St. Andrews - The Old Course

After the fellowship, I headed up to the Kingdom of Fife for a few days to finally play the Old Course at St. Andrews. I actually played it twice...once in reverse in once regularly. Because the course is made of a series of double greens that go out and back, it can be played two ways. The Reverse Old Course was apparently the way it was played hundreds of years ago. It was an unique experience...the starter told our group they probably wouldn't set it up like that for another 10 years or so, if ever.

The course was terrific - there's really no other course like it. Incredibly immense greens, bumpy fairways, penalty bunkers you can't see until you're in them. It's a great place to play. On 18 on the reverse course...I bombed a drive over the road that bisects the fairway, and a tourist actually drove up and picked up my ball! Ridiculous. I played OK both times I played there...in the mid-80s. Parred the road hole with a great hybrid that bounced up and stayed on the green in 2 - no small feat if you've ever seen the hole during the Open. Made some birdies, holed some long putts. Good fun.






Open for play.



The starter explaining something to my playing partner.







Picture perfect linksland.



I putted this baby to about 2 feet.




If you click on this photo, it gives you some idea of the size of the greens.




Had to take an unplayable after my drive found the gorse on a short par 4.




I guess you'd say this is going to break just a hair...it went about 30 feet left, and I holed the comebacker for a ho-hum two putt.


Hitting my drive on the reverse 18th...before the tourist got my ball.



Lining it up to clear the hotel on the road hole.



My birdie putt on the road hole.







Somewhere over the rainbow, you'll find my ball in this gorse.



The obligatory bridge pic.