Contemplating a 2012 trip to the home of golf - any advice?

[AmandaJR]

The title says it all but as there seems to be many of you on here from North of the border and many who have made the trip to St Andrews I wonder if you have any advice/tips/courses to play etc. Whether to book through a firm like yourgolftravel or plan our own trip? When is it best to go?? Both for course conditions and midges?!

Any advice much appreciated...thanks.

 

[njc1973]

buy a 3 day ticket that gets you unlimited golf on all the St Andrews courses except the Old Course (about £150), get in the ballot for the Old Course another £150 but worth every penny (if you stay in the local B&B's they will enter the ballot for you & I get the impression that they receive preferential treatment as we got on first try & I'm not the luckiest). Plan your own trip its really easy.

 

[Liverbirdie]

If you fancy a parkland course to mix it up a bit, play Downfield (Dundee), very nice and just better than Ladybank. It's another 20 minutes north, but well worth it.

We booked with your golf travel and played Carnoustie, Downfield and Arbroath(wasn't a great fan of Arbroath), but got a decent deal and stayed 2 nightsion the Carnoustie hotel also.

 

[stevek1969]

If you fancy a parkland course to mix it up a bit, play Downfield (Dundee), very nice and just better than Ladybank. It's another 20 minutes north, but well worth it.

We booked with your golf travel and played Carnoustie, Downfield and Arbroath(wasn't a great fan of Arbroath), but got a decent deal and stayed 2 nightsion the Carnoustie hotel also.

Got to disagree there with you mate, your better booking it yourself, when are you thinking of going ?.

Downfields a great course for 6 weeks in the summer the rest of time its a bog, Arbroath is a great wee traditional links course 9 out 9 in with fantastic greens.

I would play my course Scotscraig as its playable all year round and its 10 minutes drive from St Andrews

 

[AmandaJR]

Got to disagree there with you mate, your better booking it yourself, when are you thinking of going ?.

Downfields a great course for 6 weeks in the summer the rest of time its a bog, Arbroath is a great wee traditional links course 9 out 9 in with fantastic greens.

I would play my course Scotscraig as its playable all year round and its 10 minutes drive from St Andrews

Not sure when we'd go but thinking perhaps end of April or early May? We like to play twice in a day so does the 3 day unlimited "ticket" allow for that do you know? Of course we'd love to play The Old Course but I guess that really is luck of the draw??

So much choice - would like to make it a really special trip

 

[njc1973]

we played twice a day on the unlimited ticket, just booked the day before (New Course was turn up & join the que), you could enter the ballot each day & play 36 holes round the other courses if you don't get on, or rock up at the crack of dawn & try & get on a singles & then cancel the other courses if you do get on.

 

[Smiffy]

If you fancy a parkland course to mix it up a bit, play Downfield (Dundee), very nice and just better than Ladybank. It's another 20 minutes north, but well worth it.

Afraid I'd have to disagree with you there too LB. Have played both and I personally think Ladybank is streets ahead of Downfield. Much prettier course, not as long...but I tend to think that length is the only real thing that Downfield has going for it.
A very ordinary course in my opinion.

 

[patricks148]

I would definitely play the New and the Jubilee, last time we just walked straight on to both and that was April time.

Lots of other classic links courses nearby or within a half hour drive, also some great heathland tracks too.

The likes of Lundin and Leven Links, Kingsbarn and the Castle course as well as Crail.

I’ve not played Scotcraig but its highly regarded, just waiting for my invite from Steve.

Over the Tay Bridge there’s Montrose, Monifieth and Carnoustie

 

[AmandaJR]

I would definitely play the New and the Jubilee, last time we just walked straight on to both and that was April time.

Lots of other classic links courses nearby or within a half hour drive, also some great heathland tracks too.

The likes of Lundin and Leven Links, Kingsbarn and the Castle course as well as Crail.

I’ve not played Scotcraig but its highly regarded, just waiting for my invite from Steve.

