The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course in the world. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews clubhouse sits adjacent to the first tee, although it is but one of many clubs (St Andrews Golf Club, the New Golf Club, St Regulus Ladies Golf Club and the St Rule Club are the others with clubhouses) that have playing privileges on the course, along with some other non-clubhouse owning golf clubs and the general public. Originally known as the "golfing grounds" of St Andrews, it was not until the New Course was opened in 1895 that it became known as the Old Course.
History The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf" because the sport was first played on the links at St Andrews in the early 15th century. Golf was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland until James II of Scotland banned the game in 1457 because he felt that young men were playing too much golf instead of practising their archery. The ban was upheld by James III, and remained in force until 1502, when James IV became a golfer himself and removed the ban.Andrew Leibs (2004). "Sports and Games of the Renaissance". p. 69. Greenwood Publishing Group,
Governance In 1552, Archbishop John Hamilton gave the townspeople of St Andrews the right to play on the links. In 1754, 22 noblemen, professors, and landowners founded the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This society would eventually become the precursor to The R&A which is the governing body for golf everywhere outside of the United States and Mexico. St Andrews Links had a scare when they went bankrupt in 1797. The Town Council of St Andrews decided to allow rabbit farming on the golf course to challenge golf for popularity. Twenty years of legal battling between the golfers and rabbit farmers ended in 1821 when a local landowner and golfer named James Cheape of Strathtyrum bought the land and is credited with saving the links for golf.
The course evolved without the help of any one architect for many years, though notable contributions to its design were made by Daw Anderson in the 1850s and Old Tom Morris (1821–1908), who designed the 1st and 18th holes. Originally, it was played over the same set of fairways out and back to the same holes. As interest in the game increased, groups of golfers would often be playing the same hole, but going in different directions.
Influence on modern golf
The Old Course was pivotal to the development of how the game is played today. For instance, in 1764, the course had 22 holes and the members would play the same hole going out and in with the exception of the 11th and 22nd holes. William St Clair of Roslin as the captain of The Captain and Gentlemen Golfers authorized changes to St Andrews on 4 October 1764. He decided that the first four and last four holes on the course were too short and should be combined into four total holes (two in and two out). St Andrews then had 18 holes and that was how the standard of 18 holes was created.Forrest L. Richardson (2002). "Routing the Golf Course: The Art & Science That Forms the Golf Journey". p. 46. John Wiley & Sons Around 1863, Old Tom Morris had the 1st green separated from the 17th green, producing the current 18-hole layout with 7 double greens and 4 single greens. The Old Course is home of The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The Old Course has hosted this major 30 times since 1873, most recently in 2022. The 30 Open Championships that the Old Course has hosted is more than any other course, and The Open is currently played there every five years.
Old Course and Bobby Jones Bobby Jones (who later founded Augusta National) first played St Andrews in the 1921 Open Championship. During the third round, he infamously hit his ball into a bunker on the 11th hole. After he took four swings at the ball and still could not get out, he lost his temper and continued the round, but did not turn in his score card, disqualifying himself. However, he did continue to play in the fourth round. Six years later, when the Open Championship returned to St Andrews, Jones also returned. Not only did he win, he also became the first amateur to win back-to-back Open Championships. He won wire-to-wire, shooting a 285 (7-under-par), which was the lowest score at either a U.S. Open or Open Championship at the time. He ended up winning the tournament by a decisive six strokes.
In 1930, Jones returned to St Andrews for the British Amateur. He won, beating Roger Wethered by a score of 7 and 6 in the final match. He subsequently won the other three majors, making him the only man in the history of the sport to win the Grand Slam. Jones went on to fall in love with the Old Course for the rest of his life. Years later, he said "If I had to select one course upon which to play the match of my life, I should have selected the Old Course." In 1958 the town of St Andrews gave Jones the key to the city; he was only the second American to receive the honour (after Benjamin Franklin in 1759). After he received the key, he said "I could take out of my life everything but my experiences here in St Andrews and I would still have had a rich and full life."
Features and hazards ESPN has said of the course, "No other golf course has as many famous landmarks as St. Andrews, its 112 bunkers and endless hills and hollows have been cursed for centuries, and many have their own names and legends." In 1949, the last bunker to be filled in on the course was Hull bunker on the 15th fairway.
