whiting Bay Golf Club.
Louise took over from Dobbie and what she lacked in limericks, she more than made up for in a tone of voice and motivational instructions that made me put one foot in front of the other up that hill. There was no better person or anyone I’d rather have had with me in that final mile. Trudging into the golf club car park to be greeted by the support crew, including young Alexander, was a great feeling and it felt amazing to put the physical aspect of the challenge behind me.
Or so I thought.
Stage 13 – Whiting Bay Golf Club | 18 holes | 2.3 miles
Tee Time: 4.00pm
“Come and visit us and enjoy the spectacular panoramic views across the Firth of Clyde to the Ayrshire coast and to Holy Isle.”
As well as the clue in the course description above, the opening tee shot at Whiting Bay G.C. also sets the scene nicely on a hole aptly named “Up n’ Awa”. As Dave, my father-in-law, and I began the final 18 holes of the challenge the 1st hole consisted of an uphill drive, uphill approach to a raised green and (several) uphill putts. This theme repeats for what seems like every other hole, with the only respite coming when a hole turns 90° sideways and plays across the hill.
This terrain makes the “spectacular panoramic views across the Firth of Clyde to the Ayrshire coast and to Holy Isle” very well earned and just rewards for the energy used to climb the course. The 11th tee offers the greatest views from the highest point on the course, and it was fitting that I could pick out my hometown of Troon on the opposite side of the Firth of Clyde.
What goes up, must come down, right? Wrong! For every hole that headed back downhill to the clubhouse, the next two headed across or, even worse, back up the hill. Everything was beginning to hurt and the golf was becoming a game of attrition. As much as this was probably the least suitable course to end my challenge on, there was something enjoyably masochistic in one last physical contest to finish.
Standing on the 18th tee and taking a moment to reflect on what I’d achieved in the past 35 hours 45mins, I couldn’t help but think about one of the last conversations I’d had with my Mum at her bedside in the Ayrshire Hospice. She told me she was proud of me, as was Dad who passed away a couple of years earlier, and thinking about why I designed and was about to complete this challenge I just wished she was standing behind the 18th green to tell me the same again (and to applaud my approach shot).
A downhill drive striped down the middle, followed by a downhill wedge to 20ft, then a downhill birdie putt which slipped agonisingly past the hole were my last few shots of the challenge.
As I stood over my 411th and final stroke I had a little wobble, held it together and tapped it in for a Par 4.
Arran Golf Ultramarathon? Completed it mate.
Whiting Bay Scorecard:
Score: 84 (+21)
Birdie: 0
Par: 2
Bogey: 12
Double Bogey or worse: 4
Arran Golf Ultramarathon Scorecard:
Courses Played: 7
Holes: 93
Score: 411 (+84)
Birdie: 1
Par: 25
Bogey: 50
Double Bogey or worse: 18 Miles Run: 40.4
Miles Golfed: 12.8
Total Miles: 53.2
MONEY RAISED: £3000
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