Scotland Day 2: Ball Go Bounce

Day 2 started with a quiet morning, then 36 at Nairn Golf Club in the afternoon. Nairn is a big boy course, especially from the back tees which I was given permission to play for my second round. Some work was done to the course in 2019(?) in anticipation of the Amateur Championship, and this included fairway bunkers that severely narrow the landing areas in several holes. Anyway, the main takeaway from Day 2 was this: when you think of links courses, you of course think of firm turf and balls that bounce and roll. What I hadn't fully appreciated was that—in combination with the natural ripples of true linksland—balls might bounce and roll sideways and in all sorts of weird directions. Back home if I hit a good drive, I'll watch it for for about half a second because it's pretty obvious where it's going. In links golf the ball might bounce 15 yards right into a bunker or 20 yards left into the gorse. An approach might hit into a ripple and not go too far, or it might land on the back of one and roll 50 more yards; you just don't know, so you have to watch.