#1 on my list is the home of golf, the Old Course at St. Andrews Links. This is golf at it's most pure. Incredible strategic golf and a pure blast to play. There are incredibly difficult and long holes. Multiple derivable holes among the 14 par 4's. Uniquely, there are only 2 par 5's and 2 par 3's at the Old Course. Combine the incredible golf course with the historical setting and there is no better golf course in the world.

Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD, and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. Golf at St. Andrews became popular in the middle ages, so much so that the game was banned in 1457 by King James II of Scotland, who felt it was distracting young men from archery practice. Succeeding monarchs repeated this ban until James IV became a golfer himself.

By 1764, the Old Course consisted of 22 holes, 11 out and 11 back, with golfers playing to the same hole going out and in, except for the 11th and 22nd holes. The golfers decided the first four holes, therefore also the last four holes, were too short and that they should be made into two holes instead of four. Thus the number of holes per round dropped from 22 to 18, and that is how today’s standard round of golf was created.

As the game grew it became difficult to have groups playing the same hole in different directions, so the decision was made to cut two holes on each green, with white flags for the outward holes and red flags for the inward holes. This was the origin of the famous double greens which were designed by Old Tom Morris. There are 7 double greens at St. Andrews. From the 1870's until today, St. Andrews has hosted 29 Open Championships.

If you travel to St. Andrews, whether you play or not, you should spend a Sunday in town. The Golf Course is closed on Sundays and is open to the public as a park. You have free roam to walk the course as you wish. It is not uncommon to see a family having a picnic in a fairway, or college kids napping in the rough. It symbolizes for me why golf in Scotland is so spectacular, the accessibility to the best golf courses in the world is second to none. As for playing the course? Anyone can walk on. Tee times can be difficult without a lot of work, but get in line at 3 am the day you want to play, and you are sure to get on.

The history on this golf course is palpable. Get a caddy! They will tell you all the stories. The Swilcan Bridge crossing the burn in the 18th fairway is 700 years old.



Walking from the hotel to the first tee. I love that this is perfectly normal in St. Andrews.



The unity with the town of St. Andrews is perhaps the best feature of the Old. Other courses may play through neighborhoods but the Old Course plays into the middle of a town. The course actual starts and ends in the town itself. A public road passes through the first and 18th fairways and throughout your round the town’s skyline is visible, with steeples, towers or rooftops often providing an aiming point for your shot. At both the 1st tee and the 18th green be prepared to have a gallery of tourists watching you start and finish your round.



If you have read my reviews you know how much I love width on a golf course (width = options = strategy = better design = more fun). Well....width is the name of the game on the old course. Many high handicaps often comment that the golf course is "easier" than expected or enjoyable because of the fairways are hundreds of yards wide and huge greens - some over 25,000 square feet.

But the width is also a dream for the low handicapper because strategic options are endless on the Old. The wide fairway and large green combination leads to a huge variety of angles and pin placements that, in combination with the wind, mean no two rounds will ever be the same. There is no set way to play any hole on the old course, at times, it may benefit you to play down the fairway of a different hole to avoid trouble off the tee, or to create the best angle to the pin. This is why I highly recommend taking a caddie, my caddie helped my pick lines and gave my options all day, I wouldn't of had any clue how to play many of the holes without his help.

The first and 18th holes share a fairway that is 146 yards wide. It is amazing how nervous you can still be over the first tee shot. Cars parked down the street on the left and a crowd of tourists watching you tee off add to the drama. A good shot is important on #1 as you can see the green is right over the burn. Front pins are double bogey traps for many golfers on a hole that seems harmless from the tee.



1st tee shot


Here is a google earth image of the 3rd and 16th holes. The 3rd hole on the bottom of the photo is a good example of St. Andrews strategic options. This fairway is 120 plus yards wide since the two fairways merge. However, the ideal play is down the right, flirting with the bunkers on the bottom of the image. As you can see, that provides an easy second shot onto the green. However, you can also play it safe off the tee and hit it left. However, if the wind is at your back the pot bunker in the middle of the fairway will come into play. Also, from the left side you are left with a difficult shot over Cargate Bunker to the pin, making it very difficult to get close to the hole.



Green side view of Cargate Bunker



The golf course is relatively flat in elevation, but not flat in contouring. Natural bumps, dips and mounding formed over thousands of years provides strategic defense on many holes, often punishing poor angled approaches. The real beauty of St. Andrews is it's subtlety and how the golf course is designed for different wind conditions. Tiger woods has famously commented on how stupid he thought the placement of some bunkers were the first time he played St. Andrews...until the next day when the wind shifted directions and they came into play.

the natural contours must be factored into how you play your shot






This is a shot from the 5th tee and is a good example of a wide Old Course fairway. The best shot to shorten the hole is down the right side. But not visible from the tee are the 7 sisters bunkers, 7 nasty pot bunkers scattered along the right side of the hole. A tee shot left of those bunkers will get incredible role down the firm and fast fairway making it an easy two shot par 5. However the pin placement here can determine a lot. The green is 99 yards deep! I played this hole with the wind at my back and drove the ball 390 yards, leaving only 120 yards into the green. two putts later, I was able to make my first birdie of the day.



