Posted on: 24 September
Think being a touring pro is glamourous? Well before you think of private jets and chauffeur driven cars let me tell about my last month of travel.
I’ll take a step away from giving you the “inside the ropes” golf details and give you an idea of what a typical travel schedule can be like for any pro on any tour around the world.
Week One
Off to the Irish Legends hosted by The McGinley Foundation
-Monday morning: a 7.00am flight so I’m up at 4:30am and on the road to Toulouse airport which is just over an hours drive. The car park where I will I leave my car is 15 mins from the airport so I drive there, drop the car off and get the shuttle bus to the airport. Now time for some breakfast and a coffee.
-Both flights run on time!!! I am flying via Charles de Gualle (Paris)en-route to Dublin airport. The layover is only 1 hour layover which seems great but once I arrive in Dublin I have no clubs. Annoying but not the first time this has happened and I can’t imagine it’ll be the last.
-I fill out the paperwork for my lost luggage with the promise that I’ll get the clubs by the end of the day tomorrow.
Next stop – the rental car booth. Keys in hand I hit the road for a 3 and a half hour drive from Dublin to County Donegal. It’s a beautiful part of the world but it is remote and I want to get there before dark as livestock is a big hazard on the roads in this area.
-It’s been a long day. With the time difference it has taken me 15 hours to get from door to door.
-Tuesday was supposed to be practice but with my clubs still enroute from Dublin I decide to walk the course and twiddle my thumbs. Still no clubs.
-Wednesday mid-morning my clubs arrive and I head straight out to the course. Plenty of practice and 18 holes later I hit the hay…….. another long day.
– Thursday is pro am day so more practice. Tournament starts on Friday so will need to save my energy.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday – golf! Playing, practicing, resting.
Scores – 67, 74, 72 Finish 31st.
Sunday- Straight after I finish my round it’s into the car and on the road heading back to Dublin airport. I have a 6:00 am flight on Monday so I need to stay in an airport hotel for the night. Just enough time for a burger then its off to sleep.
Alarm set for 3.30am. Take the car back and check-in for the flight. Got all my COVID documents ready to go. Time for a coffee.
Week Two
Back in Carcassonne for a week of rest and practice…………… and croissants.
Week Three
After a week off it was up to Paris for the Legends Open de France hosted by Jean Van de Velde.
Monday Morning – I decided to take the train to avoid the hassle of parking, security etc that comes with airports. I leave at 8:30 from Carcassonne and it takes 7 hours (including a 2 hour layover in Lyon) but it gives me time to do some reading and watch some tv shows. A stress free trip and I can highly recommend the train. Quiet and relaxing. After I pick up a hire car at CDG airport I find driving around Paris is the opposite of quiet and relaxing. But it’s Paris so I’m not complaining too much.
Tuesday, Wednesday – The course is in the Saint-Cloud area which is just across the river Sienne and in the heart of Paris. On one of the holes you get a view of the Eiffel Tower so I’m looking forward to it. The hotel is a quick 8 minute drive from the golf course which makes the tournament week a bit easier. Its not always the case – sometimes you can be 45 minutes from the course, which makes for long days. Anyway with no chance of my clubs getting lost in transit I get down to practice first thing on Tuesday.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday – Golf. The same routines as the week before.
Scores – 71, 71, 72 Finish – 24th
Sunday – As the tournament finished on the Saturday and I’m not scheduled to fly until Monday morning so I have the day off in Paris. Typically this might be seen as a day to do some sightseeing but first I need to do some washing ( a laundromat is 20 mins drive away), clean the golf gear, pack the suitcase and get a Covid test so I can fly. So rather than race around and to see the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe (which I’ve seen before) having the chance to rest up, have a quiet coffee at a cafe and chill was more tempting.
Week Four
Monday – Next it’s off to The Scottish Senior Open hosted by Paul Lawrie so Monday morning its back on the mery-go-round. My flight is at 12:00 pm so although it’s not an early alarm the hotel is an hour from the airport on the other side of the city and I need to factor in Monday morning traffic in Paris. So the trip takes nearer to 2 hours than 1.
– The flight goes via Amsterdam and I arrive in Scotland mid afternoon. Due to the Australian government not registering the Astra Zeneca vaccine yet it means in the eyes of the Scottish government I am unvaccinated… so I’m back into the bubble set up. The hotel room and the golf course are the only places I’m allowed to go all week.
Tuesday, Wednesday – Practice round and practice.
Thursday – I’m playing in the pro am which is another chance to get a look at the course.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday – Same routines as any other tournament. Warm up, play, warm down, rest.