The R&A has announced that The 155th Open will be played at St Andrews from 11-18 July 2027.

[sunshine]

I love watching the Open at St Andrews both on TV and at the course. Thought the Women's Open there last year was superb.
Maybe they should be a bit more traditional and add Musselburgh back onto the rota .

Like / dislike for a course is often subjective.

However, objectively TOC is a poor course for spectators. Double fairways and double greens mean you can only fit spectators down one side of a hole. The strip of land is quite narrow and features like the hotel reduce space for stands and access. The terrain is quite flat so there aren’t many mounds to get a better view, there are a number of bottlenecks where it becomes congested and difficult to see the action. Transport into the town is poor, St Andrews doesn’t even have a train station.

 

[KenL]

Free bus to/from Leuchars a few miles away.

 

[Tashyboy]

Played it for £30 and asked for £20 back. Not me fave course Ave played in Scotland.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Think if you ask a significant amount of the players what major they want to win then The Open at St Andrews is high up the list

 

[KenL]

Played it for £30 and asked for £20 back. Not me fave course Ave played in Scotland.

No respect.

 

[Tashyboy]

No respect.

Ave plenty of respect Ken, I totally appreciate the history of the place. That can never be argued about. But for me as a course it did not tick boxes. And I am sure there is others in Scotland that are better, listening to other forummers. Castle Stewart for me was simply gorgeous. To stand on a tee box and look at the Hole and think “ wow”.
I think Rulie has hit the nail on the head.

 

[patricks148]

its a shame it doesn't go to Muirfield and Carnoustie more often, those are my fav open courses. though id be interested to see some of the newer ones added on TV.

 

[Backache]

Like / dislike for a course is often subjective.

However, objectively TOC is a poor course for spectators. Double fairways and double greens mean you can only fit spectators down one side of a hole. The strip of land is quite narrow and features like the hotel reduce space for stands and access. The terrain is quite flat so there aren’t many mounds to get a better view, there are a number of bottlenecks where it becomes congested and difficult to see the action. Transport into the town is poor, St Andrews doesn’t even have a train station.

In terms of transport infrastructure St Andrews is probably the best of the Scottish Open venues roads are far better access than Turnberry and Carnoustie from the central belt and there is a good rail park and ride. In addition to which there is far more local accommodation within walking distance as St Andrews is itself a tourist destination with significant accommodation plus a large student population which allows further accommodation to be available during the Open.

For people attending the double greens allow people to position themselves to watch greenside action on two different holes which is generally the most enjoyable part of watching live golf.
It is a little more difficult to follow a group round than on other courses but generally it is not easy on any course particularly with popular groupings. Before tickets were limited St Andrews always had the best attendances on any Scottish Open venue attesting to its popularity with the paying spectator.

 

[KenL]

In terms of transport infrastructure St Andrews is probably the best of the Scottish Open venues roads are far better access than Turnberry and Carnoustie from the central belt and there is a good rail park and ride. In addition to which there is far more local accommodation within walking distance as St Andrews is itself a tourist destination with significant accommodation plus a large student population which allows further accommodation to be available during the Open.

For people attending the double greens allow people to position themselves to watch greenside action on two different holes which is generally the most enjoyable part of watching live golf.
It is a little more difficult to follow a group round than on other courses but generally it is not easy on any course particularly with popular groupings. Before tickets were limited St Andrews always had the best attendances on any Scottish Open venue attesting to its popularity with the paying spectator.

Great post.

 

[sunshine]

Free bus to/from Leuchars a few miles away.

Exactly. Imagine building Wembley stadium in a location with such a lack of transport infrastructure.

 

[sunshine]

In terms of transport infrastructure St Andrews is probably the best of the Scottish Open venues roads are far better access than Turnberry and Carnoustie from the central belt and there is a good rail park and ride. In addition to which there is far more local accommodation within walking distance as St Andrews is itself a tourist destination with significant accommodation plus a large student population which allows further accommodation to be available during the Open.

For people attending the double greens allow people to position themselves to watch greenside action on two different holes which is generally the most enjoyable part of watching live golf.
It is a little more difficult to follow a group round than on other courses but generally it is not easy on any course particularly with popular groupings. Before tickets were limited St Andrews always had the best attendances on any Scottish Open venue attesting to its popularity with the paying spectator.

I’m not doubting the popularity of TOC. It is universally recognised as the home of golf, the players all want to win there above all others.

I went to the Open at TOC, because it appeals to me more than any of the other venues, and I loved it. It has the history and recognisable holes that can only be matched by Augusta, because it hosts a major annually.

Putting all of that to one side, it wasn’t designed to host hundreds of thousands of spectators. I recognise none of the other Open venues were designed for that either but TOC doesn’t handle the crowds as well as RSG for example, which has dunes everywhere which create natural vantage points and the holes are spread out across a large property which allows space for spectators.

