10 things you need to know about the St. Andrews golf course

The St. Andrews golf course

Top golfers in the world have arrived at St. Andrews for the 144th edition of the Open Championships. It is the oldest golf course in the world and has witnessed the crowning of some incredible champions in it’s rich history.

Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about St. Andrews golf links:

1. Golf has been played at the Old course since the early 1400s. Until 1764, players would play 22 holes on the old course. The course consisted of 12 actual holes, 10 of them being played twice – once out, once in.
2. The Old course is known for double greens. Only 4 holes (1st, 9th, 17th and 18th) have their own greens, the other holes share. The hole numbers of those with double greens i.e, 2,3,5,etc., add up to 18 – (2+16), (3+15),(4+14) and so on. Hence, the course can also be played backwards.
3. Golf was banned at the Old course from 1457 to 1502 by King James II as he felt young men played too much golf instead of concentrating on archery. It was however reinstated by King James IV, an avid golfer himself.
4. James Cheape saved golf links after an arduous legal battle with local rabbit farmers. Cheape brought the links when they were on the brink of bankruptcy.
5. There are seven courses at St. Andrews golf links – Eden, Jubilee, Strathyrum, Castle,the New Course, and the Old Course, alongwith the nine-hole Balgove.
6. The Swilcan bridge, which spans the Swilcan burn between the 7th and 18th fairways has been there for at least 700 years. It’s intial purpose was to help livestock cross the burn. 
7. There are 112 bunkers spread across the Old course. The most famous among these is the ”Road bunker”, which has denied several players from winning the title in the past. David Duval, who trailed Tiger Woods by three shots at the Open in 2000, saw his chances evaporate as he navigated through the Road bunker. 
8. The Old course is closed on Sundays to allow the grass to rest and recover from the activity throughout the week. Sunday play is allowed only when the course is hosting a major (the Open Championship, Women’s British Open, Dunhill Links Championship or amateur tournaments). 
9. Fergus Muir holds the Guinness record for the longest putt ever made at the Eden course in St. Andrews. Muir, aged 66 at the time sank a 375-foot putt!
10. The 10th hole on the Old course is named after Bobby Jones, while the 18th hole is named after Tom Morris.