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By David Brice
Golf International, Inc.

If there is one name that says golf more than any other, it can only be Scotland's St. Andrews. This is the true Home of Golf, where the game has been played for more than 600 years, the entirety of golf's history.

Today, the old grey cathedral city of St. Andrews owns and operates five separate eighteen-hole courses within the town limits; The New Course, dating from 1895; The Jubilee Course opened in 1897; The Eden, built in 1914 and the most recent edition, The Strathtyrum. Then there is the grand daddy of them all and the one everyone dreams of playing, the world famous, St. Andrews Old Course.

Gorse, gorse and more gorse, one of The Old Course'e defenses.

The Old Course is truly, hallowed ground and to walk its fairways is to walk in the footsteps of every great name the game has ever known.

This is the course that has hosted more British Open Championships than any other and has crowned champions such as Tom Morris, James Braid, Bobby Jones, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Tiger Woods and a host of no lesser names.

There is no question that The Old Course is golf's Mecca and a layout every golfer, from weekend hacker to accomplished low handicapper, to the very best tour pros, yearn to play. It's a special magic, unique to this place alone.

At first sight, The Old Course comes across as less than impressive. The surroundings are attractive and overwhelmingly historic, but the course itself gives the appearance of being quite flat and unceremoniously, squeezed into a narrow strip of land. The individual holes seem not clearly defined and the simple, out and back layout, less than inspirational.

Hell Bunker, St. Andrews Old Course.

Don't be deceived, The Old Course has more than enough tricks up its sleeve, some subtle, others less so.

There are hidden pot-bunkers in abundance, many of a frightening depth. The fairways you will discover are far from flat and contain numerous subtle undulations and natural contours, all of which act in unison as a defending army protecting the greens.

The greens in and of themselves are unique and nothing less than disconcerting to the uninitiated. Double greens are a peculiarity of The Old Course. There are 7 in all, each serving two fairways. The sheer size of these greens can be demoralizing as several cover more than an acre, demanding a very special putting talent. They remain as proof positive that this is a layout which is as challenging as any.

As is the very character of every links layout, the final and perhaps most dominant defender of the course is the wind. On a totally calm day, not a frequent occurrence, the course rewards the carefully thinking golfer and anyone of a number of strategies can be successful. Take a day with even a moderate wind and it's a totally different layout, ready willing and able to take on the very best.

St. Andrews Old Course - The Home of Golf.

There are a number of truly fearsome holes on The Old Course, but perhaps the notorious 17th, The Roadhole, is the scariest of all and has proved to be the deciding factor in many a British Open.

The tee shot requires a carry over the railway sheds, risking an out of bounds on the right. The approach shot is no less terrifying.

The green is none too generous, plateaued and sternly protected by one of most ominous bunkers on the entire course, a sheer faced monster, as deep as you are tall, lying in wait to grab any errant shot.

Overshoot the 17th and you are on the road and up against a stonewall at the rear. The choices are knee shaking.

The first hole at The Old Course.

No matter how well or poorly you play through the 17th, the grand dame of golf gives every player the opportunity to close out the 18th on a high note and go home with the fondest memories of an emotional experience.

With the town skyline as a backdrop and The Royal & Ancient Golf Club off to the left, you know you are playing a part of golf's history. The generous 18th green is set in theatrical fashion, flanked on two sides by a low fence and an inevitable gathering of onlookers.

It's a short and relatively easy par 4, despite being protected by the ominous sounding and frightening looking, Valley of Sin. The onlookers are always generous with their applause for even the less polished. Allow your mind to wander for a moment and you can imagine you are partnered with Palmer or Nicklaus, and this is The Open. It's just a part of the magic of St. Andrews Old Course.

With the very high demand to play The Old Course, early planning is essential and the whole process can be made a lot easier with the assistance of a professional golf travel company such as Golf International. For a few ideas on making the most historic course in the world a part of your 2007 trip, with a guaranteed starting time included, click here.

© 2007 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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