 

[Backache]

Putting all of that to one side, it wasn’t designed to host hundreds of thousands of spectators. I recognise none of the other Open venues were designed for that either but TOC doesn’t handle the crowds as well as RSG for example, which has dunes everywhere which create natural vantage points and the holes are spread out across a large property which allows space for spectators.

Well I haven't been to RSG but I have been to the other Open venues in Scotland (Though I haven't watched an Open at Muirfield). I don't know anywhere else that allows so many viewpoints usually but not entirely in stands that allows one to watch action on different holes, which means that you do not have so much waiting between action.

 

[cleveland52]

I disagree and so do the attendees.
View attachment 56750

This is one of the reasons that the RA continues to have the OPEN at this venue. Plus, the TV ratings will be off the charts. The fact that players now hit the ball 400 yards off the tee doesn't matter.

Historical reasons are also high on the list.

 

[KenL]

This is one of the reasons that the RA continues to have the OPEN at this venue. Plus, the TV ratings will be off the charts. The fact that players now hit the ball 400 yards off the tee doesn't matter.

Historical reasons are also high on the list.

The length of the drives should not matter as the 160 or so people are trying to beat the others, not the course.

 

[sunshine]

Well I haven't been to RSG but I have been to the other Open venues in Scotland (Though I haven't watched an Open at Muirfield). I don't know anywhere else that allows so many viewpoints usually but not entirely in stands that allows one to watch action on different holes, which means that you do not have so much waiting between action.

Did you watch the Open at TOC, or just the Women's Open?

 

[Backache]

Did you watch the Open at TOC, or just the Women's Open?

I've watched three or four Opens at St Andrews, the only current Open venue I haven't watched a mens Open at is Muirfield.


Edit That is of the Scottish venues.

 

[evemccc]

I’m not doubting the popularity of TOC. It is universally recognised as the home of golf, the players all want to win there above all others.

I went to the Open at TOC, because it appeals to me more than any of the other venues, and I loved it. It has the history and recognisable holes that can only be matched by Augusta, because it hosts a major annually.

Putting all of that to one side, it wasn’t designed to host hundreds of thousands of spectators. I recognise none of the other Open venues were designed for that either but TOC doesn’t handle the crowds as well as RSG for example, which has dunes everywhere which create natural vantage points and the holes are spread out across a large property which allows space for spectators.

Surely The Open at Royal Birkdale will be very good for natural vantage points - the holes (generally) play between the dunes, rather than over them, and as such it’s got by far the most obvious and numerous places to stand to get a good view of the play, than almost every other course I know

RSG 6th hole has the dune named the Jungfrau/Maiden (if I remember correctly — or is the hole named that?) but apart from that, my memory tells me that Birkdale > RSG for the amount of raised dunes

 

[sunshine]

Surely The Open at Royal Birkdale will be very good for natural vantage points - the holes (generally) play between the dunes, rather than over them, and as such it’s got by far the most obvious and numerous places to stand to get a good view of the play, than almost every other course I know

RSG 6th hole has the dune named the Jungfrau/Maiden (if I remember correctly — or is the hole named that?) but apart from that, my memory tells me that Birkdale > RSG for the amount of raised dunes

Yes agree, both Birkdale and RSG have holes sitting in natural amphitheatres caused by the dunes, which make them excellent for spectators.

 

[Dunesman]

The length of the drives should not matter as the 160 or so people are trying to beat the others, not the course.

That could justify playing it on a mini-golf on concrete.
The lengths of drives, and all their shots does matter, if the goal is to find a best golfer and worthy Open champion. TOC was fine when the best drove it 240. Not today. And its more than that. The holes we all know best, 1st, 17th, 18th must be the three most dull and flawed holes of all the courses that have held any major in decades. If they were on your own course people would be wondering when is work starting to fix them or replace with properly designed golf holes. Only their sacred status preserves them has holy relics. Which is fine. But they arent fit for purpose for testing todays worlds best.

 

[Backache]

The lengths of drives, and all their shots does matter, if the goal is to find a best golfer and worthy Open champion. TOC was fine when the best drove it 240. Not today. And its more than that. The holes we all know best, 1st, 17th, 18th must be the three most dull and flawed holes of all the courses that have held any major in decades. If they were on your own course people would be wondering when is work starting to fix them or replace with properly designed golf holes. Only their sacred status preserves them has holy relics. Which is fine. But they arent fit for purpose for testing todays worlds best.

All the recent champions at St Andrews have been impressive golfers in their own right, it hasn't produced a Ben Curtis or a Todd Hamilton. None of the last three champions have been notable for their driving distance.

I disagree with your characterisation of the three holes though it is obviously a matter of personal preference rather than objective reality.
But the first for instance has huge interest in how close you dare place the ball to the front of the green when the flag is there.