ST. ANDREWS OLD COURSE

A Golf Architect’s Analysis of the Holes

By DR. ALISTER MACKENZIE

GOLFING — LONDON

MAY 1924

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1924 Survey of the Old Course at St. Andrews

Reproduced by special permission from the coloured plan of the Old Course at St. Andrews, surveyed on the instructions of the Royal and Ancient Club by Dr. MacKenzie of Leeds, and depicted from his original sketches by Major A. B. Klein, M.B.E. The original is a single sheet of canvas eight feet in length, with greens, bunkers and whins shown in their natural colours and the contours exquisitely indicated by shading in a way which our reproduction can only imperfectly imitate.

The loop of the Swilken Burn before St. Andrews’ First Green

FIRST HOLE: 390 yards. At first sight this seems to be a dull flat featureless hole. The only hazards are the road and burn, but it is much better than it appears and in fact it might almost be described as an ideal first hole. As there is no hazard in front of the tee and a wide open space of over a hundred yards in width to drive into it enables players to get away readily but yet owing to the peculiar curve of the burn it is extremely interesting, and the line of play varies from day to day according to the direction of the wind, the capacity of the player, and the position on which the hole is placed on the green. It will be seen from the plan that the green is immediately beyond the burn and not infrequently the pin is put within ten or fifteen yards of the burn. The consequence is a well pitched second shot is necessary to give a reasonable chance to putting for a three.

SECOND HOLE: 456 yards. It will be seen from the plan that there are whins and three small bunkers on the right of the tee shot. It is advisable to place the tee shot fairly near these bunkers to give a reasonable chance of reaching the green with a long second as it will be noted that there is a range of bunkers on the approach to the green almost in a direct line to the usual place where the hole is cut.

It is exceedingly difficult to stop near the hole when the flag is in this position as there is the little Wig bunker immediately beyond the green, but in these days a man like Ray for example, drives so far the he appears to be able to place a mashie niblick shot near the hole even if he has not played his tee shot with a great deal of accuracy.

I notice an ex Open Champion states in his book that he dislikes the hole in this position and that he prefers it on the lower part of the green on the right.

I do not think that many amateurs who play golf in the sporting spirit would agree with him. When the pin is placed on the left, the approach is full of thrills and excitement and moreover it stimulates one to improve one’s golf, but when placed on the right it is comparatively dull and uninteresting.

THIRD HOLE: 341 yards. It will be seen that there is a line of bunkers running in échelon from left to right for the tee shot. The hole is usually cut perilously near the Cartgate bunker and the tendency of the high ground short of the green is to kick a ball into this bunker; the consequence is that a very accurate pitch is required to give a reasonable opportunity of stopping near the flag.

FOURTH HOLE: 385 yards. The tee shot at this hole has to be placed with extreme accuracy as it will be seen from the plan that there is a plateau on the left and little peninsulas jutting towards the right which are very likely to stop a ball which is not played quite straight. There are several bunkers to catch a second shot, but the chief feature is a small steep hillock on the centre of the approach to the green.

Fifth Green at the Old Course — St. Andrews, Scotland

FIFTH HOLE: 533 yards. There are several bunkers almost in the direct line to the hole extending up to 240 yards from the tee, so that the tee shot has to be placed slightly to the left of these. This fairway was much damaged during the dry summer of 1921 but as a good deal of work has been put on it has vastly improved during the last twelve months. There are two bunkers on the face of a hillock with a narrow route between them to negotiate for the second shot, and immediately in front of the green is a large deep hollow. The green is a very big one and has fewer undulations than most of the St. Andrews greens.

SIXTH HOLE: 345 yards. The tee shot is a blind one and is played over whins and some high ridges. It has to be pretty accurately placed as there are bunkers extending up to 100 yards away in the direct line to the hole. There is some hillocky ground and a small valley immediately in front of the green.

SEVENTH HOLE: 333 yards. There is some rough ground in front of the tee and the tee shot must be placed to the left of a hillock about 180 yards away so as to get a good position for the second which must be placed over the Cockle bunker or through the very narrow neck between it and Strath.

EIGHTH HOLE: 139 yards. This short hole is much more interesting than it appears at first sight, and especially so from the new tee on higher ground which has been recently made. The Medal hole is usually cut immediately beyond the Short Hole bunker as it is astonishing what a large draw this small bunker has. Nearly every half-topped tee shot, owing to the nature of the undulations short of it is drawn into it.

NINTH HOLE: 273 yards. This and the following one are usually considered the dullest of the St. Andrews holes. They are on comparatively flat ground and are of the drive and chip variety. Nevertheless they come as a rather pleasant rest after the strenuous holes preceding them and preparatory to the still more strenuous ones coming after. There are two bunkers in the direct line to the hole, the first sometimes known as Boase’s bunker and the second 200 yards from the tee. In emphasizing the fact that no bunker is unfair wherever it is placed, Mr. John L. Low in his book “Concerning Golf,” quite truly remarks that regarding this little bunker, if anyone is going to drive as far as this he should take good care to place his shot on one side or the other.

TENTH HOLE: 312 yards. There are four small bunkers about 120 yards from the tee and at the distance of a long drive there is a small hillock which is extremely likely to guide a ball which is not very truly hit, into a bunker on the right. There is an irregularly shaped bank immediately in front of the green and as the green slopes away a very accurately played run up shot is required to remain near the hole.

