Course: St. Andrews Links (Old) St. Andrews

Crafted by Mother Nature with post scripts added by Old Tom Morris and Dr. Alister Mackenzie, The Old Course at St. Andrews is the ultimate expression of the game of golf. Founded in 1764 as a 12-hole course, The Old Course made golfers deal with an anachronistic 22 holes tricky round, capricious weather and a captivating landscape. Sometime after 1764 The Society of St. Andrews Golfers decided to combine a few holes and reduce it to an 18-hole layout giving it the shape and layout it boasts today.

The layout has changed little since adjustments made by Old Tom Morris but the imposing sand dunes, the whistling winds and the goose bumps that come from playing in the birthplace of the great game remain intact. The Old Course is more than a golf course; it is a pilgrimage that every golfer aspires to make at least once in his lifetime€¦and mostly succeeds.

The first round at St. Andrews is certainly the most memorable one; every hole, every hazard has a story to tell. But the biggest surprise comes in the form of highly undulating fairways and gigantic greens that spring upon you unexpectedly. So it is no wonder most visitors choose to play the 6,566 yards as compared to the 7,000 yards on a track that has hosted more than 25 Open Championships and a series of other events over the years.

Playing at a par of 72 from the longest tees, the Old Course entrances you with 1st, 11th, 14th and the most widely celebrated €“ the 17th Road hole. If the 1st hole is awe inspiring, the rest will make you draw every club in your bag. Regardless of how often you get to walk away with a par, The Old Course at St. Andrews will beckon you again and again.