St. Andrews' Old Course: Sand wedge required, kilt optional

Is there a golf course you would give your eye teeth to play? Augusta National? Pebble Beach?

The Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland, ranks No. 1 in my book. In 1999, I played the famed home of golf and enjoyed every minute of it — even hitting out of the nasty roughs and pot bunkers.

Here is a quick primer on how to get on the course:

• A U.S. Golf Assn. handicap card or certificate is required and must be presented to the starter. The handicap limit is 24 for men and 36 for women. Membership in a golf club is also required — any type of golf organization works.
• About 50% off all starting times are put into a daily lottery, which is drawn each day for the next day’s play. (The Old Course is closed on Sundays, so the Saturday draw is for Monday.) A minimum of two golfers can enter by telephone (011-44-133-446-6666) or in person before 2 p.m. on the day before play. The results are shown by 4 p.m. at the course and at the lottery website. For singles, the best strategy is to arrive as early as possible. In the summer, the starter arrives at 5:45 a.m., and the first tee time is 6:30.
• Green fees are 130 pounds ($205) through mid-October this year, and drop to 64 pounds ($101) in November and December. Compare these prices to the $495 fee at Pebble Beach, where a minimum two-night stay is required ($580 per night minimum) to guarantee a tee time, and the Old Course is a bargain. With a low-cost off-season flight, an Old Course trip might just be within your budget.
• Golfers with a permanent disability (with documentation) may request a golf cart, or buggy, between April and October. It will be driven by a qualified caddie driver, and the fee is 40 pounds ($63).

For more information, visit St. Andrews Links.

And bring a good sweater. It can get a wee bit chilly up there, even in the summer.

— Bill Sheehan

Top photo: The first tee at the Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland. Credit: Bill Sheehan

Bottom photo: The Old Course's 18th green. Credit: Bill Sheehan

Comments

[Jim Murray]

The Old was a treat to play this summer, and it was so dead, we didn't even need to participate in the lottery, it was wide open on a Saturday afternoon. Here's a link to my review on ForeLinksters.com:
http://forelinksters.com/course/old_course_at_st_andrews_st_andrews