It's no longer the "Tom Morris Golf Shop"

[Tim_Cronin]

The shop on The Links across from the 18th green of The Old Course where Tom hung his shingle, where Charles Blair Macdonald had a locker, where countless people came in to chat and buy things, revered by generations across three centuries, is now "The Open Store." The inside has been changed substantially, and the sign is gone.


https://www.golfshake.com/news/view/12339/Famous_Tom_Morris_Golf_Shop_Replaced_by_Open_Merchandise_Store.html


Next is The Pizza Hut Open, I'm sure.


I can't imagine what Melvyn thinks about this.

[Cal Seifert]

Great new place to sell flat brim hats!

[Jeff_Brauer]

Sounds like the American influence. Would have thought the Brits had more historic leanings.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

The town of Saint Andrews areas surrounding the 1st and 18th holes have been a golfers touristy hokum center for years. Just as bad as High Street in Edinburgh near the castle gates where all the tartan shoppes and pipers and men dressed as in the "Braveheart" movie are available to pose for pictures.


To me, St. Andrews town golf has always been a major turn off due to it's touristy nature. In the years we kept a flat in Edinburgh the only golf club I used in St. Andrews was a putter on the "Himalayas" Ladies Putting Club.

[Mike Sweeney]

That is truly awful.

[Jon Wiggett]

I hate to see this but then both The Links Trust and the R&A have form in destroying golfing heritage if there is a quick buck to be made. I had hoped the new man at the top of the R&A might temper this a bit but apparently not. Sad, sad day

[Sean_A]

They have been selling tat in that shop for years and years.  It stopped being OTM's shop when clubs were no longer made/repaired. Are folks worried about a sign?  It is strange to change the name because even as a scam it was a draw.

Ciao

[Niall C]

It stopped being Old Tom's shop the day he died. The cashing in on his name started then. Arguably changing the name is more honest and less tacky, but what do I know, I'm only a Brit 

Niall

[Marty Bonnar]

I was never sure just how popular (read, lucrative), the OTM brand would be. They spent a lot creating the new brand and then re-branding the shop and refurbishing it.
Shame really, because the items were all at the classy (read, expensive) end of the market, but then so is most of the stock in the Links Trust various shops.


F.

[Ryan Coles]

It stopped being Old Tom's shop the day he died. The cashing in on his name started then. Arguably changing the name is more honest and less tacky, but what do I know, I'm only a Brit 

Niall

Agreed.


The shop was full of overpriced, oversized clothing and was charmless anyway.

[Michael Whitaker]

Sounds like the American influence. Would have thought the Brits had more historic leanings.

WOW!      Where the hell did this comment come from???

Who owns the store? The R&A? The Links Trust? They are certainly not making decisions on what's best for Americans. They're just devising ways to suck as much money as possible out of every golfer who visits St. Andrews. The place has become like Disney World.

[Michael Whitaker]

They have been selling tat in that shop for years and years.  It stopped being OTM's shop when clubs were no longer made/repaired. Are folks worried about a sign?  It is strange to change the name because even as a scam it was a draw.

Ciao

Like Sean says... other than location, this store had as much to do with Old Tom as Ben Hogan golf clubs have to do with the "Wee Man." They mostly sold overpriced goods with a proprietary "Old Tom Morris" logo. I'm sure the owners see an opportunity to increase revenue by selling goods that a greater number of customers would be interested in buying... with an "official" logo.

[Mike Hendren]

I remain bitter that in 2003 I entered the clubhouse at The New Course for a late afternoon 18 and was told the course was closed since the starter had gone home.  Not wishing to be the ugly American, like the Rich Young Ruler, I turned away sad.  But I haven't forgotten.

Mike

[Jon Wiggett]

Whilst what has been said about the shop's content was undoubtedly true I still think the name which was linked to the building if not the shop should have stayed. Michael & Michael, Jeff's comment was both saddening though I am not sure he intended it to come across as it did or at least I hope not.

[Terry Lavin]

Whilst what has been said about the shop's content was undoubtedly true I still think the name which was linked to the building if not the shop should have stayed. Michael & Michael, Jeff's comment was both saddening though I am not sure he intended it to come across as it did or at least I hope not.

Thanks for that measured response. I’m guessing your intuition is correct.

[Dave McCollum]

Never occurred to me to go into the OTM shop.  Sign might as well said "Tourist Trap."  Doesn't seem much has change except a new marketing director re-branding a product. 

[Mark Chaplin]

https://www.standrews.com/Play/The-Home-of-Golf/News/R-A-and-SAL-Retail-Agreement


No need to speculate.

[Jeff Schley]

 As the name Tom Morris Golf Shop has to have a premium in goodwill from a branding and marketing perspective I wonder why they didn't keep the name, or perhaps it wasn't in the deal and we shall see a "New Tom Morris Golf Shop" instead of the Old Tom Morris ).

[David_Tepper]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2018/3/27/good-grief-tom-morris-name-covered-over-for-the-open-gift-shop

[Terry Lavin]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2018/3/27/good-grief-tom-morris-name-covered-over-for-the-open-gift-shop

As seems typical for that site, there’s one comment posted.

[Kalen Braley]

Perhaps it could have been a move to lure in American tourists...that got lost in translation locally.


I don't know about you, but anything over on this side of the pond that claims to be traditional, and uses an old timer name on it to drive business, i'm probably avoiding it and thinking its a tourist trap...


Would you buy animal furs from a Davey Crocket shop right across the street from an old time Slaughterhouse?

[Eric Smith]

Well Schley and Kalen have weighed in so its probably time to let this one slide on down the page.

[Bob Montle]

I remain bitter that in 2003 I entered the clubhouse at The New Course for a late afternoon 18 and was told the course was closed since the starter had gone home.  Not wishing to be the ugly American, like the Rich Young Ruler, I turned away sad.  But I haven't forgotten.

Mike

My experience was just the opposite.  I stopped by the Jubilee booth to see if I could get a tee time and was told it was booked for a tournament.  However, he suggested I try the New Course as he was sure they could fit me in.

Sure enough, the starter at the New told me I could go off before a foursome waiting on the tee if I could be ready within 15 minutes.  Out of breath after a quick run to my car for my shoes and clubs, I went off by myself for a wonderful round.

[David_Tepper]

https://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2018/3/30/why-the-tom-morris-shop-is-one-of-golfs-most-important-places-and-why-it-needs-to-be-restored-asap

[Dave McCollum]

Not sure I know what to think about GS’s advocacy.  My own experience of the shop, well before the restoration by the Links Trust of which he reports, was only passing by and ignoring it as a tourist trap.  The sign out front, as I recall, said something like “Old Tom Morris Golf Shop” seemed rather like some American old town redevelopment project with a sign out front saying “Ye Olde Thom Morris Goff Shopee” or some such nonsense.   In his written piece he makes some valid observations about the role of the golf shop as a gathering place and its historical importance to the game.  He’s right about that and the fact that this is indeed the mother ship of all golf shops.  Yet in the video reporting he’s not standing in front of a historically restored workshop; he’s standing in front of a bunch of tourist crap merchandise.  There seems to be a cognitive disconnect between his editorial advocacy for preserving an authentic historic site and the need to make a buck to justify the Links Trust investment.  I respect the sentiment, but can’t see how replacing one overtly commercial venture with another is such loss requiring some sort of immediate righteous restoration.