Did Jame Braid like St. Andrews?

[Ran Morrissett]

Bernard Darwin chronicled how JH Taylor and Harry Vardon did not like the Old Course. Does anyone know if the third member of the Great Triumverate also didn't like it?If so, what a marked change from recent times when all the best players of today (Scott Hoch need not apply) profess their undying love for her.

[Sean H.]

My understanding is around the turn of the century and a little thereafter, the course at Prestwick was held in higher esteem than the Old Course at St. Andrews. I don't know which of those two courses has changed more since then (forgetting irrigation).

[Bob Ellington]

Prestwick has certainly changed more than St. Andrews in the past 80 years with holes 6-10. I find it curious Vardon and Taylor disliked the Old Course - they both won on it enough!

[Tony Dowling]

Ran,I don't know about James Braid but how many people truly understand the Old Course who play it today? I mean there are some caddies who really know it (maybe 15?), there are some architects (maybe 4/5?), there are some writers (4/5?), there are some members of the R&A (maybe 30?), there are some pros (maybe 20?), everybody in this Discussion Group (ha, ha), but overall less than 1% of 1% of the people who play it would appreciate all its features. The genuinely outstanding feature of the design is that each person gets out of the Old Course what they want to and that makes it timeless.

[DBE]

Look back from the green towards the tee--it makes sense then.  The Old Course was played as a "left handed" course at certain times.  It's pretty ingenius, isn't it?  The fairway bunkers that are blind normally are in play when the "left handed" course is played.  The "left handed" course starts from the home green and goes backwards.

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