Established in 1966, Disney’s “It’s A Small World” ride takes participants on a journey throughout the entire world in a celebration of peace and unity, all in the span of 12-15 minutes.
The ride’s theme song, appropriately named “It’s A Small World,” is considered to be the most played song of all time. While I’m not sure if anyone can definitively say that’s true, I do know that the song was flowing through my head as I spent time in North Berwick for the second part of my trip to Scotland.
North Berwick is a quaint, seaside town with a population of about 8,000. The town is situated in the council area of East Lothian and is home to Scotland’s Golf Coast, which has “the largest concentration of Championship links golf courses anywhere in the world.”
And, living in the middle of the town and East Lothian’s golf-heavy culture are Dave and Sue Warren, my gracious hosts for a few days.
My connection to Dave and Sue shows how small the world can be
Like many great things in life, my ability to experience Dave and Sue’s kindness was through the kindness of others.
I was having a conversation with Kelly Ray, one of my friends at UNC, about my summer plans on a random Thursday afternoon this past spring. She remarked that one of her family’s best friends is a man named Mark Edwards, who used to live in Pinehurst, NC and set up golf trips to Scotland for many years.
Mark was so, so helpful in my planning for Scotland. He gave me recommendations for things to do, see, and eat outside of the great golf. Mark also connected me to Dave and Sue, as he’s known Dave for years because of their joint connection to Pinehurst and its status as the cradle of American golf.
After one email from Mark to Dave, I found myself on a Zoom call with Dave at 6 am ET on a Tuesday morning in May. In that one Zoom call, Dave offered to meet me at the train station in North Berwick, host me for a round of golf at North Berwick’s famed West Links (one of the top courses in the world), and let me stay at his and Sue’s apartment.
Dave also connected me with Gareth Jack, the main character of Tuesday’s post.
This all occurred in the course of 30 minutes on a video call. There was no questioning, no doubt, just a genuine kindness and willingness to share the beauty of Scottish golf and Scottish culture with a random kid from North Carolina.
Then, while I was in North Berwick, my world got even smaller
When Dave and I had our initial conversation in May, he said that my visit would be concurrent with the visit of a couple from Atlanta, GA. Just like me, they weren’t directly connected to Dave, he was hosting them at the request of a friend.
We met up with Erik and Gina Martin the day before our round at North Berwick’s West Links, and the first thing Erik pointed out was the UNC logo on my quarter zip. It turns out that the Martins have a daughter in my grade at Chapel Hill. While I hadn’t ever met their daughter, Sydney, she coincidentally was in a project group last year with one of my best friends at UNC: Sheidy Rios-Vazquez.
What’s even funnier is that during high school, Gina worked at Mt. Mitchell Golf Club in her hometown of Burnsville, NC. The man that owned/operated the golf course, Lee King, is the same man that owned the golf course that I worked at in high school, Kenmure Country Club. We shared a few stories of our interactions with Mr. King, and I realized that he hasn't changed at all in 30 years.
While the Martins unfortunately graduated from NC State, I had such a marvelous time connecting with them about their roots in North Carolina and their immense love for golf.
This connection wouldn’t have happened if not for the kindness of people all over the world, all united by their willingness to chase a tiny white ball around a really big field over and over again.
Dave’s kindness goes further than bringing people to play golf at North Berwick’s West Links
Throughout my time with the Warrens, Dave consistently discussed and worked on one of his greatest loves: the East Lothian Junior Golf League.
He runs one of the most active junior leagues in Scotland, bringing kids from all over the council area together for numerous golf tournaments each year. Boys and girls of all different age groups compete for various prizes and immense bragging rights.
The players also get an education in the rules and etiquette of the game, as Dave is a certified golf referee and holds the sport’s codes and procedures close to his heart.
And, a few years ago, Dave started taking 20 of the highest-performing juniors on a trip to Pinehurst, NC each February. These kids get nine days of golf in North Carolina, playing at some of the best courses in the area and competing against other juniors from North Carolina and around the world.
It’s the fulfillment of a dream for these kids, many of whom may have never had the resources or the ability to take a golf trip to the United States without the generosity of the East Lothian Junior Golf League.
Additionally, Dave helped spearhead the creation of the Watson Cup, which takes East Lothian’s best juniors and faces them off against South Carolina’s best juniors. The location alternates every couple of years between South Carolina and East Lothian, giving the kids the opportunity to compete on esteemed courses like Kiawah Island and Gullane no. 2.
Throughout my time with the Warrens, Dave regaled me with fun stories and keen insights into the success of the East Lothian Junior Golf League. He does his best to make each competition accessible to juniors (they have upwards of 70 per tournament), and encourages participation regardless of skill level.
Dave’s main goal is to keep the game fun and catalyze the camaraderie that makes golf such a special sport. He wants to help foster relationships that can last a lifetime, regardless of tournament result or a position on a leaderboard.
It’s a commitment to what golf is all about
I know I’m starting to sound like a broken record here (kind of like “It’s A Small World), but it’s the people you meet and the relationships you build through golf that matter the most.
My time in North Berwick further confirmed that.
I was awestruck by the work of the Warrens to support junior golf in East Lothian, they’re providing opportunities that many of us can only dream about receiving.
I’m also grateful to people like Mark Edwards, whose kindness led me to the Warrens and to all of my fantastic experiences in Scotland.
The Martins are fantastic people as well, our connection over 3,000 miles away from home is something that doesn’t happen without golf.
All of my experiences with these people show just how important golf can be to individual lives and demonstrates how we must do everything that we can to ensure that all people have access to this amazing sport.
There’s just something magical about the unique splendor that golf creates and the people it brings together, and that feeling is not limited to places like North Berwick and Pinehurst. It happens everywhere.
It’s a small world after all.
To learn more about the East Lothian Junior Golf League and to donate to their cause, use this link: East Lothian Junior Golf League.
My world this week has been Albany, NY. I’m back on the bag for Alyaa Abdulghany at the Twin Bridges Championship. It’s crazy to think that we just have two tournaments left, it’s been an exciting ride so far.
We’re off in the rain today at 8:14 am ET with Amy Lee and Laetitia Beck. Tomorrow, we’re scheduled to tee off for the second round at 1:19 pm ET.
As always, here’s the live leaderboard: Twin Bridges Championship Leaderboard
We’ll see how this goes!
Questions, comments, ideas, and feedback can be directed to jpatterson@unc.edu. You can find me on Twitter @JakeWPatt or my Instagram @Loopers_Line. If you really want to get to know me, check out my LinkedIn.
Thank you to Bethany Phillis for serving as my creative project mentor and to Caroline Maness for designing Looper’s Line’s logo. Additional thanks to both Mark Edwards and the Warrens for everything.