I thought Carnoustie was good, then I went to St Andrews

Curls

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This might divide folk, I know many believe Carnoustie to be the superior course. I can't argue with it in a way. The tees are 100 yards long, the greens are 70 yards deep, they could set up that course 10000 different ways and it would be an incredible challenge in the wind. I played in calm / 1 club wind max and had a great caddy who kept me out of trouble all day (I only visited one bunker). I played well too which helped, but yeah this was my first Open course experience and it was fantastic. Having breakfast in the hotel looking at the groups going out in the mist I thought to myself I would love to go out with them and could do so every day for a very very long time. By far the golfing highlight of my experiences to date.

Breakfast done, we checked out and rocked up to St Andrews the next day at 12. I said I'd throw my name in the hat for the Old Course, why not?! So it turned out that someone started the queue at 11.20 the night before, and when the starter opened the pavilion at 6am there were 29 souls hoping to get out. Not all of them got a tee time. When I arrived there were still 6 names on the list, but I said what else am I doing today? So I sat outside having a coffee and hoping. At 2 I was told that while there were still 5 on the list ahead of me, no one was there to take the 2.30 game that just opened up and if they still hadn't by 2.20, I was up. It paid to wait there, and on the loveliest of calm sunny afternoons I teed off on the first tee. Unbelievable.

If you haven't been there I'm sure you'll still have a sense from the TV of how the town wraps around the 1st and 18th. It is the focal point of the town, I think I could sit there all day watching people come in and head out. But as you head out the headland and see all the other courses around you and you get the sense of ancient golf, played in it's perfect place, for 100s of years and by every great the game has ever seen. Again my caddy was not only a great bloke but super at his job. I had two mental lapses, one resulted in a treble, the other a quad. In spite of those I shot 10 over, so delighted with the vast majority of my golf on the day. I almost holed my approach to 18, it missed by an inch or two at most and won an appreciative round of applause from the gallery.

I missed the 3 footer but we don't talk about that. LOL.

There was something very special about the place, so much so that I would say that my experience at St Andrews completely eclipsed Carnoustie in ways I couldn't have fathomed the day before. If you haven't been but you've been thrown by any comment about it not being a great track, take my word for it, you will not regret the decision to go.

Still on cloud 9 a week later. That will be tough to top.
 

Canary_Yellow

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I wholeheartedly agree - the smile factor of playing down the first and up the 17th and 18th is an unbeatable experience.

The whole place is simply wonderful. You could easily go for a weekend trip and not play the old course and have as good a time as anywhere else in the country on and off the course.
 

Hobbit

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Can't disagree with any of that, and great write up.

I've played both a few times. I love the challenge of Carnoustie. Its a battle to post a decent score, and I've been lucky enough to do so twice. St Andrews is the easier test but it doesn't detract from the experience, nor the fact you've still got to play the ball. But St Andrews is more than just the course. The whole town has an aura to it. Fond, fond memories.
 

Foxholer

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I can totally agree with the sentiment of the OP.

Playing Carnoustie is a great golfing experience. But, apart from the Hotel, which I've always found distinctly impersonal, there seems little to the place except the course.

The whole of St Andrews is very much about Golf, even though it's a University (Scotland's 1st and highly rated) town also.

The Old Course is not as tough as Carnoustie (rating 73.1/139 vs 75/144) but it's certainly not 'easy'! However, when the conditions are favourable, it's possible to score well which can be extremely satisfying - and worth celebrating in one of the nearby bars (Dunvegans is my recommendation, though I heard it was 'under threat of closure' a while ago!)
 

Jacko_G

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I can totally agree with the sentiment of the OP.

Playing Carnoustie is a great golfing experience. But, apart from the Hotel, which I've always found distinctly impersonal, there seems little to the place except the course.

The whole of St Andrews is very much about Golf, even though it's a University (Scotland's 1st and highly rated) town also.

The Old Course is not as tough as Carnoustie (rating 73.1/139 vs 75/144) but it's certainly not 'easy'! However, when the conditions are favourable, it's possible to score well which can be extremely satisfying - and worth celebrating in one of the nearby bars (Dunvegans is my recommendation, though I heard it was 'under threat of closure' a while ago!)

Pretty accurate I guess. Carnoustie is a brutal course into any sort of wind or rain but as I've said previously aesthetically it doesn't offer anything. That is a negative in the golf experience in my mind. Not saying I'm correct as its a brilliant test of golf.

St Andrews has the history, the ambience and the goose bumps on the first tee and heading back into town is a great experience. I just don't think its a particularly great golf course.
 

Curls

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Thanks folks


Great write up

Entered the ballot, so fingers crossed.

Let us know if you're in luck! If not it is certainly worth sticking your name on the list, it might involve a wait but be sure to return and stay at the Pavillion if you are waiting on a late call up
 

Grant85

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This might divide folk, I know many believe Carnoustie to be the superior course. I can't argue with it in a way. The tees are 100 yards long, the greens are 70 yards deep, they could set up that course 10000 different ways and it would be an incredible challenge in the wind. I played in calm / 1 club wind max and had a great caddy who kept me out of trouble all day (I only visited one bunker). I played well too which helped, but yeah this was my first Open course experience and it was fantastic. Having breakfast in the hotel looking at the groups going out in the mist I thought to myself I would love to go out with them and could do so every day for a very very long time. By far the golfing highlight of my experiences to date.

