St Andrews--The Old Course: Does the Emperor have any Clothes? (St. Andrews)

Member Name: futureman

Product:	St. Andrews
Date:	12/06/00 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: uniqueness, history, memories

Disadvantages: a very average golf course

It is a dream of most golfers to be able to play at the "home of golf." Most of us have watched the greatest players in the game walk over the links of St. Andrews many times, in various Open's, Dunhill Cup's etc. We will get yet another chance next month when the Millennium Open is played on the Old Course. The course (and the other 5 adjoining it) are common land of the Burgh of St. Andrews, and thus open to the public. If you get a chance, and can get yourself up to the North East corner of Fife, should you try to live your dream? Well.......maybe.

The Pro's

The first hole. A very ordinary golf hole made extraordinary by its location. Ancient (and occasionally Royal) members of the R&A sitting in splendour behind the tee sipping their pink gins. Locals and tourists lounging on railings waiting for you to tee off. The rest of the town spread out behind you. The links spread out in front of you. The sea shore spreading off to the right. Magic

The last hole. Another very ordinary hole made extraordinary. The whole of the Burgh embracing you. The world's widest fairway. The Swilken Bridge. The Valley of Sin. Memories for ever.

Three other holes. The 11th, a short hole framed by the Eden estuary and an enormous pot bunker. The 14th, a true par 5 with a tight landing area for the drive, bunkers from hell (including Hell Bunker itself) to catch the next shot, and a green that you can actually see with your approach shot. The 17th (the Road Hole), an extremely hard and great golf hole. Pars on any of these holes are bonuses even for low handicap golfers.

The curiosities. Gigantic double greens where it may not be possible to reach the hole with even the most violently struck putt. Minuscule pot bunkers in the middle of fairways. Holes which cross each other. Tees which seem to point to nowhere even closely resembling a golf hole.

The Burgh. St. Andrews is a great, g
reat town. Students. Pubs. History. Shops. Views. Worth the journey even if you don't play golf.

The Cons.

The 13 golf holes that I have not mentioned. Blind tee shots. Flat uninteresting short par-4's. Holes where you can't see the pin even with a tee shot to position A. Greens where more likely than not pins will be placed where no pro has ever seen them--on the sides of hills, virtually off the fronts, or backs or sides of the greens. No outstanding physical beauty once you leave the view of the town.

The Old Course Hotel. A great hotel to stay in, but a carbuncle on the landscape for those playing golf on the Old Course. Have a drink in the penthouse bar and try to imagine what the course would be like if the hotel were not there (it is the only place on the course that the hotel is not visible!).

Recent "Improvements." Tiger tees that add distance to the course but take away the flow of the links from the green to the tee. More enormous bunkers added to a course that already has too many.

The Bottom Line?

Play the course if you must. (I've done so a half-dozen times-most recently in February--but I do so now only when someone else is picking up the tab.) By all means play the New Course and the Eden Course--each much better tests of golf than the Old Course, IMHO (I am a low-handicap golfer who has played most of the Championship courses in the UK and Ireland). . Enjoy the town. Enjoy your memories.

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