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Turnberry Set For Special Senior Open, why not stay at Cosses Country House www.cossescountryhouse.com

susanc — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:42:34 +0000

Golf’s iconic names will take on one of the game’s most revered links courses when The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex returns to Turnberry from July 26-29, and fans can now book their place to see more history in the making on the picturesque Ayrshire coast.

Discounted advance tickets are now on sale for the 26th Senior Open Championship at a historic venue that is universally popular with leading senior players from both sides of the Atlantic.

Scotland’s Sam Torrance, the victorious 2002 European Ryder Cup Captain, will be hoping to lead the home challenge on Turnberry’s Ailsa Course, which he ranks as one of his favourite golfing venues.
“I was at Turnberry a few weeks ago and it looked absolutely magnificent,” enthused Torrance. “I’m really looking forward to The Senior Open there. Aesthetically it is one of the most beautiful looking courses in the world, in one of the most beautiful parts of the world, and it is a great golf course.”
“The Senior Open is always special, no matter where it is played, but it is extra special when it is played in Scotland. I’m from that area – I was born about an-hour-and-a-half from Turnberry – so it will be special.”
Tom Lehman, the leading player on the US Champions Tour in 2011, believes Turnberry would be the perfect venue to add a Senior Open Championship victory to The Open Championship he won at Royal Lytham and St. Annes in 1996.
“Turnberry is an amazing place,” said the 2006 United States Ryder Cup Captain. “It is a tremendous golf course and a beautiful spot in the world. The views from the top of the hill and the hotel looking over Ailsa Craig are exceptional. Winning The Senior Open is on my wish list.”

Carl Mason, the most prolific winner in Senior Tour history, has bitter-sweet memories of Turnberry, having agonisingly let the 2003 Senior Open Championship slip through his grasp.
Mason had a two shot lead playing the final hole on his Senior Open debut, but a closing double bogey allowed Tom Watson to take the Championship into a play-off, which the American won on the second extra hole 26 years after winning The Open Championship at the same venue in the famous ‘Duel in the Sun’ with Jack Nicklaus.

“Turnberry is one of the leading links courses, a set-up that everyone enjoys, and it is very fair,” said Mason. “It is also in a beautiful spot. The Senior Open is an event we all want to try and win and I’m sure we will all look forward to playing Turnberry.”
Barry Lane, winner of the past two Scottish Senior Opens and runner-up in the 2011 Senior Tour Order of Merit, added: “Turnberry is a wonderful venue. For us, as seniors, to play Turnberry is fantastic. We play some great courses anyway but to play a course that is on the Open rota is a real privilege.”
It will be the seventh time that Turnberry’s Ailsa Course has hosted The Senior Open Championship, the most of any venue, surpassing the six editions played at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.
Turnberry hosted the inaugural Senior Open in 1987, when Englishman Neil Coles captured the trophy, with Gary Player capturing the title in 1988 and 1990 and Bob Charles lifting the trophy in 1989.
American Loren Roberts took the title on the Senior Open’s last visit to Turnberry in 2006, four years after Watson’s play-off victory over Mason.
Turnberry has also hosted The Open Championship on four occasions, including in 2009, when Watson lost in a play-off to Stewart Cink at the age of 59.
With the US Senior Open moving from its traditional slot in the last week of July to a new date of July 12-15, The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex will now be the final Senior Major of 2012, as well as the only professional Major Championship in Scotland this year, and fans can now reserve their tickets to be there.
Discounted advance tickets for The Senior Open Championship presented by Rolex can now be purchased online, with season passes now available at £60 and any one day tickets at £18. They can be booked online at www.europeantourtickets.com, where other discounts and offers can also be found.

American Russ Cochran won The 2011 Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath, England, holding off the challenge of former Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, three-time Senior Open Champion Watson and 2010 United States Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin.

Cosses Country House is just 30minutes drive south of Turnberry in a beautiful hidden valley www.cossescountryhouse.com

Contact Susan Crosthwaite staying@cossescountryhouse.com

Staying at Cosses Country House

susanc — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 21:39:17 +0000

Visitors are enjoying the lovely spring weather, gardens, walking, cycling and golf in South West Scotland.

