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By David Brice
Golf International, Inc

St. Andrews holds a very special place in the hearts of golfers the world over. This is the true home of golf and Mecca for virtually everyone who has ever laid their hands on a golf club. They come from every corner of the globe in hopes they will be fortunate enough to play the fabled Old Course, unquestionably the most famous course in existence.

A Centenarian, there is nothing new about The New Course

Some will be lucky enough to have their name drawn in the daily ballot and a dream will be realized. Others will have paid a sizeable premium for the privilege of arriving in golf's capital with a pre-reserved visitor time. Unfortunately, many will be disappointed and never get to play this piece of hallowed ground - demand to play the Old Course, outstrips the availability of visitor times by a wide margin that only increases from year to year.

Whether you actually get to play The Old Course or not, the visit to St. Andrews remains a must and the reasons extend far beyond a solitary links layout. There is much more to do and see - and other courses to play.

There are six separate golf courses within the town limits, a number that grows to seven in 2008 with the opening of the new, Castle Course. All are owned and operated by the local citizenry through a special board, The St. Andrews Links Trust. By parliamentary decree, the courses belonging to St. Andrews must be operated for the benefit of the town.

It's The Old Course that receives the overwhelming attention of visitors and as the birthplace of the game and 600 years of golf history to tell, this is perfectly understandable, but the other St. Andrews courses shouldn't be ignored.

St. Andrews New Course - The first green

The Jubilee Course opened in 1897 and possesses its own challenge, demanding pinpoint accuracy off the tees and a lot of concentration. Arguable the toughest of the St. Andrews courses is the perhaps inappropriately named, New Course. Names can be misleading and before condemning The New for any misconception of youth, bear in mind that when it originally opened as St. Andrews' second course back in 1895, it was new. Add to its pedigree the design, which comes from the true master of links architecture, Old Tom Morris and you know this is not a course to be snubbed.

St. Andrews New Course doesn't settle for playing second fiddle to its illustrious older brother, but stands proudly on its own merits as one of Scotland's most demanding links courses.

Some might consider The New Course's fairways, less than fair

There are many similarities between The Old and The New, including an impressive double green (3rd and 15th) undulating fairways, an abundance of threateningly deep pot-bunkers, perilous rough of wild grasses, gorse and brush and generously large, rolling greens. But The New has the edge with its demands, requiring a higher degree of accuracy, technical skills and powers of invention.

When the course first opened it measured 6,440 yards, an enormous length considering this was the era of the gutty ball and hickory shafted clubs. Little has been changed on the course since and today it runs to a shade over 6,600 yards and a par of 71.

From a gentle opener, Morris's design grows evermore testing as bunkers seemingly increase in numbers and become more threatening and the rough grows higher, thicker and accuracy an essential element for a successful round.

Pot-bunkers are often as deep as they are wide

It is difficult to pick a feature hole, as each has its own merits, always high, requiring a different plan of attack from the previous hole. One thing you may be assured, a round on The New Course will be exhilarating and anything but boring.

The thrill of this impressive links does not culminate until the very last hole, a 408-yard par 4, which contains all but one of Morris's original 6 bunkers. The approach to the green is well guarded by a couple of pot-bunkers and ominous rough on the left and a bunker and ridge on the right. The undulating green is not quite as cruel as the original, but still demands skilful putting. A birdie, even par will be hard to come by and most will be happy to settle for bogey.

The 18th - one final pot-bunker stands between you and the clubhouse

Walking off the 18th green, you will be fully aware that you have been tested to the extreme and perhaps the thought will cross your mind that if there were no Old Course, the New would be reason enough to make the pilgrimage to St. Andrews.

No one can ever take away the history and tradition that is held exclusively by The Old Course at St. Andrews and neither should they. It will always bring out the deepest of emotions in every golfer, whether playing it for the first or twenty-first time.

When it comes to those who seek a true links challenge however, there can be no better place than The New Course to test your abilities against Mother Nature. It also happens to be one of the best-preserved 18-hole courses that Old Tom Morris designed. And for those who accept the challenge, The New Course has it's own piece of history to share.

For a few ideas on how to include The New and other St. Andrews area courses on your Scottish golf trip, click here.

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

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