Eleventh Hole at the Old Course — St. Andrews, Scotland

ELEVENTH HOLE: 148 yards. This is quite rightly considered the best short hole in golf. The green is perched up on a plateau and every inch of it is visible, it slopes upwards considerably and when the green is fiery a putt played from above the hole a little bit too strong may quite easily run into the Strath bunker. Not only is the hole an extremely difficult and interesting one but it is also very beautiful.

The entrance to the green is a narrow one and as depicted on the plan slight ridges guide any ball that is not truly hit into the Strath or the Hill bunker.

Golf Architects have made many attempts at copying this hole but few have approached the original.

It has been the death knell of many hopes in medal rounds. A friend of mine told me that he was once playing in the Amateur Championship, and he got into the Strath and his opponent into the Hill bunker. The crowd going to the 7th hole that were following two “Top Notchers” remained to watch them get out. After several attempts they both got into the Eden and after playing fifteen shots each they were back in the bunkers again, but this time my friend was in Hill and his opponent in Strath.

They finally halved the hole in eighteen among huge cheers from the crowd.

TWELFTH HOLE: 318 yards. While standing on the tee, which is raised on a high plateau, the green is clearly seen a little over 300 yards away. Your caddy tells you to play on to a little heathery hillock considerably to the left of the direct line, and as you can apparently see the whole of the fairway between the tee and the green it is difficult to believe that there is a series of hidden bunkers intervening between you and the pole.

In certain positions of the hole on the green it is desirable to play to the right of the bunkers and not the usual line to the left.

THIRTEENTH HOLE: 413 yards. This is also a very interesting hole owing to the fact that the Coffin bunkers are in the exact position where you would like to place your shot if they were not there. The average golfer attempts to place his tee shot to the right of the Coffin bunkers, but as this involves a blind second shot, the “tigers” attempt the long carry over them to the left so as to get a clear view of the surface of the green.

FOURTEENTH HOLE: 516 yards. This is generally admitted to be the best hole of its length in golf. As it will be seen on the plan there is a small hummock on the right near corner of the green which makes it nearly impossible for even a short approach shot to remain on the green from the right-hand side. It is therefore essential that the green should be approached from the left. This is a particularly fatal trap for the unwary, as the beautiful green plateau of the Elysian Fields, free from all hazards, makes it very tempting to play the right-hand route, particularly as here again in the exact position where you would like to place your shot there are the formidable Beardie bunkers. The best way for the average player to play this hole is to pinch the Beardies as near as he dare for the tee shot, play his second clean off to the right on to a little plateau to the left of Hell bunker, and then from this position he has an easy approach shot. The green is situated on a plateau with such a steep face that the approach must be played very firmly so as to pitch below the plateau and run up the steep bank. At this, like many of the holes at St. Andrews, it is almost impossible to pitch on to the plateau and stay there.

The long driver, like Wethered, plays his tee shot over the Beardies, and the last time I saw him play there he took out an iron club and the crowd murmured, “Why does he not take wood and go for the green?” but he got there all right with his iron.

This is the hole where Wethered, walking backwards, rolled over his ball, which cost him a stroke, which lost him the Open Championship.

Fifteenth Hole at the Old Course — St. Andrews, Scotland

FIFTEENTH HOLE: 395 yards. At this hole there is a hillock to the right so that it is desirable to place one’s tee shot fairly near a little bunker known as Sutherland’s so as to have a clear view of the green for the second shot. For the tee shot there is a much narrower route between the Cottage and the Hull bunkers than appears on the plan as the intervening ground is a ridge running in the direction of the green, and which is extremely likely to kick a ball to one side or the other. It has been recently suggested that the Hull bunker should be filled up, so as to give an alternate route for the short driver, but as, unlike so many courses, this is the only hole where there is no alternate route it has been suggested that there is no great hardship in having to play short. There is a very well placed bunker, sometimes known as Fowler’s, on the left of the approach to the green.

SIXTEENTH HOLE: 338 yards. This was a better hole in the days of the gutty, when, if it was desired to reach the green with the second shot, the majority of payers had to place their tee shot in the very narrow space between the Principal’s Nose bunker, or over it to the left of Deacon Sime, and they then have a comparatively easy second shot for a mashie.

Seventeenth Green at the Old Course — St. Andrews, Scotland

SEVENTEENTH HOLE: 456 yards. Unsuccessful competitors in the Open Championship have sometimes stated, in a fit of irritation, that this was the worst hole in the world. On the other hand, those amateurs who look upon golf, as Mr. Bernard Darwin says, in the spirit of adventure of the true sportsman, consider it the best.

The green is situated on a very narrow plateau with only fifteen yards between the Road bunker and the road, and if the second shot is pulled, as J. H. Taylor found to his cost, it is impossible to pitch over the Road bunker and remain on the green. The tee shot is a very interesting one and a long carry over the shed lands in such a position that your ball is kicked towards the hole, whereas a shorter carry runs off to the left, and it is then exceedingly difficult to place one’s ball in a favourable position for the approach shot. In a tight match one should never give up this hole, as some disaster may always overtake your opponent. I remember once playing it, putting three shots out of bounds; my opponent had got to the foot of the green with his second shot; he putted the ball into the road bunker, and from there got out on to the road. I finally won the hole in fourteen.

EIGHTEENTH HOLE: 361 yards. At first sight this looks almost completely featureless, as there is only the burn in front and a huge wide area to place one’s tee shot, but it is much more interesting than it appears as there is a large deep hollow immediately in front of the green which influences the line of play from the tee shot onwards and makes it desirable to place one’s tee shot in accordance with the varying positions of the flag so as to obtain an easy second.

Home Green at the Old Course with the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse in the background — St. Andrews, Scotland