Scotland is broadly thought of the ‘Dwelling of Golf’, so it’s no
shock that the oldest golf programs on the earth are just about all discovered
there. That stated, most oldest programs lists will differ as to when the membership was
first based, as that’s typically contested.
Nevertheless, what we do have on this weblog are 10 of essentially the most attention-grabbing and, in some circumstances, iconic golf programs and holes on the planet.
The programs on this listing have stood the take a look at of time and are all deserving of a go to in the event you’re ever ‘north of the border’.
What are the oldest golf programs?
Previous Course, St Andrews
Opened: 1552Location: FifeGreen price: £320
That is broadly thought of the oldest course on the earth, and
many additionally deem it the most effective. It’s additionally thought that golf was performed right here nicely
earlier than 1552, but it surely was then that the townspeople of St Andrews got the
proper to play on the now iconic hallowed floor.
The Previous Course has many quirks—it options seven double
greens, all of which add as much as 14 (e.g., the 4th and 14th sit collectively), extra
landmarks and well-known bunkers than another course, and has additionally held extra
Opens than another course (30).
Its most well-known gap stays the seventeenth, the Highway Gap, which is performed over a railway shed earlier than a inexperienced that sits simply in entrance of a street. Within the trendy period, each Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have gained two Opens on the Previous Course. It turned often called the Previous Course after the opening of the New Course in 1895.
Montrose
Opened: 1562Location: AngusGreen price: £150
There are two programs at Montrose, with the ‘1562 Course’
the elder of the 2. The lesser-known Broomfield Course affords a shorter
par-67 structure. The principle course sits comfortably inside the highest 100 programs in
Scotland, and components of it are the very definition of a rugged hyperlinks.
The holes that run alongside the coast are essentially the most spectacular, and the deep bunkers, fast-running turf, wind, and very good greens make it a worthwhile go to. Carnoustie is just 20 miles away, too.
Elie
Opened: 1589Location: FifeGreen price: £135
You gained’t meet many golfers who’ve performed at Elie and didn’t
fall in love with the previous hyperlinks. It lies simply 12 miles from St Andrews and
makes for a beautiful accompaniment to any journey to this nook of Fife.
The opening blind tee shot is performed from the shadow of the
submarine periscope above the starter’s hut and affords one of many course’s
signature photographs straight off the bat.
5-time Open champion Peter Thomson described Elie as ‘quirky and essentially the most pleasant course I do know. If I had my approach, I’d construct Elies all around the world.’ There aren’t any par 5s right here.
Musselburgh Hyperlinks
Opened: 1672Location: East Lothian Inexperienced price: £23.60
The Previous Golf Course, which sits contained in the racecourse, has
held six Opens and is commonly the forgotten stage for the Claret Jug in any quiz.
There are 9 holes right here (it was initially a seven-holer earlier than two extra had been
added in 1874 and 1889).
It was as soon as considered the oldest golf course earlier than that title fell to St Andrews. It stays sensible worth, although, and do you have to go to it, you need to positively benefit from the hickory golf equipment on supply that can assist you see it because it was initially laid out.
Fortrose and Rosemarkie
Opened: 1793Location: HighlandsGreen price: £95
Golf could nicely have been performed right here earlier within the century, however
we’ll decide on 1793 for the aim of this listing. The course lies on a slender
peninsula, Chanonry Level, and all the things is squeezed right into a small parcel of
land— none extra so than the par-5 4th, which heads in the direction of the
lighthouse.
All however three of the par 4s are below 400 yards, and lots of of them supply the chance to tackle the inexperienced. The placing surfaces are small and delicate, so making an attempt to find them is loads of enjoyable. That is one other structure that has withstood the take a look at of time, and as we speak, it stays a enjoyable however testing problem.
Kingsbarns
12 months opened: 1793Location: FifeGreen price: £374
Kingsbarns is simply seven miles alongside the coast from St
Andrews and is without doubt one of the most interesting and most pleasant golf programs on the planet.
Golf has been performed right here for hundreds of years but it surely was shut at
the beginning of WW2, and work on the present structure solely started in 1997 below
designer Kyle Phillips, earlier than opening three years later.
