St Andrews

[The Recreational Golfer]

The British Open seems to have locked itself into a series of what could be called "legacy courses" on which to play the tournament. They are all excellent (I would assume, since I have never played any of them except St. Andrews), but there are many courses in the UK that are just as fine that can and should be featured. What about Cruden Bay, and Dornoch, which every pro who plays it falls in love with?

St. Andrews is in the rotation because of its historical value, and one thing that our sport does is respect its history. For that reason I have no arguments with playing the Open there. But Plox has played it and others, so I would give his opinion about its quality some weight.

[James_Black]

You don't like St.Andrews?

Wow.

That all I can say.

[Chilli Dipper]

The British Open seems to have locked itself into a series of what could be called "legacy courses" on which to play the tournament. They are all excellent (I would assume, since I have never played any of them except St. Andrews), but there are many courses in the UK that are just as fine that can and should be featured. What about Cruden Bay, and Dornoch, which every pro who plays it falls in love with?

The answer to that query is infrastructure. The problem with many links courses is that their communities are too small to accomodate the Open crowds, or that the courses themselves lack the adequate space for the various facilities needed for a modern championship. Dornoch is in a too-remote corner of Scotland to host the Open; Cruden Bay, with it's blind shots and crossovers, would be a logistical nightmare (plus, it's too short).

[Deryck Griffith]

Being that I had the great honor to play St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and 5 other courses in a dream trip to Scotland this past May, I have to say that St. Andrews blew me away. Yes, the course isn't a a modern day masterpiece as 6 of the 8 courses I played were nicer than St. Andrews when it comes to golf asthetics; however, it is surely a place that just oozes history and emotion. Walking on the grounds where the game was born and in the shadows of greats dating back to the 1800s really brought out something different for me. For me, I cannot explain how much I love the game of golf. I'm sure many others feel the same on this forum and to play and walk (with a caddie) St. Andrews, the place where the game I love started is something that I will never forget and something that every single lover of the game should experience.

The beauty of St. Andrews isn't necessarily in the course itself, but rather, the meaning of what that course has done for all of us on this forum and around the world playing this beautiful game.

I respect the opinions of the OP. I do however disagree with the short sided view of a place that means so much to all of us.

[Plox]

- that you believe that Open courses are, or should be chosen becuase of how "good" they are.

Haha, God forbid...

[trog2233]

Being that I had the great honor to play St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and 5 other courses in a dream trip to Scotland this past May, I have to say that St. Andrews blew me away. Yes, the course isn't a a modern day masterpiece as 6 of the 8 courses I played were nicer than St. Andrews when it comes to golf asthetics; however, it is surely a place that just oozes history and emotion. Walking on the grounds where the game was born and in the shadows of greats dating back to the 1800s really brought out something different for me. For me, I cannot explain how much I love the game of golf. I'm sure many others feel the same on this forum and to play and walk (with a caddie) St. Andrews, the place where the game I love started is something that I will never forget and something that every single lover of the game should experience.

I'm not gonna get involved with the original post of this horrible thread but....I just wanted to say that this was the only post that I thought Wow great answer! Nice job...

[Plox]

Is it horrible when someone gives an opinion which differs to yours? You need get out more if that's the case.

[brgolf]

He has an opinion about your opinion.

[zeg]

Not having seen it in person (yet), I can't comment on its quality, but it doesn't matter. It is where it started, and in the opinion of guys whose opinions about golf I respect more than random Internet folks, it's a fine course. To me, that's enough that the Open should be played there regularly. Even if it's not objectively the greatest course, the fact that golf tournaments have been played there for literally centuries is reason to continue. It seems to produce some great golf, at any rate, and it's fun to see generation after generation after generation of golfers facing the same challenge.

(I don't mean my comment about opinions above as a flame, just that when it comes to evaluating golf courses, I will trust the pros over random people when given the choice. Nothing personal, I'm sure you're a nice guy.)

[The Recreational Golfer]

I have a copy of Sports Illustrated , that I can't find at the moment, previewing the 2000 Open at St. Andrews. There's an article in it that says the course was laid out to be played in the reverse direction (clockwise) that it's played today (counterclockwise). That would make today's 17th green really the 1st green, and so on. I do remember someone saying in the article that the locations of all the pot bunkers don't make sense until you play the course going clockwise, then it all becomes clear. Apparently there's one day in the year when the course is played in the old direction.

[mjtoal]

I have a copy of

That is correct. The course can be played backwards and some of the bunkers make more sense in that routing.

[holeinon3]

That is correct. The course can be played backwards and some of the bunkers make more sense in that routing.

Wow I've heard about that, that's pretty freakin' cool!

[mcfc_nick]

http://www.pga.com/openchampionship/...ngs-070910.cfm

[Titleist_ProV1x]

St. Andrews is on the rota because of its unparallelled historical link with the origins of the game, not becuase it is a great course.

I will have you know sir that St. Andrews is the greatest links course in the world. How you could be so arrogant and ignorant in the same statement is beyond me.

[sean_miller]

I will have you know sir that St. Andrews is the greatest links course in the world. How you could be so arrogant and ignorant in the same statement is beyond me.

It does seem to be rated high by Golf Digest, but several people in the know (in this thread) say otherwise.

[Acropo]

The first time I saw St Andrews, I thought 'is that it?'. However, as one gets more experience, one comes to appreciate its appeal. Bobby JOnes found that - he walked off in his first appearance and came back to win the Open in 1927 and the British Amateur in 1930, his Grand Slam year.

Interestingly, it always seems to be a great champion that wins there - you don't tend to get the one-offs coming out of the fog of obscurity for their 15 minutes of fame.

Look at the roll call of Open winners at St Andrews - Woods, Daly, Faldo, Ballesteros, Nicklaus, Nicklaus, Snead, Jones, Braid, Taylor, Vardon; you don't need to explain who they are. And it was laid out by Old Tom Morris. Even the first American winner of the Open - Jock Hutchison, 1920, who was born in Scotland but had become a US citizen - won there. It oozes history and it is not so much a tenuous link as a wide-open pathway into the history and legacy of the game.

It's a heck of an examination of every aspect of your game, too!

[saevel25]

Bobby Jones fell in love with the course
Jack loves the course
Phil loves the course
Tiger loves the course

If these 4 like it, i think its good enough for the open. honestly you see the pro's out there shooting just as low as any other Open, its just as tough. Its the home of golf, played on a small piece of land were only three greens are not shared. I think its great to play it there, are the fairways perfect, no. Are the greens perfect, no. But this is golf, its an outdoor sport, started playing in fields mowed down by sheep. We are to entitled to perfect playing conditions. I think this is one of the more truer golf courses out there.

[Chillmoon91]

Yeah back to your boring john deere classic Id say, god forbid imagination maybe needed to play a golf course