Over the Tay Bridge there’s Montrose, Monifieth and Carnoustie

My coach played Kingsbarns last year and said it was the best course he'd ever played on so that has to be on the list! I can see this is going to be tough to choose but perhaps the 3 day ticket, Kingsbarns and enter the ballot.

If those of you that have tried them had to choose the 3 courses to play on the 3 day ticket how would you rank them??

Thanks!

 

[richart]

We played Old Course, New Course and Ladybank when we were there a couple of weeks ago. The Old and New were superb, and Ladybank is a good alternative to Links golf, especially if it is very windy. Much more sheltered and reminded me of our local courses in Surrey. Scotscraig would be a good alternative.

We got on the Old Course by booking over a year in advance, and it was so worth it. Best golfing experience I have ever had. New Course was not far behind, and possibly in even better condition.

Not sure how many of you going, but if you want a recommendation for a B& B with four twin rooms let me know. Centre of St Andrews bar and top restaurant, with parking outside.

On the way home we looked in at the Castle Course, Kingsbarns, Crail and Lundin Links. Castle looked difficult with very strange greens, and I imagine is nearly impossible when the wind is up. Kingsbarns is £185 which was out of our price bracket, and compared to the Old at £100 and the New at £50 (Shoulder rates) not great value ! Crail and Lundin looked great and will be on our list to play next time.

 

[patricks148]

My coach played Kingsbarns last year and said it was the best course he'd ever played on so that has to be on the list! I can see this is going to be tough to choose but perhaps the 3 day ticket, Kingsbarns and enter the ballot.

If those of you that have tried them had to choose the 3 courses to play on the 3 day ticket how would you rank them??

Thanks!

I've only played the Old, New and Jubilee so don't know about the other St Andrews Links trust courses.

The Old just cos of what it is ( but if i was going back I'd only play the Jubilee as i'v unfinished business with it), the Jubilee the best of them IMO also the toughest and then the New still a great course.

 

[njc1973]

If you're going April/May you can get 36 holes in a day no problem (none of the courses are hard walking), I agree the New/Jubilee are must plays but the Eden is a cracking little course as well & we played it twice after playing the other 2 in the morning.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Afraid I'd have to disagree with you there too LB. Have played both and I personally think Ladybank is streets ahead of Downfield. Much prettier course, not as long...but I tend to think that length is the only real thing that Downfield has going for it.
A very ordinary course in my opinion.

Smiffy/Steve k - Each to their own. I played Downfield in the June (2010) so can only judge it on the weather at the time, but obviously a course should be at it's peak in June. It was great though, even though I only had about 25 s/ford points around it, so didn't play well. I really liked this course though and reminded in parts of Kings course (Gleneagles) ans ST. Mellion where most holes are in isolation to the rest of the course and you feel as if you are playing in a forest.

I did like Ladybank, but as it was only 2 weeks ago when I played it, it wasn't at its best and the greens had just been sanded. It may be different in June, I'm sure. Still a good track though, but preferred Downfield more. I felt there was more elevation changes/dog legs/risk reward holes etc. My mates had raved about Ladybank, as they had played it years ago, but maybe I built it up too much in my own mind, it was quite flat also.

As I said each to their own. I had a free round at Monifieth recently and was also disappointed, whereas some people rave about it. The first 5-6 holes were all exactly the same, I should have taken the startters advice, who said that most of the members play the secondary course, and played that instead.

 

[Dodger]

Smiffy/Steve k - Each to their own. I played Downfield in the June (2010) so can only judge it on the weather at the time, but obviously a course should be at it's peak in June. It was great though, even though I only had about 25 s/ford points around it, so didn't play well. I really liked this course though and reminded in parts of Kings course (Gleneagles) ans ST. Mellion where most holes are in isolation to the rest of the course and you feel as if you are playing in a forest.

I did like Ladybank, but as it was only 2 weeks ago when I played it, it wasn't at its best and the greens had just been sanded. It may be different in June, I'm sure. Still a good track though, but preferred Downfield more. I felt there was more elevation changes/dog legs/risk reward holes etc. My mates had raved about Ladybank, as they had played it years ago, but maybe I built it up too much in my own mind, it was quite flat also.