One of the cooler spots on the course is on the far end of the course. The 7th and 11 holes cross each other on the edge of the sea which creates a traffic jam of golfers on this end of the course. Be careful here and pay attention, walking down the 7th fairway golfers on the 11th hole may be hitting over you to the green. I marked the 7th hole tees and green in blue and the 11th hole in red. That huge bunker in front of the 7th green in Shell Bunker and it is the reason almost everyone here plays a fairway wood from the tee.



Shell Bunker in the 7th fairway. the red flag on the left is on the 11th pin. The White flag right is on the 7th pin.



View from the 11th tee. Just 174 yards, this is one of the most famous par 3's in the world. It can be brutal with the wind from the sea in your face, the caddies like to joke this is the shortest par 5 in golf. Long is toast as there is a large down slope behind the green and the bunkers on this hole are trouble. It's not uncommon for the wind to shoot balls down the hill fronting the green and into shell bunker in the 7th fairway. Here you can see golfers on the 11th green left and 7th green right.



11th green, this hole is known in architecture circles as the basis for the Eden template and has been copied in hundreds of courses around the world.


Another famous golf hole is the derivable par 4 12th, while it can be easy, it has also crushed the dreams of Open championship contenders (Paul Casey). Since this hole originally played in the opposite direction 150 years ago, none of the numerous pot bunkers are visible from the tee. Do you go for the green and risk landing in one? Or lay up? If yo play up, you better play the right yardage. With the help of my caddy giving me a perfect line I threaded the needle...and this was my second birdie of the day.



Steve North explains some cool features of the 12th fairway and green

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRYfdqhQZ2I

The 14th hole "Long" is the second and last par 5 at St. Andrews. Famously, this hole has the original Hell Bunker that makes you think strategically for your layup. This hole is also a well known template hole.



This classic photo shows you why you want to avoid Hell if you can.



One of the hardest things for many golfers on links golf courses is that a 60 degree wedge is almost useless. To be successful you need to play the ball on the ground if possible. Here is an example. I embarrassingly shanked my shot from the 16th fairway and ended up on the 17th tee, short-sided to the 16th pin. My only sensible option was to putt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEC3Ky0Ha20

The 17th Hole. Wow. The Road Hole. In my mind this is the greatest golf hole in the world. It is so incredibly cool and so incredibly hard. But, play two good shots and you can walk out of here with a par, or even birdie.

This is the view from the tee. This hole requires a blind tee shot over the railroad sheds which are now part of The Old Course Hotel. You must have guts to hit a good one here. Based on your shot shape, you pick a line based on the Hotel's lettering on the shed. The O in hotel is normally the optimum line. A ball on this line makes it 100x easier to approach the green with your second shot. Down the left is an option to bail out in the 2nd fairway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zegFuGdopQ

This is a view from above the hotel on the line of an ideal drive. If you see the green in the distance it is slanted at a 45 degree angle to the left. The deep road hole bunker fronts the green and and actual road is behind the green. Playing from the left side almost forces you to layup here as both the bunker and road are dead and you have only a narrow green to work with. However, a ball down the right side of this fairway has a nice opening to bounce up on the green.



The road hole bunker. From this bunker it is almost impossible to play toward the pin unless the flag is front right.



Talking to my caddie on the 17th green, with the famous 18th hole in the distance.



I don't think there is a better finish in all of golf than the 18th at St. Andrews. Even though this fairway is 146 yards wide, your knees are weak on this tee box. Back into town with the green tucked up against an intersection with the Iconic Hotel and R&A Clubhouse in the backdrop. you can see why so many pros end up way left near the first tee. Cars are parked along the fairway up the right side of the hole and a shank is sure to shatter glass of one of the many shops lining the street. Drive-able for the longest pros from the tips and for most low handicappers from the yellows, do you dare risk it? Walking up this hole is without question the greatest walk in golf.

Take aim and the tall narrow war monument left of the hotel and let it fly.




Aside from the OB right and long, the green is defended by the "Valley of Sin" in the front left of the green. In the distance is the beach from "Chariots of Fire".



This was an experience I will never forget and I hope to be back soon. Golf at it's most fun. It's hard to explain how cool it is to tee off on the 1st, 17th and 18th holes. It's the only time in my life I had goosebumps on the 1st tee. To walk on the same hollowed ground as every great golfer ever, it's a special place. For me, it is a no brainier #1.

I hope to have more for you guys soon. I was going to play 3 top 100 in the world golf courses this year, but Covid may keep me from playing any...we'll see if I can make something happen.

#1 The Old Course
#2 Cruden Bay
#3 Riviera
#4 Bandon Dunes
#5 Arcadia Bluffs
#6 Pacific Dunes
#7 Spyglass Hill
#8 Old MacDonald
#9 Carnoustie
#10 The Castle Course
#11 Circling Raven
#12 Makai Golf Club
#13 Pelican Hill - Ocean South
#14 Bandon Trails
#15 Coeur d'Alene
#16 Capitol Hill - Judge
#17 Wolf Creek
#18 Forest Dunes
#19 Playa Grande DR
#20 Ko'Olau
#21 Rustic Canyon