Is St Andrews Old Course really that good?

[Smiffy]

At St Andrews you get to walk in the footsteps of your golfing hero's.

I dread to think were they were going if I trod in their footsteps...

 

[stevek1969]

Its a course you have to play numerous times to get it, its not the toughest course there thats the Jubilee and the New, but its and Iconic course in world golf history. Personally i love it.

 

[Piece]

As a course on its own, it's good, but thats all. Add its is history, there's no better place. If you've teed off the first, played over the hotel at 17 and walked up the 18th, you'll know that!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There's an aura around the place and particularly when you stand on the first tee I've never felt anywhere else. I'm not 100% convinced it's worthy of the 3rd place position but these rankings are so subjective. MikeH and Jezz have given their rationale. I played half decent when I had a game and so that helped

 

[ColchesterFC]

Interesting that no-one is defending it as a good course in it's own right and it is only the history and feel of the place that seems to elevate it to it's current position. If you take away or ignore the history what you are left with is at best a very average golf course.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I fully accept the history of the place, and maybe I was spoiled by playing it so often when I was at Uni up there, but I just don't get why it is regarded so highly.

I haven't played it yet but definitely will at some point in the future but to answer your question I would just ask you this. How did you feel the first time you stood on the 1st tee waiting to tee off?

I think that might answer your question

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Interesting that no-one is defending it as a good course in it's own right and it is only the history and feel of the place that seems to elevate it to it's current position. If you take away or ignore the history what you are left with is at best a very average golf course.

But the history and the standard is part of the course - you can't "ignore it" or "take it away"

You can't ignore the road hole bunker

You can't take away the bridge or the hotel or the double greens or the hollow before the 18th or the ditch in front of first - it's all part of the course and the make up of it.

 

[CMAC]

Interesting that no-one is defending it as a good course in it's own right and it is only the history and feel of the place that seems to elevate it to it's current position. If you take away or ignore the history what you are left with is at best a very average golf course.

I know what you are saying and to an extent I agree, but standing there knowing the history and drama that precedes your paltry effort down the humungous 1st fairway is enough to elevate this 'environment' to legend status in my view.

 

[Foxholer]

Interesting that no-one is defending it as a good course in it's own right and it is only the history and feel of the place that seems to elevate it to it's current position. If you take away or ignore the history what you are left with is at best a very average golf course.

If it wasn't for the history and atmosphere, then it would simply be a quirky old-style course.

But it has the history and atmosphere, which can't be beaten!

 

[Duckster]

Still not played it myself so can only go on the words of some brothers who I went to Uni with who were born and bred in St Andrews. Both say that the 1st time you play it, you get the whole "home of golf, majors are played here, hairs standing up on back of neck". 2nd time you play it you think "what is all the fuss about, very simple course". Once you hit double figures you start to think "actually not bad" and if you ever manage to get to triple figures and beyond it simply strikes you as being one of the worlds greatest courses.

Just look at the way the Pro's approach it. Almost everyone comes away a bit deflated after the first time the play it, then the more and more they do, the more they enjoy it and (for want of a better phrase) "get it".

 

[JCW]

I think as a golfer you should at least play it once , Its the home of golf , If you are a footballer you cant play at wembley but as a golfer you can play the home of golf , nothink much as a course , the pro told me , keep left going out and the same again coming back as the OB is on the right .Its just a special place ............:thup:

 

[Duckster]

I think as a golfer you should at least play it once , Its the home of golf , If you are a footballer you cant play at wembley but as a golfer you can play the home of golf , nothink much as a course , the pro told me , keep left going out and the same again coming back as the OB is on the right .Its just a special place ............:thup:

Ahh, but then again all the better lines into the greens are from the right side of the fairway, lot harder from the left.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Still not played it myself so can only go on the words of some brothers who I went to Uni with who were born and bred in St Andrews. Both say that the 1st time you play it, you get the whole "home of golf, majors are played here, hairs standing up on back of neck". 2nd time you play it you think "what is all the fuss about, very simple course". Once you hit double figures you start to think "actually not bad" and if you ever manage to get to triple figures and beyond it simply strikes you as being one of the worlds greatest courses.

Just look at the way the Pro's approach it. Almost everyone comes away a bit deflated after the first time the play it, then the more and more they do, the more they enjoy it and (for want of a better phrase) "get it".

I spent 5 years in St Andrews and played the Old Course 3 or 4 times a month during that period including in the week after the 1995 Open when it was still in it's ultimate condition so am well into the triple figures of having played it. Yes it's special the first time out but after that it really isn't a very good course. As an experience I would recommend it to anyone once, but as a course it's my opinion that there are far better links courses out there.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

If they moved the 'mechanics' of the road hole to Barnard Castle or Stowmarket do you think folk would say 'what a great hole'
No....they would have changed it to a decent hole 100 years ago.

St Andrews is a magical place but the Old Course is not a good course, just a bit of golf history like Mussleburgh Old Course.
You could argue that it is not even a 'proper' 18 hole course with the shared fairways and double greens.

As an add on can I ask the 16 folk who think it merits No3 in the UK.........what hole do you consider to be the best hole and why?

 

[Jimaroid]

I think it's crazy to suggest that the Old doesn't belong in the top ranks. A course doesn't have to be hard to be great. There's no other place on Earth where you can play a game with so much mystique about the ground you tread. Every hole, every hollow and every hazard has a story attached to it. And if you can stand on the first tee without a tingle running up your spine, thinking about some piece of historical golfing drama, you may as well give up the game.

 

[Foxholer]

...just a bit of golf history like Mussleburgh Old Course.

Which also happens to have one of my 'favourite' holes!

 

[delc]

I've played golf at St Andrews lots of times, but only played the Old Course once, mainly because it's expensive and getting a tee time is a load of hassle. The locals seem to think that the New Course is a better course, and you can normally just pay and walk onto that. Ditto the Jubilee Course. When we played the Old Course we got stuck behind a load of Japanese players, who frankly weren't very good, so the round took for ever, which rather spoiled the experience! Thought the Course itself was OK, but nothing special apart from the history, and playing holes that you have seen many times on TV.

 

[richart]

Yes it is.

I sometimes think that golfers get so caught up in the 'experience', that they don't appreciate what a great selection of holes the course has. No it doesn't have great views, well apart from the one on the 18th tee, but as a course with the wind blowing it is a great challenge, has stunning greens, and the course I would choose to play my last round on.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

Out of them all, it is the one course I would love to play, that is actually achievable. One day, I will play it, hopefully.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Out of them all, it is the one course I would love to play, that is actually achievable. One day, I will play it, hopefully.

But do you want to play it because it is a really great course or do you want to play it because of the history/reputation and because it's the Home of Golf?