Breakfast done, we checked out and rocked up to St Andrews the next day at 12. I said I'd throw my name in the hat for the Old Course, why not?! So it turned out that someone started the queue at 11.20 the night before, and when the starter opened the pavilion at 6am there were 29 souls hoping to get out. Not all of them got a tee time. When I arrived there were still 6 names on the list, but I said what else am I doing today? So I sat outside having a coffee and hoping. At 2 I was told that while there were still 5 on the list ahead of me, no one was there to take the 2.30 game that just opened up and if they still hadn't by 2.20, I was up. It paid to wait there, and on the loveliest of calm sunny afternoons I teed off on the first tee. Unbelievable.

If you haven't been there I'm sure you'll still have a sense from the TV of how the town wraps around the 1st and 18th. It is the focal point of the town, I think I could sit there all day watching people come in and head out. But as you head out the headland and see all the other courses around you and you get the sense of ancient golf, played in it's perfect place, for 100s of years and by every great the game has ever seen. Again my caddy was not only a great bloke but super at his job. I had two mental lapses, one resulted in a treble, the other a quad. In spite of those I shot 10 over, so delighted with the vast majority of my golf on the day. I almost holed my approach to 18, it missed by an inch or two at most and won an appreciative round of applause from the gallery.

I missed the 3 footer but we don't talk about that. LOL.

There was something very special about the place, so much so that I would say that my experience at St Andrews completely eclipsed Carnoustie in ways I couldn't have fathomed the day before. If you haven't been but you've been thrown by any comment about it not being a great track, take my word for it, you will not regret the decision to go.

Still on cloud 9 a week later. That will be tough to top.

The notion of days or weekends like you have had is the main reason why I am so committed to trying to play golf again, despite not having much free time and 100 other things I could do with what time I do.

I guess at the age of 33, I thought if I don't start to play a bit more now, then when? There will always be something I could be doing, but other than spending days with the children - there is virtually nothing else I would rather do than play golf on a calm day of broken sunshine and the temperature in the mid to high teens.

Carnoustie is my favourite Open venue, and has always produced a thrilling event. And, like yourself I am enchanted by St. Andrews - the town and the courses - and it really is on the bucket list to get through and play the Old Course as soon as I can.
 
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This might divide folk, I know many believe Carnoustie to be the superior course. I can't argue with it in a way. The tees are 100 yards long, the greens are 70 yards deep, they could set up that course 10000 different ways and it would be an incredible challenge in the wind. I played in calm / 1 club wind max and had a great caddy who kept me out of trouble all day (I only visited one bunker). I played well too which helped, but yeah this was my first Open course experience and it was fantastic. Having breakfast in the hotel looking at the groups going out in the mist I thought to myself I would love to go out with them and could do so every day for a very very long time. By far the golfing highlight of my experiences to date.

Breakfast done, we checked out and rocked up to St Andrews the next day at 12. I said I'd throw my name in the hat for the Old Course, why not?! So it turned out that someone started the queue at 11.20 the night before, and when the starter opened the pavilion at 6am there were 29 souls hoping to get out. Not all of them got a tee time. When I arrived there were still 6 names on the list, but I said what else am I doing today? So I sat outside having a coffee and hoping. At 2 I was told that while there were still 5 on the list ahead of me, no one was there to take the 2.30 game that just opened up and if they still hadn't by 2.20, I was up. It paid to wait there, and on the loveliest of calm sunny afternoons I teed off on the first tee. Unbelievable.

If you haven't been there I'm sure you'll still have a sense from the TV of how the town wraps around the 1st and 18th. It is the focal point of the town, I think I could sit there all day watching people come in and head out. But as you head out the headland and see all the other courses around you and you get the sense of ancient golf, played in it's perfect place, for 100s of years and by every great the game has ever seen. Again my caddy was not only a great bloke but super at his job. I had two mental lapses, one resulted in a treble, the other a quad. In spite of those I shot 10 over, so delighted with the vast majority of my golf on the day. I almost holed my approach to 18, it missed by an inch or two at most and won an appreciative round of applause from the gallery.

I missed the 3 footer but we don't talk about that. LOL.

There was something very special about the place, so much so that I would say that my experience at St Andrews completely eclipsed Carnoustie in ways I couldn't have fathomed the day before. If you haven't been but you've been thrown by any comment about it not being a great track, take my word for it, you will not regret the decision to go.

Still on cloud 9 a week later. That will be tough to top.

Great post.

Its an awesome town for golf, whilst Carnoustie is a great course for me St Andrews is just the top of the tree for the buzz and the experience.

I played (walked round :D) the Old course this weekend with Jim and 2 very excited children who thought it was xmas day, how many other courses can do that to you?

The opening tee shot is incredible with so many people watching you tee off, yes its the widest fairway in golf but who doesn't get nervous trying to actually hit it :D

If you cant walk away from the 18th on The Old course with a smile on your face you are playing the wrong sport.

Oh and I cant see Dunvegan's closing anytime soon, its just a licence to print money.

It should be on everyone's bucket list to play.
 
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