Scotland Trip Rankings

[Marty Bonnar]

The 5-yearly return to St Andrews has only been in place since 1990. The cycle gets broken in 2020, when Royal St George's hosts so the 150th Open can go to St Andrews in 2021.
F.

[Michael Whitaker]

You really, really have to play the Old Course at least 5-6 times, and probably rather more than that, to have an educated opinion about the architecture. Most tourists who play it only once or twice can't begin to understand it - it's simply that different from every other course you'll ever experience. I think that holds true for GolfClubAtlas types as well...until you instinctively know where all of the bunkers are and how to use the slopes to attack and play away from different hole locations, it's really a mystery. You can still love TOC for its history and lore and mystique, but even I hesitate to rank it in lists like this because it's so unique, and I've played it 25-30 times.

Glad to see some love for Dunbar in this thread, too. You guys should look me up when you're next in my particular corner of East Lothian!

Cheers,
Darren

Darren - Jerry Kluger and I were at Dunbar last week and I apologise for not letting you know we were visiting... it would be have great to see you. The club's plans for a new house and a wee course are impressive. You are involved? We played with Joe Gillan, a fine fellow and great "ambassador" for the club. It was a wonderful visit!

[jeffwarne]

Yep, Count me as a fanatic (fan) of TOC.
Interesting ,strategic,unique, historic golf that has consistently generated the best winners in Major Champuonship history.


The fact that equipment is out of control for elite players makes it only less interesting if the powers that be choose to go less often or not at all as a result. Scores in relation to par have NOTHING to do with whether a course is a good "test" of golf.
Do US Open courses determine better champions when they convert two par 5's to par 4's to lower the par by 8 shots?
Would TOC determine  a better champion if they reduced the par to 67?


Went to the Open at TOC in 2015, and will move heaven and earth to do it again in 2021.

[Rich Goodale]

It's ok, guys, the Old Course is not being shut down anytime soon.

Au contraire, mon ami!


It's shutting down tomorrow.....

[JWinick]

Jeff,


I guess you are fully drinking the Kool-Aid.   


"Scores in relation to par have NOTHING to do with whether a course is a good "test" of golf."

Nothing?  It's actually the complete opposite with respect to how every championship course measures itself.   If it didn't matter, than why has the R & A lengthened the course on numerous occasions?    The easier the golf course, the fewer types of players that can actually compete and win the tournament.   Is that irrelevant too?  How about the fact that you can miss left on most holes of the Old Course (great for my hook btw!), but right is often trouble?    Doesn't that favor a right-hander with a hook and penalize a right-hander with a slice?     

Yep, Count me as a fanatic (fan) of TOC.
Interesting ,strategic,unique, historic golf that has consistently generated the best winners in Major Champuonship history.


The fact that equipment is out of control for elite players makes it only less interesting if the powers that be choose to go less often or not at all as a result. Scores in relation to par have NOTHING to do with whether a course is a good "test" of golf.
Do US Open courses determine better champions when they convert two par 5's to par 4's to lower the par by 8 shots?
Would TOC determine  a better champion if they reduced the par to 67?


Went to the Open at TOC in 2015, and will move heaven and earth to do it again in 2021.

[Jerry Kluger]

Why are they closing TOC and for how long?

[jeffwarne]

Jeff,


I guess you are fully drinking the Kool-Aid.   

The easier the golf course, the fewer types of players that can actually compete and win the tournament

Yep that's correct-few types have historically won at TOC. It is very selective.
In fact, typically, it's just the best players of the era.


It's single malt, not Kool-Aid....

[MClutterbuck]

It's ok, guys, the Old Course is not being shut down anytime soon.

Au contraire, mon ami!


It's shutting down tomorrow.....

Sorry, it is not...

[Marty Bonnar]

It's ok, guys, the Old Course is not being shut down anytime soon.

Au contraire, mon ami!


It's shutting down tomorrow.....

Sorry, it is not...

Think Rihc is funnin with you guys. TOC is closed EVERY Sunday...
F.

[MClutterbuck]

It's ok, guys, the Old Course is not being shut down anytime soon.

Au contraire, mon ami!


It's shutting down tomorrow.....

Sorry, it is not...

Think Rihc is funnin with you guys. TOC is closed EVERY Sunday...
F.

Not tomorrow. 

[Marty Bonnar]

It's ok, guys, the Old Course is not being shut down anytime soon.

Au contraire, mon ami!


It's shutting down tomorrow.....

Sorry, it is not...

Think Rihc is funnin with you guys. TOC is closed EVERY Sunday...
F.

Not tomorrow. 

Whoops!
Links Trophy...
What a stupid I am...
 
F.

[Rich Goodale]

Me too F., even though the course was closed to all except the elite flat-bellies playing for the Links Trophy.  Looks like the winner was -11.  Not bad in the dreich and windy weather we've had over the past few days,


R.

[Andy Stamm]

We're in a stretch of 4 of 8 Sundays of golf on the Old Course, so it's always a stretch to say that it's always closed on a Sunday. And it's not all flat bellies that get to play Sunday golf either, although that helps.