We’re going back up there in April for a Scotland/England grudge rematch with extra grievance ( © Nicola Sturgeon), we’ve gone so far as to drop the trip to Dornoch this time so that we can kick back at Castle Stuart for a full day and play 36.
And when Phil (“Randy”) refers to Tron as “Todd” (which is his real name, but still) it’s like the entire world is one big record scratch…makes no sense
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One tip to remembering him, perhaps, is that his name isn’t Randy, it’s Phil.
It will be an unpopular opinion, but the Castle Stuart episode was by far the weakest of the series. (Still incredible overall.)
Neil’s narration added nothing. In fact, it took away from the video. That’s not totally his fault as he wasn’t there. However, all previous episodes told a story. This one did not. It felt like a series of isolated golf shots which could have been from anywhere with some humour added on top. It felt like for whatever reason, you didn’t want to showcase the golf course at all, and what could have been a great story with Randy’s comeback or DJ / Tron explaining how the ground makes 8 clubs so much more of an option were sadly ignored.
Just hope the next episode stays true to the format that was so successful previously.
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I totally agree. I like the Merch Czar, but this just didn’t work.
I agree 100%. I feel like this was the Tourist Sauce version of the big right miss is always lurking.
Disagree. I like how they all have somewhat of a different voice and perspective. I think this one got across a lot about the course, even with approaching the episode from a different direction.
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Appreciate the feedback, @TheRealMoaner, @munihack7, @pma1048. Totally understandable that this one may not have resonated in the same way. (I really liked it because everything Neil says and does makes me laugh my ass off and we wanted to make sure he was included in some way since he was such a big part of Season 1.)
I think we’re still figuring out exactly what we want this series to be – many people love the more serious course breakdowns, many people, especially those who are new to NLU, want it to be more approachable – so we’re going to keep experimenting with different things to see what the right combo is (though the rest of the season will look a lot more like the first 8).
Glad to have y’all watching and chiming in. Cheers!
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Also – I’m sure you saw this already, but TC went extra deep on the golf course in the website write up for all the reasons you mentioned and it turned out great: https://nolayingup.com/2018/12/26/tourist-sauce-season-2-castle-stuart/
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It’s awesome you guys give the site a glance for feedback. Whether you heed one ounce of “advice” means nothing, just the fact you are here reading it is really cool. Also…
???
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I have loved both seasons of Tourist Sauce so far (and S1 of Strapped). The episodes I find the most interesting are the ones that combine the on course comedic banter, course history/idiosyncrasies and the human interest side of the place (chats with club historians, pub owners, etc.). This may sound odd, but when the episodes take an Anthony Bourdain No Reservations/Parts Unknown style tangent I think they really hit their stride.
Looking forward to what’s next!
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Definitely enjoyed Castle Stuart and Neil’s input.
Makes the episode stand out from the others.
As a Scot I have played very few modern designed courses and definitely keen to get up to Castle Stuart in 2019.
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I think Neil was hilarious, and I want more videos like this. His comments on Randy’s swing & longsleeve shirt under the polo had me rolling. More of that please.
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I really enjoyed it , you’ve got to try different things and gauge the reaction , i played Castle Stuart in September the joys of a being a Scot we got it for £105 and really enjoyed it. I enjoy the new style links Kingbarns etc but I’m and old school guy.
Keep up the good work lads and I’m looking forward to Nairn which is another class course as is there history room .
I didn’t like this one as much as some of the others for many of the reasons listed above. It was good, but not great IMO. That said, I do think a Young Neil “Director’s Cut” of the whole season or a best-of could be pretty funny.
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Include Boat of Garten. It’s awesome and a quick round. Highly recommend if you can, perhaps in lieu of Spey.
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Appreciate everyone’s feedback. Important to consider that each episode is a result of what we filmed that day, how we played, our mood, etc. We’re getting better at eliminating some of these variables, applying what we learned season 1, etc. Without any history to rely upon at Castle Stuart, the excellent flyovers on the course website, and the increased exposure Castle Stuart received via the several Scottish Opens hosted there (of which a lot of that footage is on Youtube.) Figured this was a good opportunity to experiment and do some #testing. We’ll take a look at what worked, what didn’t and use that for future eps. 
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A Neil director’s cut version would be hilarious. I thought the video was enjoyable and funny.
Howeva, I personally enjoy the series because of the escapism and the fact that you can get kind of lost (in the sauce?) in them and feel like you’re there. It loses that immersive feel when the “fourth wall” is broken with this different format. Felt more like I was watching someone watch a tourist sauce episode, then being an actual episode itself.
That said, I’m more interested in where can I get the @MerchCzar @Randy “Nighthawks” tumbler? Is that a kill house one off special?
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If I could do BofG I would. Having done this a couple of times now I know my driving tolerance and I’ve reached it with the current plan. I’m going back with some family at the end of July though, into out of INV (way simpler), so perhaps on that trip…
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I’m in on the Merch Czar commentary; a little fresh perspective.
When he said the top of @Randy swing is like playing roulette, that had me laughing.
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