The Old Course at St Andrews plays host to the 150th Open Championship in 2022. It will be the 30th time the historic links has been the setting for the grand old competition, no course has witnessed more instalments. It’s one of the most recognisable golfing venues on the planet with the Royal and Ancient clubhouse, Swilcan Bridge, Road Hole, Hell bunker and Grannie Clark’s Wynd some of its most famous features.
All fans of golf will know about the Old Course, its history and important position within the game. Here we consider a few things about the layout and about the town of St Andrews itself that you may just be a little less familiar with.
Anti-clockwise
Until the late 1800s the Old Course was played in a clockwise direction and it wasn’t until Old Tom Morris separated the 1st and 17th greens in around 1870 that it begun to be played in an anti-clockwise direction on alternate weeks. Many humps and hollows, bunkers and run-offs visible today are remnants of the old clockwise routing.
Shared greens
The 5th and 13th greens on The Old Course
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Only the 1st, 18th, 17th and 9th holes at St Andrews have their own greens. All the others share greens with the hole numbers of shared greens always adding up to 18 – The 2nd shares with the 16th, the 3rd with the 15th and so on up to the 8th and 10th.
Swilcan/Swilken Bridge
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Swilcan or Swilken Bridge is over 700 years old. Believe it or not, it wasn’t actually built for golfers to have their photograph taken on. Originally it was constructed so shepherds could get their livestock across the burn. It just so happens to now be perfectly placed for golfers heading off down the 18th of the Old Course. With the Royal and Ancient clubhouse and the Hamilton Grand building providing a striking backdrop, it does make for quite a good picture.
In the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida, there’s a full-size stone replica of the Swilcan Bridge.
Honorary Degrees
Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson behind
(Image credit: Getty Images)
A number of famous golfers…
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