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Wanna go to St. Andrews!

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 2:48 AM

  craigswan:

  rob -i stay in st andrews .course is open to the public but every morning there is a draw out of a hat and the first one hundred names drawn out get to play .If floridacutie turns up she goes straight to head of queue .

  I'm sorry to correct you:

  On the day you'll have to wait for a free spot in a group - first to come, first to serve, single golfers have the best chances.

  The other two ways to enter are

  - apply in January online for a specific tee time in that year (no joke!)

  - enter the ballot two days before you want to play and hope for some luck
  (this was one day until now, changes on Jan 7th, 2012)

• DAZZA501 5,972 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 11:26 AM

  I'm guessing they already played as it was 16months ago they were talking about it and 20 months from the original post

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 2:30 PM

  The OP obviously would not meet the handicap requirement (and helps make it clear why they have to have a handicap requirement). 

  But note: "One other unusual thing about the Old Course is that it is closed on Sundays to let the course rest. On some Sundays, the course turns into a park for all the townspeople who come out to stroll, picnic and otherwise enjoy the grounds." (Wikipedia)

  Craig, can you confirm?

  Even if I couldn't play the course, I would love to walk the whole layout from the 1st tee to the 18th green.

• craigswan 31,819 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 2:48 PM

  Old course is open on sundays on only four occasions . Last round of men and womens pro open , amateur open and dunhill cup .The rest of the time you can walk round course on sundays .6 of the 7 courses in st andrews are open on sundays .They also play clockwise one day a year to let the course rest .

• Doublemochaman 2,009 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 3:07 PM

  Middle4man:

  Does ANYONE ever get a good night's rest the night before they play St. Andrews for the first time? I'm better off taking a long afternoon nap and staying up all night so I don't miss the alarm.

  Never played St. Andrews.  But I remember the first time I played the mecca of golf courses in the U.S., Pebble Beach.  Stayed up late partying with friends until 3AM for a 9AM tee time in the morning.

  I recall being brought into full wakefulness while walking the 8th fairway when a double rainbow appeared!  I was thinking if there's a pot o' gold at one end, there must be a gin & tonic at the other end.  One hole later I discovered a drink tent along the fairway... and with a few words on encouragement to the bartender a gin & tonic magically appeared!

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 3:15 PM

  Thanks.

  craigswan:

  .They also play clockwise one day a year to let the course rest

  Curious what that means. You start by hitting from the 18th green to the 18th tee, or what?

  Zag 

• craigswan 31,819 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 3:30 PM

  lol. I presume they start at 18th hole and finish at first .

• oilyrag 875 Posts

  Mon, Jan 2 2012 3:49 PM

  zagraniczniak:

  Thanks.

  craigswan:

  .They also play clockwise one day a year to let the course rest

  Curious what that means. You start by hitting from the 18th green to the 18th tee, or what?

  Zag 

  the course was originally played clockwise

   

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Tue, Jan 3 2012 10:34 AM

  St Andrews has double greens, except for the 9th and 18th, and the 1st which was added during the course of time (before, the 17th must have served double, too). When playing clockwise, I assume that they play from tee 18 to green 16, tee 17 to green 15 and so on, ending from tee 2 to green 18. Maybe they start at #1 and play to the 17th green.

  AFAIK it's not for "rest" purpose but as a tradition. IIRC they used to change the directions more frequently (every week?) in the old days. Some of the bunkers - I was told during a guided tour of the Old Course - only come into play during clockwise play.

  I have been "playing backwards" as a fun tournament at home. Usually, on most courses, they must create provisional tees inside the greens to have it work, plus there must not be too long distance between the holes.

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Tue, Jan 3 2012 10:54 AM

  zagraniczniak:

  Yes, there is no play on Sunday on the Old Course (see exceptions). You may walk the course, alone or, as I did, in a tour guided by a caddie. They pull the flags out and place one in an extra hole left to the 18th green, a good opportunity for a picture with the R&A clubhouse behind you.

  And, because the areal is public ground, there are pedestrians through the green every day, e.g. walking their dogs. There even is car traffic on the road crossing the 1st and 18th, so beware of your drive!

  And, speaking of playing there, the adjacent courses, "New" and "Jubilee" (both built in the 19th century), have a lot of the same spirit with less players, lower prices and no HCP limits (AFAIS no HCP necessary). I played Jubilee on a calm day and enjoyed it very much!