Playing TOC St Andrews

[GreiginFife]

likely only 1 balls to become available ?

Depends on cancellations or no shows on the day. Usually singles getting slotted in with other groups. Sometimes you get a pair thats pulled out but its first come, first served and in order so no guarantee you and your mate just fall in to that exact slot size.

 

[IanM]

@Bamberdele2.0 you are a legend in my book! Welcome to play golf at any time. Anyone who mentions Ashbury Manor in a debate about St Andrews has to be.

£340 is a daft amount of money for 18 holes in the scheme of things. It comes down to how much you want to play places that charge those amounts, and or, if you have the spare cash.

If you do, that's the price. They sell out, so they have found a price that folk will pay.

My mate and I are having the same debate about Kingsbarns when we're passing there next month.

We have both played most of the top 100 courses in GB & Ireland, so are missing this one off the list.

Our decision? Sod it, we may never get the opportunity again. We're playing it. Life's too short not to.

But playing different courses is our major vice! (Sadly) so it's what we do.

"If it ain't your thing, it ain't!"

 

[D-S]

In your honest opinion…

If an Alien landed on Earth and played those 6 courses for free (inc TOC) where would you expect this alien to rank those courses in terms of overall wow factor.

(Alien knows nothing about history btw, he can’t even spell it)

If the Alien knew nothing of history, golfing greats, The Open etc. TOC would come low mid table, scoring points for uniqueness but losing some due to a few weak holes.
However, we are not making decisions or playing with no history. Otherwise Lords would just be another pitch (with a dodgy slope), Centre Court with an irritating surface to play normal tennis on, Wembley just a slightly large football pitch - but players of cricket, tennis and football would give their eye teeth to play on them.

By the same token I would rate, as courses, 3 of the Pinehurst courses above Number 2 but I would never advise anyone to play any of them instead of No.2 and miss out on that walk up 18 with Payne
Stewarts’s statue gazing down on you.

 

[Deleted member 15717]

It’s almost certain that one of our rounds on the New, Jubilee and Castle would have to be sacrificed in order to play TOC so I wouldn’t be at a loose end as have those rounds booked.

As long as their is daylight, the Links Trust will move your tee time around so you don’t miss out

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

After 8 pages I finally think I get it..

The best way I can describe this sudden realisation is i’ve always been a fan of music / sports events / entertainment and one venue I always wanted to tick off the list was the iconic Royal Albert hall.

The handbrake surprised me for my birthday and purchased 2 x tickets for a David Rodigan concert.

Just standing outside the venue waiting to go in was an experience in itself and once in I was in awe of how much history this place had. It reminded me of some sort of colosseum where the greatest gladiators on earth came to entertain. Hard to describe but people get my drift.

Now I can only assume this is how the majority of people feel when they think of TOC and can understand when people get aggrieved when others don’t conform.

The home of golf - the sport we all love to play. I get it, finally

 

[BrianM]

Golf is unique in the sense that we get the opportunity to play the same courses as the Pro's.
It's clearly a once in a life time thing (maybe), you and your pals following in the footsteps of the world's best, photo on the bridge, banter and bragging rights in the bar afterwards.
Go for it, your only here once.

 

[Bratty]

After 8 pages I finally think I get it..

The best way I can describe this sudden realisation is i’ve always been a fan of music / sports events / entertainment and one venue I always wanted to tick off the list was the iconic Royal Albert hall.

The handbrake surprised me for my birthday and purchased 2 x tickets for a David Rodigan concert.

Just standing outside the venue waiting to go in was an experience in itself and once in I was in awe of how much history this place had. It reminded me of some sort of colosseum where the greatest gladiators on earth came to entertain. Hard to describe but people get my drift.

Now I can only assume this is how the majority of people feel when they think of TOC and can understand when people get aggrieved when others don’t conform.

