In my experience, when somebody or something gets to number one in their field, one of two things happens: they either spend a lot of time telling everyone how good they are and then end up resting on their laurels; or they take stock of what has got them to the top and start making plans for what they can do to be even better moving forward. Gleneagles, for me, most definitely falls into the latter camp.
I first visited this glorious slice of Perthshire back in 2005 to cover the Grand Final of the Volkswagen Masters, an international event for amateur golfers. I’d read a lot about Gleneagles over the years, starting with my favourite golf book of all time – by Peter Allen. The author’s verdict that “on a fine day in early autumn, there is no more beautiful placeand other magazines all built Gleneagles up into something special, and when I got there it certainly lived up to, and indeed exceeded, my expectations. I was blown away by the grandeur of the hotel, the brilliance of the golf courses and the warm welcome from the staff.
