Page 15 - 2017 Golf Guide

The Old Course
How to Book
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direct application Email the St. Andrews
Links Trust at reserva- tions@standrews.com during the two- to three-week window in August. Tee times are
distributed lottery- style. Winners will be notified in October.
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daily ballot About half of the tee times are awarded through a lottery system that draws winners 48 hours in advance.
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single- golfer walk-up
If you’re a single, your odds are pretty good, especially if you’re flexible and don’t mind playing in some bad weather. Just check in with the starter at the Old Pavilion as early as 5:30 a.m.
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book
a trip
If you’re traveling with a group of two or more, Golfbreaks.com is your best bet. The golf travel company
plans your entire trip, and its expertise in the United Kingdom is top notch. Pay the fee
and you’ll get to tee.
www.standrews.com www.golfbreaks.com
Day Two : Kingsbarns Golf Links
Davie Johnston, the doorman at the setting, and the closely mown fairways and greens are Fairmont St. Andrews, made sure we were packed typical of fast-rolling links layouts. Most memorable and ready for the van. In his colorful kilt and with an was Hole 15—212 yards of dangerous carry over the
accent thicker than the gorse that would later swallow some of our golf balls, the Scotsman became a highlight of our stay there.
sea on this challenging par 3.
We had six holes of golfing bliss until the weather
showed its might, which actually fulfilled our hope for
Today, we were off to Kingsbarns Golf Links, seven miles up the coast from St. Andrews, past ancient ruins, old stone walls and fields of “rocket” (arugula). Not part of the St. Andrews Links Trust, Kingsbarns is one of the newest courses in the area— a mere teenager at 17 years old. But packing all the punch of its older neighbors, it’s already ranked a Top 100 course in the world.
Day Three
Kingsbarns takes full advantage of its coastal
the true Scottish experience. With some Scotch waiting for us at the turn, we braved a driving rain. Hole 18 was a great finisher, especially since the sun finally returned.
Fresh fish chowder nourished us at the clubhouse, and during dinner in the St. Andrews Bar & Grill back at the Fairmont, we discovered probably one
of the best spots to take in the sunset over the St. Andrews Bay.
: The Old Course
With two great courses under my belt, I was ready for one of the biggest thrills of my golfing life.
only Holes 1, 9, 17 and 18 having their own greens. The layout is festooned with 112 bunkers, each with a name and a story. I was warned to avoid the Seven Sisters on Hole 5 and even managed to keep it left of the 10-foot-deep, 300-square-foot Hell Bunker on Hole 14, which resulted in a quintuple bogey for Jack Nick- laus during the 2000 Open Championship. Sorry, Jack,
but I managed to par this one, too. The infamous par-4 Road Hole on 17 did me in like many a golfer, though, with its blind tee shot over the faux railroad sheds.
The 18th hole is where the 700-year-old Swilcan Bridge awaits. Spanning the Swilcan Burn between Hole 1 and Hole 18, the bridge is probably one of the most photographed spots in the sport, and professional players have bid farewell to the game from this iconic stone structure.
The day ended perfectly with a memorable stop at the Dunvegan Hotel, just a 9-iron from the 18th green. I’m sure the Claret Jug has made a few appearances here, as have 27 major golf champions. Toast the day with your favorite libation.
Our foursome stepped out of the van parked near the hallowed hall of the Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, and we made our way to the starter. We dutifully showed our golf handicap cards—proof that you’re at least a 24 handicap—and we were in.
Most people don’t realize the first hole at the Old Course is the largest fairway in golf—more than 100 yards wide where it joins the 18th fairway. Another
surprise is that a public walkway bisects the hole— people jog and pushing baby carriages while you’re waiting to tee off. In fact, the course is closed on Sundays, when it becomes a public park.
The starter raised his hands so the locals knew access was closed for a moment, then we were given the go to tee off. My trusty caddie told me to keep it left, and I obliged with the straightest tee shot I had hit all trip.
“Ah, that’s a knocker,” O’Donnell nodded. A par at the first hole was as memorable to me as any hole-in-one.
The Old Course features seven double greens, with
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