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Aug 30, 2023 · A hole-by-hole guide to The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland. Get to know every hole at the Home of Golf, the mother of golf courses around the world. Tim Gavrich. August 30, 2023. After hosting the 2022 Open Championship, The Old Course at St. Andrews welcomes the 2023 Walker Cup. Ross Parker/R&A/Getty Images.
- Irvine
SCOTLAND| Starting on the South West coast, making a stop to...
- Irvine
Golf Digest's Architecture Editor Emeritus, Ron Whitten, narrates this spectacular hole by hole drone tour of The Old Course at St. Andrews in St. Andrews, Scotland.
- 15 min
- 265.3K
- Golf Digest
- Par 4, 375 yards. Nickname: Burn. 2015 scoring average: 3.84 (13) Scouting report: A short opening hole with no bunkers in the generous fairway, the only issue being the Swilcan Burn that runs down the right side of the fairway and across the face of the green.
- Par 4, 452 yards. Nickname: Dyke. 2015 scoring average: 4.04 (8) Scouting report: The ideal tee shot is a drive between Cheape’s bunker on the left at just over 300 yards from the tee and the edge of the rough on the right, which features thick gorse.
- Par 4, 398 yards. Nickname: Cartgate Out. 2015 scoring average: 3.86 (11) Scouting report: Another good birdie opportunity in favorable conditions.
- Par 4, 480 yards. Nickname: Ginger Beer. 2015 scoring average: 4.15 (4) Scouting report: The options off the tee are to go straight at the flag down a narrow strip of fairway hemmed by dunes and gorse or to take the drive over mounds on the left, where the fairway widens to merge with the inward 15th hole.
- Hole 1 – Burn
- Hole 2 – Dyke
- Hole 3 – Cartgate
- Hole 4 – Ginger Beer
- Hole 5 – Hole O’Cross
- Hole 6 – Heathery
- Hole 7 – High
- Hole 8 - Short
- Hole 9 – End
- Hole 10 – Bobby Jones
The Old Course’s par 4 first hole is named after the Swilcan Burn that runs in front of the green. Even with a potential watery end for the ball, though, the hole tempts players with an expansive fairway that’s shared with the 18th. Beware, though – those using too gung-ho a tee shot can still easily find the out-of-bounds on either side, while eve...
Dyke is a Scottish name for wall, and sure enough, a standing to the left of the fairway is behind the hole's name. The hole is one of seven shared greens, and, in Dyke's case, it shares it with the 16th, Corner of the Dyke. Dyke starts a run of six holes with blind tee shots. Players face a far narrower fairway than on Burn, with Cheape’s bunker(i...
This par 4 398-yard hole is so named because there was once a cart road crossing the fairway and leading to the sea (gate is a Scottish word for a road). The hole is home to the notorious – and gargantuan - Cartgate bunker guarding the vast, undulating green shared with the 15th. Usually, aiming left is the safest bet from the tee shot on The Old C...
In Old Tom Morris’ time, this par 4, 480-yard hole marked the first halfway hut for players to take a drink of milk or ginger beer (or possibly something stronger), thanks to the greenkeeper at the time, Old Daw Anderson. The hut was situated behind the green. In its place now? A tricky bunker bearing the same name as the hole.
Hole O’Cross is supposedly named because of a tricky chasm that must be crossed on the approach to the green. Hole O’Cross is the first of just two par 5s, at 570 yards. While this offers a birdie or even an eagle opportunity, beware – the Seven Sisters bunkers is to the right, so aiming left from the blind tee shot is the best option. Next, a driv...
According to volume four of the seventh series of Chambers’ Journal, published in 1913, “The sixth was played down a lane, not of whin, but of heather, hence the Heathery hole.” The par 4, 414-yard hole tee shot is again played blind, but accuracy is a must to avoid the infamous “Coffins” bunkers in the middle of the fairway. After that, an approac...
The reason for the name of the seventh hole is straightforward – the green, which is shared with the 11th High (In), marks the most elevated point of The Old Course. On a 371-yard par four, an iron may suffice from the tee, otherwise, players risk finding the Shell bunker standing just shy of the green.
The first of only two par 3s, Short measures just 187 yards, hence the name. Most memorably, Short represents the first instance play turns towards the “Auld Grey Toon” of St Andrews and the beginning of a three-hole sequence bringing play back in, called The Loop. Managing the wind and the green sloping front to back is key.
The final hole of the front nine, End offers a birdie opportunity, but taking account of the wind conditions is important. Also, two bunkers, Boase’s and End Hole, are in the centre of the fairway, dampening the temptation to go for the green. Meanwhile, wayward tee shots can find the gorse bushes on the left.
The par 4 286-yard hole is named after American amateur Joneswho, in 1927, won The Open at St Andrews and famously declined to take the trophy back to Atlanta with him, instead leaving it at the R&A Club. The hole was also the last he completed in 1921 before tearing up his scorecard and disqualifying himself during the third round. Locals petition...
May 16, 2020 · The best hole in golf is the par-4 18th at the Old Course at St. Andrews. Every golfer in the world has the capacity to par or birdie.
Jun 24, 2022 · On average, a golfer gets to experience the thrill of pegging it up on the Old Course at St Andrews every 12 minutes. The famous links attracts players from all around the world, each of...
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.
