Michael Johnston is larger than life and a great friend of this office.  I met Michael and his lovely wife Jennifer at the Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews over a decade ago.  Due North of St. Andrews and seldom visible through the mist is the small town of Carnoustie and Carnoustie had a colossal problem looming.  With arguably the most difficult golf course in the World and booked to host the 1999 Open Championship, Carnoustie had no hotel or serious accommodations in place.  Enter Michael Johnston, favorite son of Dundee and a rare, successful Scottish entrepreneur who had chosen to remain in Scotland instead of galavanting down to London.  Michael was the only person within a thousand miles of Carnoustie with any chance of developing a signature hotel in time but nobody seemed to give him a chance.  In fact, I had the feeling that he was going to be a sacrificial lamb to shoulder the blame and perhaps save some faces to the East of the most famous first tee in Golf.  Michael ran the show with military precision and a little help from some friends and Carnoustie got its Hotel two weeks before Paul Laurie left the Frenchman up to his knees in the 18th. byrne.  A memorable Open and a memorable man.  Michael Johnston has included GBA in many subsequent projects all around the World, the latest being a smart little hotel in Broughty Ferry, Scotland.