The home of golf - the sport we all love to play. I get it, finally

I have never been more nervous on a teebox than on the 1st at TOC. Its the widest fairway in golf and I was still scared.
Playing with three people I didn't know.
Only one had a caddy, and rightly they pretty much stayed silent for us, but we could obviously hear direction guidance, which helped.
One of my most enjoyable rounds of golf.
Hit hybrid, 8 iron to 3 foot and birdied 1st. Hit driver, 6 iron to back of green on 9, holed the 40ft putt for birdie. Par three 11th, pitched the green but rolled back down the hill to a hollow. Putted back up and in for my 3rd birdie. Didn't go in a single bunker, including missing all of them on the 12th which is an achievement, parred the Road Hole, didn't go OOB up 18 and smash a car. Beat my mate's previous best score on his wedding day (and told him!). I can remember all that playing with 3 strangers, so imagine how much more amazing that would have been if I'd played with mates.
Finally, why have your picture taken on Swilcan bridge if the course is boring, ugly, uninspiring, etc.? Maybe it's because deep down you understand the significance of it?
If you get to play it, embrace it with all its quirks and foibles.
And if you go in some of the bunkers, play out sideways or even backwards!
If you don't, you'll still have a blast. Enjoy your golf whatever.

 

[Dando]

I have never been more nervous on a teebox than on the 1st at TOC. Its the widest fairway in golf and I was still scared.
Playing with three people I didn't know.
Only one had a caddy, and rightly they pretty much stayed silent for us, but we could obviously hear direction guidance, which helped.
One of my most enjoyable rounds of golf.
Hit hybrid, 8 iron to 3 foot and birdied 1st. Hit driver, 6 iron to back of green on 9, holed the 40ft putt for birdie. Par three 11th, pitched the green but rolled back down the hill to a hollow. Putted back up and in for my 3rd birdie. Didn't go in a single bunker, including missing all of them on the 12th which is an achievement, parred the Road Hole, didn't go OOB up 18 and smash a car. Beat my mate's previous best score on his wedding day (and told him!). I can remember all that playing with 3 strangers, so imagine how much more amazing that would have been if I'd played with mates.
Finally, why have your picture taken on Swilcan bridge if the course is boring, ugly, uninspiring, etc.? Maybe it's because deep down you understand the significance of it?
If you get to play it, embrace it with all its quirks and foibles.
And if you go in some of the bunkers, play out sideways or even backwards!
If you don't, you'll still have a blast. Enjoy your golf whatever.

But how did you play it on top tracer?

 

[Bratty]

But how did you play it on top tracer?

Really badly!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have never been more nervous on a teebox than on the 1st at TOC. Its the widest fairway in golf and I was still scared.
Playing with three people I didn't know.
Only one had a caddy, and rightly they pretty much stayed silent for us, but we could obviously hear direction guidance, which helped.
One of my most enjoyable rounds of golf.
Hit hybrid, 8 iron to 3 foot and birdied 1st. Hit driver, 6 iron to back of green on 9, holed the 40ft putt for birdie. Par three 11th, pitched the green but rolled back down the hill to a hollow. Putted back up and in for my 3rd birdie. Didn't go in a single bunker, including missing all of them on the 12th which is an achievement, parred the Road Hole, didn't go OOB up 18 and smash a car. Beat my mate's previous best score on his wedding day (and told him!). I can remember all that playing with 3 strangers, so imagine how much more amazing that would have been if I'd played with mates.
Finally, why have your picture taken on Swilcan bridge if the course is boring, ugly, uninspiring, etc.? Maybe it's because deep down you understand the significance of it?
If you get to play it, embrace it with all its quirks and foibles.
And if you go in some of the bunkers, play out sideways or even backwards!
If you don't, you'll still have a blast. Enjoy your golf whatever.

You an me both. I was there with my club pro and of course he busted one straight down. The others I were with we didn't know but he did nothing to calm any of our nerves. Strangely the old dear that stopped with her shopping trolley to watch really didn't help. Even though some of the holes may appear bland, most have a story attached to them of some description where someone has done something great/bad at some point in Open history. The last two definitely get the mind in focus

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

Finally, why have your picture taken on Swilcan bridge if the course is boring, ugly, uninspiring, etc.? Maybe it's because deep down you understand the significance of it?