Azalia at Cosses

Guests wrote in the visitors book: “Better than the reputation! Wonderful food, hospitality and company. An exquisite short break. Thank you so much”.
Culzean castle has been refurbished and delighted our guests with the fabulous cliff walks. They were railway enthusiasts and reported what a wonderful scenic trip it was on the train from Ayr to Stranraer, over some of the remotests part of Galloway.
As our guests cross the court yard after dinner, they are wonderous at the beauty of the dark sky. At Cosses we have a fabulous vista of stars, the grey band of the Milky Way, other galaxies and nebulae, which appear assmall fuzzy patches to the naked eye, shooting stars, the northern lights and, of course, true darkness.The best observing conditions are any clear night, two weeks either side of the new moon.
our guests visited the new Burns Museum, opened in January, a living tribute to Scotland’s much loved poet.Starting at the ‘Auld Clay Biggin’ (thatched cottage) where Robert Burns was born in 1759, before taking in some of the famous locations such as the Auld Kirk and Brig O’Doon. (Burns an’a’ that festival is in May).They loved their varied breakfasts from porridge and kippers or fresh fruit salad and shirred eggs to home grown orchard, stewed fruits followed by a full Scottish breakfast with kidneys. Dinner was great fun, meeting other guests. Scallops with Dalduff black pudding, Marrbury Auld smoked salmon with local langoustine, Dalduff fillet of beef, Gressingham Duckling breast with plum sauce, home grown spring greens. Desserts made with this season’s rhubarb – brandy snaps filled with Rhubarb Fool with rhubarb and ginger icecream and poached julinne of rhubarb.
Theres lots going on in Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. This weekend is the Scottish Grand Nationalwww.ayr-racecourse.co.uk. For walkers – The Newton Stewart Walking Festival is from 6th – 9th May, whether you enjoy the challenge of a true hill walk or lower level themed walks. the woods are full of bluebells and other spring wild flowers. The Irvine Valley Walking festival www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/ivrp is 13-15th May. dumfries and Galloway has the Arts Festival from 20th – 29th, the spring Fling from 28th – 30th. Castle Kennedy Gardens are looking fabulous with rhodedendrons and azalias to inspire the Art and Photography Competition for 2011. This year’s theme competition theme is “Shapes” inspired by the myriad shapes to be found in the gardens and which are formed by all the different trees, plants and flowers and by the curves and banks of the landscape itself. Entrants will be invited to draw, sketch, paint, photograph or create a piece of artwork based on this year’s theme.

Rhododendrons and Azalias give wonderful displays

The competition will run from April through to end October and entry forms will be available from the Garden Shop.Visit the Gardens and complete the family Easter Egg Trail. Follow the trail, receive a chocolate easter egg prize and have the opportunity to enter a Prize Draw and win a ticket to Snow White, being performed at Castle Kennedy & Gardens on Wednesday 20th July 2011.Enjoy the full displays of rhododendrons, azaleas and magnolias for which the Gardens are well known. All the Hybrids, many bred at Castle Kennedy, will be coming into bloom, including Rhododendron “Cynthia” a memorable mass of pink. The azaleas are also starting to flower with the Azalea Avenue coming into its own. Bargany, Culzean, Glewhan, Logan and Dunsky are all at their best in May.

Bluebell woods

On 15th May, Cosses Country House is opening its garden as part of Scotland’s Garden Scheme. Come and join us.

