On April 10, 2016, Justin Williams played in his 1,000 career NHL game. During a touching pregame ceremony, Williams was gifted with a commemorative crystal from the NHL, a silver stick from the Capitals, and a Scottish golf vacation for two from the Capitals players. Nicklas Backstrom seemed particularly proud of the last gift, and now we see why. It was a gift for him too!
This week, Williams went on his golf vacation to the Old Course at St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. He brought along Caps teammates Backstrom, Marcus Johansson, and Daniel Winnik along with former teammate Mike Richards. Swedish golfer Marcus Krischel and two unidentified others also participated.
The Old Course at St. Andrews is one of the oldest golf courses in the world.
Amazing time golfing in Scotland to celebrate @JustinWilliams 1000th game. Thanks to @PermVacayBrand for hats and sweaters design 👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/Bxi1NHHwyc
— Daniel Winnik (@Danwinnik34) June 21, 2017
The Old Course has many unique features along the 18 holes. The Swilcan Bridge, which can be seen in the header photo and in Winnik’s tweet, spans the first and 18th holes. This 700-year-old bridge has been one of the most famous icons in the world for golf. Everyone who plays the 18th hole walks across the bridge to return. A life-size replica lives in the World Golf Hall of Fame museum in St. Augustine, Florida.
Krischel also posted about the outing on his Instagram.
Krischel’s caption, as translated by Magnus Cadelin, reads, “What a f-ing awesome experience! Got to touch sacred (golf) soil. Thanks @marcusjohansson90 and @nicke19 for your nice company and for “dragging” me along. I’ll never forget this day!”
Johansson instagrammed a handful of photos while calling it a “a trip of a lifetime.”
The group also received custom hats and sweatshirts congratulating Williams on his 1,000 game achievement. The sweatshirt features an illustration of Williams’ team photo day hair. According to Winnik’s tweet, the swag was designed by Toronto based company Permanent Vacation.