Since then, it has obtained worldwide acclaim, internet hosting the Dunhill Hyperlinks yearly alongside the Previous Course and Carnoustie, and it additionally held the Girls’s Open in 2017. A lot of the appeal of this place is which you could see the North Sea from almost each spot, and it boasts so many iconic holes. The par-5 twelfth is without doubt one of the biggest holes anyplace on the earth, whereas the quick fifteenth is almost definitely one of the photographed.
Scotscraig
Opened: 1817Location: FifeGreen price: £100
Scotscraig is without doubt one of the few golf golf equipment on the earth which
has been in a position to have fun its bicentenary. It was based by the St Andrews
Society of Golfers, which might turn into the Royal and Historic Golf Membership, as they
needed to play extra golf than simply the occasional society assembly.
Whereas near the Previous Course, this presents a really completely different take a look at, with a mixture of heathland, hyperlinks, and parkland. To provide you an thought of how good Scotscraig is, it has staged Open qualifying six instances lately and it’s a welcome addition to guests within the space.
North Berwick West Hyperlinks
Opened: 1832Location: East LothianGreen price: £285
Solely St Andrews has performed golf repeatedly over the identical
course for longer, and lots of regard North Berwick West Hyperlinks as a unique model
of the Previous Course.
It begins and ends by the clubhouse with the ultimate tee shot
being performed, just like the Previous Course, with a row of automobiles flanking the correct facet
of the green. There’s additionally the prospect to complete with an enormous hurrah by discovering
the inexperienced and placing for an eagle. In between are some really spectacular
holes, most noticeably the thirteenth, Pit, the place the method is performed
over a wall earlier than shifting on to the world-famous fifteenth Redan, which has been copied at many programs.
This can be a frequent host to Remaining Qualifying and one other course to characteristic extremely in any World High 100.
Carnoustie
Opened: 1842Location: Angus Inexperienced price: £222
There aren’t any fewer than three programs on the property at
Carnoustie, however the Championship Course is the oldest and finest recognized.
Eight Opens have been performed over these well-known hyperlinks, the primary in 1931 and the newest in 2018, when Francesco Molinari prevailed. In between, we’ve seen the likes of Ben Hogan, Gary Participant, Tom Watson, Paul Lawrie, and Padraig Harrington decide up the Claret Jug right here.
Lawrie’s win on house soil stays perhaps the best-known due
to Jean van de Velde’s horrible end in 1999. On every week the place the scoring was
unattainable, the Frenchman got here to the 72nd gap
needing only a double-bogey to win The Open. He would ultimately stand up and
down from the sand to make a three-way play-off. It’s broadly considered one in every of
the hardest Open layouts, with a very robust end the place the Barry
Burn can typically play havoc.
The Girls’s Open has additionally visited this nook of Angus twice.
Monifieth Hyperlinks
Opened: 1845Location: AngusGreen price: £125
There are 36 holes of ‘hyperlinks heaven’ right here, with the Medal
Course the best-known, the opposite being The Ashludie. The early holes are performed
alongside the Aberdeen to London railway line, and the course sits simply down
from close by Carnoustie. Panmure additionally started life right here earlier than shifting to its
present house in 1899.
That is one other real hyperlinks with fast-running fairways, a prevailing wind from the Firth of Tay, gorse, intelligent bunkering, and sensible greens. Monifieth would rank someplace across the center of most High 100 Scottish rankings.
In fact, golf does additionally exist exterior of Scotland
(though this listing may need made you are feeling in any other case!) The oldest golf programs
elsewhere embody Royal North Devon in England (1864), Tenby in Wales (1875),
and Royal Curragh in Eire (1852).
On the continent, France’s Pau Golf Membership boasts the oldest course, having been based in 1856.
*Inexperienced charges on this weblog are based mostly on peak summer season charges and should fluctuate.
Among the oldest golf programs on the earth are nonetheless going robust and accessible to go to and play as we speak. If you happen to play golf recurrently, wherever you might be, you would possibly need to take into account defending your self and your gear with specialist golf insurance coverage.
With Golf Care, insurance policies embody Gear Cowl as much as £7,500, Public Legal responsibility of as much as £10m, and Private Accident Cowl as much as £50,000. Get a quote on-line as we speak.