Scottish year of Food and Drink

susanc — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 13:42:25 +0000

In Ayrshire there is an amazing source of local produce. Wendy Barrie from Scottish Food Guide says ‘As a leading contributor to the Scottish food scene and campaigner for good food: natural, wholesome, fresh and safe, may I commend to all seekers and providers of good food my selection of the best of Scottish fare.’ Wendy stayed with us last week whilst checking out some of the great places to eat in South West Scotland. She and I go back along way, to the early days of ‘Taste of Scotland’. Robin and I were going to the rugby the next day and had lunch at Zucca on Wendy’s recommendation – an Italian restaurant using local produce – which we thoroughly enjoyed.
Scotland Food and Drink says: ‘Visitors to Scotland are looking for a ‘food experience’ where they can sample a local culture through its food and drink. By offering fresh ingredients and local dishes, businesses are more likely to attract new, first time visitors; enhance their visitor experience; and entice them back.’ The Ayrshire Food Network does just that in Ayrshire.
By highlighting their use of Scottish food and drink through menus and staff, businesses can enhance their visitor experience, offer greater value for money and improve their bottom line.
People today have greater awareness of health issues and are conscious about what they eat. Cosses Country House ensures that its menus are well balanced including fresh garden produce.

Food from the Garden

By offering catering from regional or local suppliers, shopping at farmers markets; businesses can really cut down their food miles and appeal to the growing number of visitors influenced by green business practices. What’s more, by offering Scottish food and drink, businesses are supporting other Scottish companies and ensuring that their business contributes to the Scottish economy. Cosses Country house is a Wolsey Lodge – Wolsey Lodges is the epitome of luxury bed and breakfast B&B accommodation in Britain’s and France’s finest, unique homes where use of local produce is reflected in their breakfast and dinner menus.

A Happy New Year from Cosses Country House

susanc — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 23:20:13 +0000

View from Cosses drive

Happy New Year from Cosses Country House – your favourite Scottish Holiday Destination!
We have been busy in 2010 creating the Cosses Trail and Arboretum.
We have landscaped the pond, built a bird hide, built bridges and planted over 50 Acer trees and 12 Crab Apple Trees. This has created a wonderful trail – just about all that Bonzo dog can manage these days. Montydog loves the long walks such as the Ayrshire Coastal path, Carrick and Galloway walks and the western Southern Upland Way. Robin is enjoying playing golf .as all the coastal, links courses are open with lots of discounted play over the winter. We are officially part of Scotland’s first biosphere with real darkness witnessing metior showers, eclipses and wonderful star gazing.
We still have lots of winter vegetables, creating lots of winter dishes and now we are busy selecting seeds for all the special vegetables for our home grown produce for 2011.
We are open from February with the Winter White Festival for snowdrop walks, continuing through the spring with all the daffodils. We will have a Scotland Garden Scheme open day on 15th May with a bluebell walk.

View over Cosses Valley

Autumn activities at Cosses Country House

susanc — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 21:25:37 +0000

Crisp leaves under foot, berries ripening on the trees and glorious colours everywhere.
Apples are to collect and store for the winter, and delicious desserts are created for the guests: Baked apples stuffed with home made mince meat, apple beignets, crumbles and tarts, apple ice cream and pancakes.

Heavily laden Reverand Greaves cooking apples

There are plenty of leaves to sweep up, tulips and wallflowers to plant for the spring. The Main Crop potatoes need to be dug and stored, and we now start on the leeks, parsnips and Brussel Sprouts.
We have already served partridge from Dumfries House, and soon the Crailoch Shoot will supply us with pheasants.

Come and spend an Autumn or winter break with us – we have some excellent special offers

Scottish food and Drink fortnight at Cosses Country House

susanc — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 21:11:12 +0000

For the Scottish Food and Drink fortnight href=”http://”>Cosses Country Househref=”http:///www.cossescountryhouse.com/dining.htm”> is highlighting its famous kitchen garden and use of local food.
Guests can help to select and pick their own vegetables- lots of varieties of potatoes,carrots and tomatoes, various salad crops, courgettes, french and runner beans, and a huge brassica collection. Today we picked the last of the Broad Beans and Czar plums. Victoria plums and Coxes apples are just coming into season.

Kitchen garden

Breakfast menus using home grown fruit compote and home made yoghurt; Dalduff bacon, haggis, black pudding and sausages; locally smoked kippers and haddock for kedgeree; home made bread and preserves.
Dinner menus using Ballantrae crab, lobsters and prawns, Crailoch Lamb, Dalduff fillet of beef, venison and game. Local Scottish Cheese, home made oatcakes and Rowan Jelly alomg with Joy’s home grown black grapes. All for £90 dinnner B&B in a luxurious suite. Cosses Country House has a superb wine and whisky list to choose from.

