Favourite Old Course memories

[Bob_Huntley]

I can't say this was one of my favourite memories but it certainly was one that has haunted me for a very long time.



Playing in the medal and with a wizened old pro as my caddie, I was one over par standing on the 17th hole and then hit a cracking drive which the caddie claimed as perfect. Walked in the direction of the ball but there was no ball. After the allotted time for the search I walked back to the tee rather disgruntled. I teed up but this time I hit it OB into the hotel grounds. Now, seriously unhappy I teed up once more and hit a duplicate of the previous shot.  When I asked the caddie for another ball he informed me that there were no more balls.

That was not the end of my misery. Walking down the fairway, a tippler from the Jigger Inn came over and said that he had heard that a woman from the pub had run over to the ball, picked it up and left the area. 

I know that someone is going to say you dumb SOB carry more balls. I had changed bags to lighten the load for my aging caddie and left them in the storage room at the club.

Bob

[Dan Kelly]

... waves of pilgrims hacking their way towards nostalgia.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!

[Rich Goodale]

... waves of pilgrims hacking their way towards nostalgia.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course!

Why not, Dano?

[BCrosby]

"... waves of pilgrims hacking their way towards nostalgia."

Great line. You pays your money, you get to take home all the nostalgia you can hack.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

I have another lovely memory. I was in St Andrews with Prof George McPhee. He happens to be the University Organist. He is also a member of Royal Troon and Organist and Director of Music at Paisley Abbey. We had arranged to play with Prof Owen (Professor of French) and he brought a bearded friend with him. He introduced him as Tom Morris. I assumed it was the actor who 'does St A's golf.' No, it was the University Registrar. We had a lovely game and I had a chip over the bunker on the 17th to reach the green. I closed my eyes, clenched anything that could be clenched, and the ball found its way onto the green. I think I 2-putted from a few feet and the match went down the 18th, but that was the glory of playing with Owen - he had a wonderful knack of making sure matches were all square as you left the 17th or pretty close to that. He was one of the loveliest men you could meet.

He (DDRO) wrote a rather endearing little book about the Old Course, 'A chat around the Old Course with DDRO'. If you trawl the internet I'm sure you'll find a copy for 10p. Don't pay more. He's not Darwin, but to me it just encapsulates the man and he's got lots to share with someone who really knows TOC.

[Stan Dodd]

1998 Round with my father and 16 year old son.  My son and I both birdie #11, mine a 30 footer with 6 feet of break, my son a 4 footer.
I hit a shot on 18 to 6 feet  and lag a bit walking up to snap a photo of my son and father walking ahead.  Catch them and my Dad is crying so I get teary.  My son gets up and down for a 76 and I make a birdie, through the tears, to the applause of the gallery.  All time great day.

[Dave McCollum]

My favorite, mentioned here before, was playing the New on a Sunday with a strong breeze at our backs going out.  After our round, we dumped our clubs and walked TOC in anticipation of our scheduled round the next morning.  We got to a bench up on a dune overlooking the 14th.  We must have set there for 10 minutes trying to imagine how to play the hole into the strong headwind that day.  We couldn’t; it looked unplayable.  We awoke the next morning to rain and the same 30+ mph breeze, but the wind had shifted 180 degrees, making the 14th play directly downwind.  It was an easy driver and 4-iron on to the green in two.  From unplayable (for us) to benign revealed the beauty of TOC in a very profound fashion.

BTW, some months later I read in a book, I think Mackenzie’s Spirit of St. Andrews, how to play that hole into a strong headwind:  play down the 5th fairway and approach form there.  Another good lesson in the brilliance of TOC that I wasn’t smart enough to figure out at the time.

[Bill_McBride]

Arrived Saturday night......Walked the course and watched my 2 year old daughter play in the Road Hole Bunker on Sunday.
Checked in for Monday play as a 2 handicapper.......they actually looked at my card.  They asked about my wife............19 handicapper (for 9 holes)..........breathlees off the first tee.

Hit a double cross so far left of the Church Pews I went into a fit.......Caddie says great shot laddie! Thats the way some pros play it in these conditions.

Blocked a shot on the Road Hole tee shot - yelled crap that is in the swimming pool!   Caddie says great shot laddie that should be perfect.  185 in with a 4 iron bump and run.......whoo hoo on in two!

