Clint swings into action on Old Course

The Courier, 9 September 2000

Film legend Clint Eastwood sampled The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Scotland’s unpredictable weather yesterday when he tackled the Old Course in St Andrews.

Currently on a scouting mission for his latest movie, the Hollywood superstar enjoyed a round over the most famous golf course in the world in sunshine, but also had to overcome a strong wind and put up with a couple of heavy showers in the process.

The big-screen actor and director is known to be planning a golfing production based on the best-selling cult novel Golf in the Kingdom by Californian Michael Murphy-the 70-year-old star owns the rights to the book-and is using his two-week Scottish holiday to look for locations.

At St Andrews yesterday, Eastwood, who is a golf fanatic and is part of a consortium which owns the world-renowned Pebble Beach Course in the USA, took the opportunity for a round over the championship Old Course, where earlier this summer fellow American Tiger Woods won the Open Championship.

However, conditions yesterday were in sharp contrast to the near calm of July when Woods once again thrilled the golfing world with a flawless display to clinch the coveted title.

The strong, gusting wind saw the championship links at its most dangerous, but a smiling Eastwood said he was "looking forward to the challenge."

The star chatted to other golfers waiting at the starter’s box and also acknowledged fans who gathered around the first tee of the course prior to the start of his round.

He was joined by two friends from the States and Gordon Begg, a local member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club in St Andrews, for the friendly fourball.

Eastwood slightly hooked his drive at the first hole and, faced with the prospect of a second shot into the strong wind to clear the infamous Swilcan Burn, elected to take his caddy’s advice and lay up short. He judged it to perfection and a deft chip to around 10ft - a creditable shot for the 12-handicapper - gave him a par opportunity. However, he left his putt short and tapped in for a bogey five.

Eastwood is no stranger to the St Andrews links and in the late summer of 1993 played both the Old and New courses, during which he was accompanied by senior representatives of Warner Brothers International. He has already suggested he will not star in the golfing production based on Murphy’s book, but will probably work instead on the script.He sees Fife and its huge range of golf courses as the ideal location for the film. However, to date he has not approached St Andrews Links Trust - they administer the courses - with any concrete proposals.

Eastwood, who is being accompanied by wife Dina Ruiz and six friends during his Scottish holiday, played golf at the recently-opened Kingsbarns Course and also further down the East Neuk at Elie earlier this week.

He has plans to play at Loch Lomond and Turnberry - the latter another Open Championship venue - before returning home.