Home Grown Produce from the garden at Cosses CountryHouse

susanc — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:47:48 +0000

What a wonderful time of year in the vegetable garden. There is so much to choose from and everything is so lush. I visit the garden to decide what to serve my guests for dinner. www.cossescountryhouse.com/ I have just picked raspberries for a Mille Feuille and home made raspberry and Brockman’s gin Ice Cream. Brockman’s Gin
Brockman’s Gin is a great discovery in the kitchen, as it has so many botanicals that it enhances the flavour of many desserts. One of my favourites is Blackcurrant Creme Brulee.

Raspberrie Mille Feuille with homemade ice cream

The Czar Plums are ripening thus it will be a Czar Plum Sauce with the Gressingham Duckling breasts tonight on the menu. Courgettes are in abundance and the following recipe for Courgette cake will be for afternoon tea:
80g raisins, 4tblspn water, 280g flour, 1/2 tspn cinnamon, 1/4 tspn salt, 1/2 tspn baking powder, 1 and 1/2 tspn bicarbonate of sod, 120ml of olive oil, 150 g demarara sugar, 1/2 vanilla pod,
2 lightly beaten free range eggs, 1/2 kilo thinly sliced courgettes,
grated zest of a lemon, finely chopped stem ginger and 2 free range egg whites.

Grease and line 1 large or 2 small cake tins.
Pre heat the oven to 170C
Place the raisins in the water and simmer until the water has been absorbed.
Sift together dry ingredients.
In a bowl beat together the oil sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod. Add the eggs and beat until smooth and thick.
Mix in the courgettes, ginger, lemon rind and raisins, then fold in the dry ingredients. Finely beat the egg whites to a meringue texture and carefully add to the cake batter.
Pour into the tins and bake for 1 and 1/2 hours until firm (and a skewer comes out clean).
Leave to cool in the tins.
Mix together cream cheese, maple syrup and lemon juice.
Cut the cake in half horizontally, then fill and top the cake with the icing. Yum!

Luxury, Summer Holiday Offers in Southern Scotland

susanc — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:56:23 +0000

After some much needed rain everything is green and growing again! I made blackcurrant jam this morning and picked broad beans, french beans, spring onions and various salad leaves to mix with smoked Ayrshire Bacon, parmasan shavings, anchovies, free range eggs and olives for a delicious lunch.

As we still have some availability in July and August we have put together some special hot summer deals to tempt you to this beautiful unspoilt part of Scotland

If you are a ‘passionate foodie’ you will love it!

*Come and stay for a minimum of 4 nights (with dinner on a minimum of 3 nights) and receive 20% discount off the B&B price (Sunday to Thursday)

*Enjoy a weekend break away from it all and receive a free bottle of wine, with dinner. ( 2 nights)

*Walking Packages – from gentle walks to a bit more strenuous, to a real challenge (including free packed lunch and drop offs ) The walking in this enchanting area of natural beauty has amazing views with seascapes
, Southern Upland Way, Ayr River Way, Carrick and Galloway hills.

*Romantic Luxury Break with free bottle of Delamotte Brut, Champagne, (Established in the prestigious village of Le Mesnil. Champagne Delamotte is Chardonnays most refined in style and pedigree.One of the oldest Champagne houses, 250 years old this year.)
and Pamper Packages arranged at Pebble Spa. – minimum 2 nights

5*****Golfing breaks on delightful courses, for couples or small parties, in South West Scotland. Golfing itineraries arranged and a 3 night package will include 2 rounds of golf at Dunsky / Stranraer/ Brunston / or Girvan.

3 nights dinner B&B and 2 rounds of golf in the Ailsa or Iona Suite £295 per person / Garden room £265per person

Please quote ‘Summer Specials’ to claim any of these offers – subject to availability.
We are a Wolsey Lodge, that very special place to stay away from it all!