Page 14 - 2017 Golf Guide

Day One : The Jubilee Course
Flying direct from the East Coast, we arrived in Each hole has a name. A favorite was Hole 15, called Glasgow in the early morning. Ninety minutes later, we Steel’s Gem for one of the architects who renovated the were at the St. Andrews Links Clubhouse for fish-and- course in 1988. The 356-yard par 4 requires a tee shot
chips and Guinness. After a quick change in the locker room, we walked 50 feet to the first tee on the Jubilee Course, the third oldest of the seven links.
Opened in 1897, the course was named in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. It was originally intended for ladies and beginners. Since then, it’s been upgraded to a championship standard.
It was a great starting track for the trip. It gave us a chance to get our Scotland legs and witness up close and personal the treachery of the bunkers, which are truly penal.
to a narrow throat of a fairway. Miss your shot left, and you’re in trouble. Miss right, and you’re blocked out by a 50-foot mound. What I learned from Day One is that golf in Scotland is often about where not to be.
A caddie is a must. I was paired with the perfect looper, St. Andrews native Kevin O’Donnell. He told me where the trouble was, and when I’d hit a nice shot, he built me up: “Ah, Jimmy, that’s a fair crack.” He was so good that I requested him for the rest of the St. Andrews courses. The caddies are also your conduit to great pubs, restaurants—and golf stories.
GG14 Golf Guide 2017 | www.todaymediainc.com