Hole(s) Name of hazard or feature Type of hazard or feature Notes Image(Click to expand)All holes on the coursecolspan="2" Until the 19th century, the Old Course was played in a clockwise direction. Old Tom Morris separated the 1st and 17th greens around 1870. From then, the course was played in an anti-clockwise direction on alternate weeks in order to let the grass recover better. The general method of play now is anti-clockwise, although clockwise play has been permitted on one day each year in recent years. The course is closed on Sundays to let the course rest. On some Sundays, the course turns into a park for all the townspeople who come out to stroll, picnic and otherwise enjoy the grounds. colspan="2" The first (front) nine holes of the course have white flags, while the back nine holes (except the 18th hole) have red flags.The 18th green has a white flag so that it can be seen in front of the red Hamilton Grand building.7th hole (white flag)17th hole (red flag)1 and 18 The Swilcan Burn Water hazard (Watercourse) This waterway flows from St Andrews into St Andrews Bay across the Old Course Swilcan Bridge Footbridge This is a small stone bridge spanning the Swilcan Burn.The bridge is about long, wide and tall.Originally built at least 700 years ago to help shepherds get livestock across the Swilcan Burn. Grannie Clark's Wynd Footpath A one lane paved public road. It was once used to haul boats from the town centre down to the West Sands Beach. colspan="2"The 1st and 18th holes do not have any bunkers. However, until about 1840 a large bunker called Halket's bunker was in the middle of the fairway, which was then filled in.1, 9, 17and 18 colspan="2"The 1st, 9th, 17th and 18th holes have their own greens. All other holes have shared greens. 2 and 17 Cheape's bunker Bunker This bunker is named after Sir James Cheape who bought the golf course from rabbit farmers in 1821. A later generation of the family sold the golf course onto The Royal and Ancient in 1892, who a year later sold it onto the town of St Andrews. 3 Cartgate bunkerBunker A large bunker protecting the third green. 4 Students' bunker Bunker Three small bunkers about 50 yards short of the green allegedly once popular with students wanting to seduce ladies. 5 The Spectacles bunkers Bunkers Two bunkers positioned either side of the approach to the 5th green. Seven Sisters Bunkers The Seven Sisters bunkers were excavated after the 1905 Open by removing the whins. 5 and 14 The Elysian Fields Fairway The fairway between the Beardies bunkers and out of bounds. 6 Nick's bunker Bunker 7 and 11Cockleshell bunker Bunker A large bunker between the 7th and 11th holes.7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 The Loop A group of 6 holes Six crisscrossing holes at the far end of the course. 8 Short Hole bunker Bunker 9 Boase's bunker Bunkers Deep pot bunkersEnd hole bunker Bunkers Deep pot bunkers 10 Kruger bunkers Bunkers Built during the Second Boer War when the British were fighting in the Transvaal Republic, whose president was Paul Kruger.The bunkers are called Mrs Kruger and Kruger's mistress. 11 Hill bunker Bunker Strath bunker Bunker Strath bunker is located in the front of the green.Eden bunker Bunker Shelly bunker Bunker 12 Stroke bunker Bunker It is said that once a ball goes in it, the golfer loses at least one stroke. Admiral's bunker Bunker Legend has it that an Admiral who fell into it after taking too long a look at a young American woman in a red mini-skirt and white shoes. 13 Walkinshaw bunker Bunker Legend has it that it was named after a local golfer who kept going into it. Lions Mouth bunker Bunker Coffin bunkers Bunker A group of three bunkers located in the centre of the 13th fairway. The shape gives the bunkers their name. 14 The Beardies bunkers 4 bunkers Four small bunkers that are said to be difficult to mow, hence the name. Kitchen bunker Bunker A small pot bunker originally shaped like a coffin.Benty bunker Bunker Hell bunker Bunker Golf Monthly said that it is "one of the world's most notorious golfing hazards". It covers an area of and between and deep. Grave bunker Bunker Pulpit bunker Bunker A pot bunker just above Hell bunker. Golf Monthly said it is so named because "you can look down into Hell (bunker)". 15 Miss Grainger's Bosoms 2 Mounds Two prominent mounds on the 15th hole, named for prominent local 19th-century golfer Agnes Grainger. She used to be a member of the St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club.Cottage bunker Bunker Refers to Pilmour Cottage, which is now Pilmour House and the Eden Clubhouse. Rob's bunkers Bunkers Sutherland bunker Bunker In 1869 a tiny bunker about 260 yards behind the much bigger Cottage bunker was filled in only to reappear three days later. The golfer thought to be responsible for restoring it was one AG Sutherland. While it was ultimately determined that Sutherland wasn't the culprit, he had the bunker named after him anyway. 16 Principal's Nose bunkers 4 bunkers Legend has it that the bunkers are either named for Mr Haldane, a 19th-century head of St Mary's College who reportedly had a prominent nose, or are a reference to the front porch of Sir Hugh Playfair's South Street House, which was nicknamed thus. Deacon Sime bunker Bunker About 30 yards beyond the Principal's Nose cluster. Grant's bunker Bunker Wig bunker Bunker 17(The Road Hole) The old railway sheds (part of the Old Course Hotel) Previously railway sheds. The Road (Hole) Bunker(a.k.a. the Sands of Nakajima) Bunker The Herald has called the bunker "The most notorious golf hazard in the world." Scholar's bunker Bunker The Old Station Roadand stone wall(out of bounds) Single-track road 18 Valley of Sin Depression This is an deep depression along the front before the 18th putting green.
The Open Championship
The Open has been staged at the Old Course at St Andrews 30 times. The following is a list of the champions: