Playing golf at St Andrews was one of the experiences I was looking forward to most during our trip to Scotland. While the Old Course gets most of the attention, I had the opportunity to play the New Course with Barry and Katie and it ended up being one of my favorite days of the entire trip.
We started the morning with a stop at the pro shop, picked up a few souvenirs, grabbed a bacon roll, and headed to the first tee for our 10 a.m. tee time.
The New Course was unlike most of the courses I’ve played. The fairways are relatively flat but full of humps, swales, and unexpected bounces. It reminded me quite a bit of the courses designed by David McLay Kidd at Bandon Dunes. You could hit what seemed like a perfect shot and watch the ball bounce in an entirely different direction. With thick gorse protecting the fairways, you had to think your way around the course.
One of my favorite parts of the front nine was playing right alongside the Old Course. I regularly found myself watching the golfers over there instead of paying attention to my own golf ball. It was pretty incredible to be playing a round of golf while looking across at one of the most historic courses in the world.
As we made our way toward the sea around holes 8 through 11, the wind really started blowing. We were dealing with sustained winds around 25 to 35 mph, which meant adjusting our club selection by three or four clubs at times. It was exactly the kind of Scottish links golf I had hoped to experience.
One of my favorite shots came on the 14th hole. I had about 70 yards remaining on a downwind par 4, with a mound between me and the green. Rather than hitting a wedge, I decided to putt my 3-wood. The ball rolled up and over the mound and finished about 20 feet from the hole. It was one of those shots that would seem ridiculous on a typical American golf course but made perfect sense in Scotland.
I ended up shooting an 84, which in the conditions, I wasn’t too upset about and besides, the score doesn’t matter, it is about the experience and enjoying the moment!
An Afternoon at the Home of Golf
After the round, we grabbed lunch at Tom Morris before heading over to the Himalayas Putting Course. Katie and I eventually found ourselves in a sudden-death playoff, which I managed to win by sinking a 15-foot putt.
We finished the afternoon on the patio at the Jigger Inn, spending nearly two hours watching golfers navigate the famous Road Hole. Before leaving, we walked out to the 17th tee and made our way to the Swilcan Bridge.
Looking back, I loved how much of the day we spent simply enjoying golf. We played an incredible course, experienced some proper Scottish wind, competed against each other, and spent the afternoon watching other people play.
While I didn’t get to play the Old Course, spending an entire day playing golf and exploring St Andrews was everything I had hoped it would be. If you are traveling to St. Andrews, the New Course is not one to be skipped!