Playing TOC St Andrews

Orikoru

Tour Winner
Joined
Nov 1, 2016
Messages
28,063
Location
Watford
Visit site
Size of that green is insane. I'd be four-putting all over the place.. probably wouldn't have enough club for some of them. 😄
 

Duckster

Tour Rookie
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
1,566
Location
Chorley, Lancs
Visit site
I don’t think anyone can convince the OP on here that he should do it. I’ve no idea of the age of the OP, how long they’ve been playing etc… but it simply doesn’t seem like he wants to shell out the cash.

I do get it, it is a LOT of money (unless you know a resident who use their points towards your round….). If you are only up there for 3 days and have the 3 day ticket then you would lose a round or two and that’s not getting your best value for money.

For me, I’ve played it 5 times now and love it. By far and away my favourite golf course, in my (and the wife’s) favourite town in the country. However I’ve had trips there where I’ve just played some of the other courses and given the Old a swerve.

Get your monies worth and do 36 in a day on at least one of the days. Even playing same course twice, especially if it’s the New or Jubilee so you can see the difference it makes to how the course plays when the tides turning.

Hope you have a great trip!
 

Voyager EMH

Slipper Wearing Plucker of Pheasants
Joined
Mar 14, 2021
Messages
6,356
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
Reservoir….sailed there many times.

Similar to the course by the side of Rutland Water I imagine.
I have yet to play Rutland Water golf course, but I think it will be a lot flatter than Draycote and a bit more open with fewer trees. Lots of ups and downs at Draycote and you get to see the rezzy from the 12th green to the 14th tee. Rest of the time it is mostly hidden from view even though it is a massive lake.
My favourite coastal view from a golf course is Three Cliffs Bay from Pennard.
 

Bamberdele2.0

Active member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
420
Visit site
I think it might take more than just a few minutes or hours or one picture for someone to change their view on such a thing.
I liked your photo, but then that was preaching to the converted, in my case.

Here is a view taken from close to the 13th green where OP plays. Looking east at a sunrise.

View attachment 52223

I imagine he does appreciate a nice view on or from a golf course.

A definite highlight of my golfing journey was getting an eagle on this hole last year during a comp.

I know you said you’d like to play it again and I’m always happy to host. Maybe another little midlands knock is in order 👍
 

Bamberdele2.0

Active member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
420
Visit site
And what course isn't boring on a sim?

Torrey Pines
Fields Ranch East + West
Royal St George
Centro Nacional
Spanish Bay
Kiawah Island
PGA National Florida
Bethpage
Bro Hof castle course
Spyglass Hill
Harbour Town
Oakmont
Pinehurst
Pebble Beach

Pretty much all except TOC
 

DeanoMK

Club Champion
Joined
Aug 10, 2018
Messages
1,209
Location
Milton Keynes
Visit site
In my opinion it is worth the green fee. It was a fantastic experience - one that I think about almost daily tbh and it's been nearly 6 years since I visited.
 

GB72

Money List Winner
Joined
May 8, 2007
Messages
14,945
Location
Rutland
Visit site
I think I agree with the OP on a number of aspects (not necessarily about the look etc of the course). I am not a great watcher of golf, I actually find it great fun to play but pretty boring to watch in the main (last couple of hours of a good major perhaps being an exception) but I think that is probably why it took me so long to give the game a go. I am also no golf historian. I can name players I saw on TV as a kid etc but not events, courses or anything else and I actually had no idea where they were playing and probably did not take any notice of that until I started playing myself. On that basis, the biggest selling points that have been mentioned do not apply to me. Nothing wrong with that, we are all different.

The thing is that some golfers are different but often get pilloried about it. For that £320.00 I would rather spent a night or two away playing with good mates on a bog standard course. That is my idea of golf enjoyment and I do not get that from treading in the footsteps of the greats. My first love is always rugby. What would be my rugby equivalent, to play on the pitch at Welford Road and you know what, I have done that a few times over the years and it cost me nothing. When I played, and when I play again, golf was never about the course, the score or any of that, it was having a laugh in the company of mates for 4 hours. That experience that I look for is going to be no better on a £320 round on the Old Course but, as I said, that is what I look for from a round of golf and expensive courses and history do not provide that. I have taken plenty of flack for that, just because some people do not look for the same things or get different things out of the sport or do not have any interest in certain elements of it does not make them 'not a true golfer' as I have seen the OP described as. People can take what they want from golf but whatever they want, if they are getting it from playing golf they are as true a golfer as anyone else.
 
