A GOLFER has celebrated playing all 572 golf courses in Scotland over the past 20 years.
Phil Booth, from Aberdeen, spent two decades visiting every registered green space across the country.
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And on Sunday, the retired paediatrician celebrated his incredible achievement with a glass of champagne as he putted the last ball at the nine-hole Vaule course at Tiree in the Inner Hebrides.
The 69-year-old said his wife Anne gave him the idea when they both visited Arisaig, Lochaber in September 2004.
“She came with me to the nine-hole course at Traigh and we went up the hill where we had amazing views of Rum, Eigg and Mull,” he told the BBC.
“He said we would never have seen it if I wasn’t playing golf. We basically used it as an excuse to see parts of Scotland we might have otherwise missed.
“Anne also got me a big map of Scotland so I could put pins on all the grounds I hadn’t played at, so I could pick out my whole route.”
Phil, who is a member at Cruden Bay and Royal Aberdeen, set a target of playing at least 90 courses, then picked up an old Visit Scotland golf guide to cover the remaining courses.
He would travel to and stay in Edinburgh and Glasgow for work – while also finding time to travel home to visit relatives in his native Teesside.
In total, Phil has visited 159 nine-hole courses, 412 eighteen-hole courses, and one twelve-hole course.
His favourite venues include Carnoustie, which hosted the Open Championship for the eighth time in 2018, and Loch Lomond.
But Kingussie, in the Cairngorm National Park, is their final stop.
He added: “I remember after completing Class 9, I turned around and saw an amazing view of the mountains.
“I came back to the clubhouse and there was a pint waiting for me at the bar.
“It was awesome, the generosity of the people you meet through golf is amazing.”
In 2006 it is believed that amateur golfer Ernie Penn became the first player to tackle every course in Scotland for the first time.