Unfortunately I don’t understand any significance to it. In my current golfing journey the bridge is no more than a tourist attraction to me.

But I can understand how there is significance to it to people who know the sport and its history.

 

[Bratty]

Unfortunately I don’t understand any significance to it. In my current golfing journey the bridge is no more than a tourist attraction to me.

But I can understand how there is significance to it to people who know the sport and its history.

All I meant was if it's that dull a course why even bother with the picture.

And the Royal Albert Hall is just a hall with a dome And some weird ceiling mushrooms.

Kidding! I love that place! It was a good analogy you used.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

After 8 pages I finally think I get it..

The best way I can describe this sudden realisation is i’ve always been a fan of music / sports events / entertainment and one venue I always wanted to tick off the list was the iconic Royal Albert hall.

The handbrake surprised me for my birthday and purchased 2 x tickets for a David Rodigan concert.

Just standing outside the venue waiting to go in was an experience in itself and once in I was in awe of how much history this place had. It reminded me of some sort of colosseum where the greatest gladiators on earth came to entertain. Hard to describe but people get my drift.

Now I can only assume this is how the majority of people feel when they think of TOC and can understand when people get aggrieved when others don’t conform.

The home of golf - the sport we all love to play. I get it, finally

Its an iconic venue for sport - and there isn’t many other sports where you can play on the same venue as the worlds best and the host of the biggest competition in the sport and one of the biggest in all sport

 

[Voyager EMH]

After 8 pages I finally think I get it..

The best way I can describe this sudden realisation is i’ve always been a fan of music / sports events / entertainment and one venue I always wanted to tick off the list was the iconic Royal Albert hall.

The handbrake surprised me for my birthday and purchased 2 x tickets for a David Rodigan concert.

Just standing outside the venue waiting to go in was an experience in itself and once in I was in awe of how much history this place had. It reminded me of some sort of colosseum where the greatest gladiators on earth came to entertain. Hard to describe but people get my drift.

Now I can only assume this is how the majority of people feel when they think of TOC and can understand when people get aggrieved when others don’t conform.

The home of golf - the sport we all love to play. I get it, finally

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

And the Royal Albert Hall is just a hall with a dome And some weird ceiling mushrooms.

Yes! to someone else this is exactly how they would perceive it. But to me there is something tied in to it that the next person just wouldn’t understand.

Growing up golf was on the TV and I just couldn’t wait til it finished so I could see The British Bulldog do powerslams at the Albert Hall.

A few decades later and I am hooked playing the sport I once thought was the most boring game in the world.

Life comes at you fast

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Ask any musician or band where they would love to play and I bet the Royal Albert Hall would be at the top of most lists

 

[Voyager EMH]

Yes! to someone else this is exactly how they would perceive it. But to me there is something tied in to it that the next person just wouldn’t understand.

Growing up golf was on the TV and I just couldn’t wait til it finished so I could see The British Bulldog do powerslams at the Albert Hall.

A few decades later and I am hooked playing the sport I once thought was the most boring game in the world.

Life comes at you fast

David Rodigan, though? Paying good money for a bespectacled old bald bloke to entertain you. I just don't get it.

 

[Bamberdele2.0]

David Rodigan, though? Paying good money for a bespectacled old bald bloke to entertain you. I just don't get it.

Yes, not my first choice. But it was brilliant I must say. Gave a whole history lesson on the birth of Reggea, 2 tone, Ska, Jungle etc.

Never seen a more diverse crowd in all my life

 

[IanM]

Your initial point was the nearly the equivalent of,

"You'd rather go and see @Liverpoolphil play the bagpipes at the local Scout Hut, cos it's only a fiver!"

 

[Deleted member 35577]

Questions people ask when they find out you play golf

What's your handicap?

Have you had a hole in one?

Have you played The Old course at St Andrews?