Golf in Scotland and Ireland: Likes and dislikes

Here’s more in a continuing series on the differences between golf – and life – in the U.S. and Ireland and Scotland. My likes and dislikes:

LIKE: Driving on the left is safer. You can see cars in the opposite lane better. It’s tougher for parallel parking, though.

DISLIKE: ridiculously narrow roads and idiots parking on the side of the street, which they do in every town, city or village, thereby making the roads even narrower and more dangerous.

LIKE: The fact you can get most places in a relatively short time.

DISLIKE: The fact you can’t just get in your car and drive for days and days and be in another world.

European phrases

LIKE: “car park.” It’s shorter than “parking lot.”

DISLIKE: “Traffic calming.” What? Do you mean speed bumps? Then, just say so.

DISLIKE: when saying it’s 10:30 for example, they say “half 10.” I got news for you, half 10 is five.

Value:

DISLIKE: Everything is more expensive there, especially with the way the dollar is performing against the British pound.

Hotels and bed and breakfasts:

LIKE: The way they all give you breakfast for your price. I mean, a BIG breakfast.

DISLIKE: The way they charge you double for two people. In the U.S., they charge you more, but not double for Christ’s sake.

Also, I dislike the way many bed and breakfast places and hotels have your breakfast table all set up for you. I like to sit where I choose.

Golf:

LIKE: I like the way almost everybody walks the courses, instead of drives carts.

DISLIKE: I don’t like the way they, especially the Scots, get all judgemental on you if you take a cart if you have to haul around camera equipment and notebooks.

LIKE: the courses are definitely shorter, but more challenging. I never saw one easy, “player-friendly” resort course, though surely there must be some.