Last edited:

Bamberdele2.0

Active member
Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
420
Visit site
I think I agree with the OP on a number of aspects (not necessarily about the look etc of the course). I am not a great watcher of golf, I actually find it great fun to play but pretty boring to watch in the main (last couple of hours of a good major perhaps being an exception) but I think that is probably why it took me so long to give the game a go. I am also no golf historian. I can name players I saw on TV as a kid etc but not events, courses or anything else and I actually had no idea where they were playing and probably did not take any notice of that until I started playing myself. On that basis, the biggest selling points that have been mentioned do not apply to me. Nothing wrong with that, we are all different.

The thing is that some golfers are different but often get pilloried about it. For that £320.00 I would rather spent a night or two away playing with good mates on a bog standard course. That is my idea of golf enjoyment and I do not get that from treading in the footsteps of the greats. My first love is always rugby. What would be my rugby equivalent, to play on the pitch at Welford Road and you know what, I have done that a few times over the years and it cost me nothing. When I played, and when I play again, golf was never about the course, the score or any of that, it was having a laugh in the company of mates for 4 hours. That experience that I look for is going to be no better on a £320 round on the Old Course but, as I said, that is what I look for from a round of golf and expensive courses and history do not provide that. I have taken plenty of flack for that, just because some people do not look for the same things or get different things out of the sport or do not have any interest in certain elements of it does not make them 'not a true golfer' as I have seen the OP described as. People can take what they want from golf but whatever they want, if they are getting it from playing golf they are as true a golfer as anyone else.


Nail on head for me.

My first golfing trip was last year to Ashbury Manor. It cost £350 for 4 nights - breakfast lunch dinner and bed with unlimited golf on 5 different courses. 16 of us went.

Now, the venue to my knowledge doesn’t seem like it’s steeped in history. The courses are definitely playable and the accommodation extraordinarily outdated. Food surprisingly good and looked forward to each meal.

The memories made will last a lifetime and that annual trip is now something I look forward to every year. It’s by far the biggest event for me at present in my golfing calendar.

And to put a price on that?

Roughly the same as 1 knock at TOC.
 

Bratty

Princess Pouty (Queen of Fish Lips)
Joined
Aug 22, 2010
Messages
4,817
Visit site
Nail on head for me.

My first golfing trip was last year to Ashbury Manor. It cost £350 for 4 nights - breakfast lunch dinner and bed with unlimited golf on 5 different courses. 16 of us went.

Now, the venue to my knowledge doesn’t seem like it’s steeped in history. The courses are definitely playable and the accommodation extraordinarily outdated. Food surprisingly good and looked forward to each meal.

The memories made will last a lifetime and that annual trip is now something I look forward to every year. It’s by far the biggest event for me at present in my golfing calendar.

And to put a price on that?

Roughly the same as 1 knock at TOC.
They are totally different experiences.
I love both the kind of thing you've described above and the TOC experience.
But some love one over the other.
Some love neither (weirdos!).
Not saying you're wrong with your above statement at all. Just they're different experiences for the same money.
I think we can honestly say now, with all the evidence, you won't be playing TOC. But you will have a blast playing the others with mates anyway, so you've not missed out on tour favoured experience.
 
D

Deleted member 15344

Guest
Nail on head for me.

My first golfing trip was last year to Ashbury Manor. It cost £350 for 4 nights - breakfast lunch dinner and bed with unlimited golf on 5 different courses. 16 of us went.

Now, the venue to my knowledge doesn’t seem like it’s steeped in history. The courses are definitely playable and the accommodation extraordinarily outdated. Food surprisingly good and looked forward to each meal.

The memories made will last a lifetime and that annual trip is now something I look forward to every year. It’s by far the biggest event for me at present in my golfing calendar.

And to put a price on that?

Roughly the same as 1 knock at TOC.

You are comparing apples to bananas

I have been to Ashbury and it’s good fun , we have enjoyed it down there a number of times

It’s just different expirence when playing a top level course

If you are more interested in the experience that the company provides then it doesn’t matter where you play , you won’t need to play TOC or indeed any top course - just enjoy the company you have with mates
 
Top