Issue 5 : Fall/Winter
2002 |
Following the success of opening the Old Course for play in reverse on 1 April 2002, St Andrews Links Trust, which runs the Old Course and the five other St Andrews courses, is to repeat the event in 2003, but for three days instead of one! Many years ago play regularly alternated between the right hand circuit, the current layout, and the reverse left hand circuit (1st tee to 17th green, 18th tee to 16th green etc until the last hole, which played from the 2nd tee to the 18th green).
On Friday 4 April,
Saturday 5 April and Monday 7 April 2003 golfers will again have
the opportunity to play the course in reverse. A special three round
package has been created to include two rounds on the Old - one forwards
and one backwards - plus one round on another St Andrews course.
The price will be £249 per person including green fees, a voucher
for the St Andrews Golf Practice Centre and clubhouse services.
Please contact us if you would like more details of this unique package.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club has announced that the Open Golf Championship will be held at St Andrews in 2005, the 27th time the championship will have been played over the Old Course. The event was first contested at St Andrews in 1873 when local golfer Tom Kidd won the claret jug and the prize-money of £25 with a score of 179 for 2 rounds. By contrast, Tiger Woods won £500,000 for winning the Open here in 2000!
St Andrews Links Trust has also confirmed that it is investigating possible sites for a seventh course. Increased demand from visitors, an expanding local population and growing St Andrews university student numbers have in recent years encouraged a feeling in some quarters that another course is required to keep up with the projected demand for tee-times. In 2001 alone a new record of 215,000 rounds were played over the existing courses. Negotiations with local landowners are apparently ongoing and, should it be built, the new course will join the Old, New (est 1895), Jubilee (1897), Eden (1914), Strathtyrum & Balgove (both 1993) in the St Andrews roll of honor.
The new St Andrews
Bay Golf Resort and Spa, just outside the town, has recently celebrated
its first year in business. The £50 million development encompasses
a 200-bedroom hotel and two 18-hole courses; The Torrance Course
designed by European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance and the Devlin
Course by former US Tour member Bruce Devlin. Looking down to the
medieval skyline of the old town and out to sea the courses offer
a picturesque setting for play. A £2 million clubhouse has
also opened this summer.
If you are particularly interested in playing the Old Course in 2003 please contact us as soon as possible to discuss your plans and preferred dates. Adventures In Golf is one of a small number of tour operators that are allocated guaranteed, reserved Old Course tee-times by St Andrews Links. We supplement our own allocation by working closely with our partner hotels in St Andrews which also receive allocated times. Some dates to avoid:
- May 5-8 incl: Royal & Ancient Golf Club's Spring Meeting
- May 19 & 20: Scottish Ladies Amateur Championship
- September 8-19 incl: Royal & Ancient
Golf Club's Autumn Meeting