As I said each to their own. I had a free round at Monifieth recently and was also disappointed, whereas some people rave about it. The first 5-6 holes were all exactly the same, I should have taken the startters advice, who said that most of the members play the secondary course, and played that instead.

I can only suggest that the starter was possibly high on illegal substances that day.

 

[Liverbirdie]

I can only suggest that the starter was possibly high on illegal substances that day.

Possibly - 70 year olds these days, eh? Still never got my head around having 4 different golf clubs owning one/two courses though!!

 

[Smiffy]

We used to go up during May (towards the end) and always found the courses to be in cracking condition, but the two times we visited Downfield we came away a little disappointed with the condition of it. Seemed a little "scruffy" in comparison to the other courses on our itinerary.
If I were going up for a week now and had the chance to play 6 of the courses I have played there already, my itinerary would read Carnoustie, Ladybank, Scotscraig (one of the nicest courses I've ever played), Blairgowrie (Rosemount), Pitlochry (for a bit of fun) and completely off the wall, Alyth. A course that wouldn't be on anybodies radar, but when we visited it was absolutely stunning.
There are lots of other courses I've played, Montrose, Lundin and Leven links, the Old Course, Panmure, Downfield, Letham Grange to name but a few.
But the first 6 would win it for me.

 

[m1975]

on the 3 day ticket, New, Jubilee then Eden is mine and probably most people's order of preference. strathtyrum not really worth playing unless you just want a quick warm up.
when buying a 3 day ticket you can upgrade to the castle, around £40. you MUST do this, an awesome course and experience, yes the greens are tough but so what, same for everyone !!
enjoy, our group went 2009 and 2010 and thought St Andrews to be a fantastic place, the golf, town, people were all top class.

 

[Liverbirdie]

We used to go up during May (towards the end) and always found the courses to be in cracking condition, but the two times we visited Downfield we came away a little disappointed with the condition of it. Seemed a little "scruffy" in comparison to the other courses on our itinerary.
If I were going up for a week now and had the chance to play 6 of the courses I have played there already, my itinerary would read Carnoustie, Ladybank, Scotscraig (one of the nicest courses I've ever played), Blairgowrie (Rosemount), Pitlochry (for a bit of fun) and completely off the wall, Alyth. A course that wouldn't be on anybodies radar, but when we visited it was absolutely stunning.
There are lots of other courses I've played, Montrose, Lundin and Leven links, the Old Course, Panmure, Downfield, Letham Grange to name but a few.
But the first 6 would win it for me.

I'll take them on board, as I go to Aberdeen twice a year with work, and can play some of them on the way up/down. Played Carnoustie and Lundin links already but not the others metioned. I could see Panmure across from Monifieth, but can't see enough to see if it is great or not. What is the second course like at Monifieth, I could see the 16/17/18th I'm guessing, but not much else of it. Pitlochry may be too much out of the way, but I know the others are near the A90 corridor, or in Fife. letham has had some slatings recently though, due to lack of care by some on here.

 

[AmandaJR]

Thanks guys - loads of really useful information and I'm going to start planning

As a kid I sometimes played golf with my golf-mad Dad until he nagged me once to often to hold the club correctly (hockey player so baseball grip). He always said I coulda been a contender and regretted me not pursuing it. I finally returned to the game a couple of years before he died and my clubs were bought for me by him (inheritance) and I think a trip to Scotland on his hard-earned would have him smiling big time.

 

[Liverbirdie]

Thanks guys - loads of really useful information and I'm going to start planning

As a kid I sometimes played golf with my golf-mad Dad until he nagged me once to often to hold the club correctly (hockey player so baseball grip). He always said I coulda been a contender and regretted me not pursuing it. I finally returned to the game a couple of years before he died and my clubs were bought for me by him (inheritance) and I think a trip to Scotland on his hard-earned would have him smiling big time.

Good for you, I'm sure he will.

Go get em' kid (said in a Mickey from Rocky type growl).