Throughout 12 days in Scotland, it was my good fortune to share a room with an honest-to-goodness card-carrying member of the Professional Golfing Association.Tim Borem, assistant pro at the Summit Golf Club in Cannon Falls, enjoyed "courtesy of the course" and played for free at a half-dozen magnificent venues.
In turn, I enjoyed free private golf lessons from my roommate -- "courtesy of the pro."
Tim is the tender age of my dear nephew, Aaron Rolfsrud. The two chummed at Eden Prairie High where Aaron was dubbed "Double A."
Most of my free instruction occurred during the evening hours, far away from the legendary links courses and closer to an aged bottle of Scotch whisky. As we examined the mystery of the golf swing and related life lessons, discussions often took the tone of a political science or philosophy exercise. However, it wasn't the words of Plato or Churchill, but rather Pennock and Nicklaus that Tim drew upon, as he guided his senior pupil through the vagaries of coordinated physical movement.
This earnest instruction by the young professional resulted in a radical change to the senior's approach to the game and some immediate positive results, mid-tour.
Please don't get the impression that the coaching and advice was a one-way street. Oh no. Our PGA pro, it would seem, had his own struggle: the mastery of the theory and science of Scottish plumbing.
During our 3-day stay on the third floor of the Bell Craig House in St. Andrews, we were introduced to the electric shower and a Scottish two-speed flush toilet. The shower was easier to learn, once you get used to the somewhat disturbing idea of pulling a cord on an electrical box before stepping into a stream of water. 
The double-clutch toilet, which requires the operator to make a purposeful choice between a big flush and a wee one, required significantly more practice and concentration. Tim, to his credit, responded admirably to the following instruction:"Keep your eye on the handle. Lean slightly forward. Keeping your head still, pull the handle back by rotating your shoulders around a consistent spine angle. For a big flush, swing the handle to full top, then shift your weight to your front foot, and, with a slightly downward motion, begin the big flush. Keep your hands behind the point of impact. And don't forget to follow through."
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(Left: Carol and Hazel, house mums at the Bell Craig. Breakfast, laundry, bedding, they did it all for their seven American guests... and answered foolish questions about plumbing as well.
Below, Tim Borem swings a fairway wood on the windswept Jubilee Course at St. Andrews.)