Where are the Church Pews on The Old Course?

[Colin Macqueen]

Gentlemen,

I have a confession to make and that is that I have never played The Old Course! Nevermind the fact that I lived across the water in Dundee for years and was forever traversing Fife to Edinburgh or visiting Uni. mates at St. Andrews!

So a few years ago having just arrived (2 hours earlier) in bonnie Dundee from Australia as the long lost brother (not quite the prodigal son!) I crossed the Tay to walk the hallowed turf on that Sunday.
My dear and loving sisters plus my long-suffering and loving darling, Tricia, decided they would all come as well! The convoy to St. Andrews was fine but the girls were continuing to natter and blether as I tried to walk in the footsteps of golfing gods. After a couple of minutes I had to tell them to "haud their wheesht" and leave me in peace amongst the bunkers. What a marvellous hour.

To this day the girls are still dumbfounded that I wanted to wander the green in reverie rather than catch up on family shenanigans as we walked across the Swilcan Bridge.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his family for his golf!

Cheers Colin

Should I actually play it on my return in 2013!?

[Bill_McBride]

Gentlemen,

I have a confession to make and that is that I have never played The Old Course! Nevermind the fact that I lived across the water in Dundee for years and was forever traversing Fife to Edinburgh or visiting Uni. mates at St. Andrews!

So a few years ago having just arrived (2 hours earlier) in bonnie Dundee from Australia as the long lost brother (not quite the prodigal son!) I crossed the Tay to walk the hallowed turf on that Sunday.
My dear and loving sisters plus my long-suffering and loving darling, Tricia, decided they would all come as well! The convoy to St. Andrews was fine but the girls were continuing to natter and blether as I tried to walk in the footsteps of golfing gods. After a couple of minutes I had to tell them to "haud their wheesht" and leave me in peace amongst the bunkers. What a marvellous hour.

To this day the girls are still dumbfounded that I wanted to wander the green in reverie rather than catch up on family shenanigans as we walked across the Swilcan Bridge.

Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his family for his golf!

Cheers Colin

Should I actually play it on my return in 2013!?

Of course!   It's been among my great golf experiences to play the Old Course four times the normal routing and once in reverse. 

My first play was off the ballot at 6:30 when I was astonished that our drunken caddies met the night before in the Dunvegan actually showed up!

I had studied the course for many years via many books, and surprised the caddies by knowing the names of all the bunkers from Cartgate to Shell to Hell to Wig.   I look forward to my next visit. 

[R_Paulis]

At the end of a three week walkabout in Scotland my college buddy and I played the old course. Our caddy warned us about going for the green in regulation on the road hole. I took the advice while my partner rolled across the green and the road leaving no room for a bacsk swing. As he was evaluating the shot a double decker tour bus pulled up nearby. The bus tour guide providing play by play of my friend's attempt to hit the ball off of the wall back on the green.

I found it humorous, he did not.

[Jim Franklin]

This will take a while. It's one of the great memories of my entire life.  In 1984 I traveled to Scotland with my wife and two sons, aged 12 and 9. Both boys were pretty good players for their ages. We went to Prestwick and Turnberry first, because they would allow the boys to play.Then we drove to St. Andrews and checked in to our hotel just above the R & A around noon. I had called in advance and spoke to the starter, Mr. Christie, to arrange for me to play, so I sent the family to see the town and I headed to the course to meet Mr. Christie. When I arrived, he informed me that the 3 locals that I was scheduled to play with had cancelled, but that he would put with another group. I thanked him for allowing me to play and mentioned that my only regret was that my older son could not play. I assured him that the boy was a good player but was only 12. He said, "Go get him". I rushed up the street with my spikes on and had a sinking feeling when I realized that I did not know where my son was. Fortunately, the shops were still closed for the noon hour, so I saw the family looking in a shop window. I yelled to my son to go get his clubs. We only had 5 minutes til tee time. He hurried, got his clubs and we teed off as a twosome. My most enjoyable round of golf ever! I still get get goosebumps when I tell the story. BTW, the next day we went to Carnoustie and were successful in talking our way onto the course, in spite of a 14 year age minimum. Second greatest day.

Jim

That is terrific.

[Jason Topp]

I can't say this was one of my favourite memories but it certainly was one that has haunted me for a very long time.



Playing in the medal and with a wizened old pro as my caddie, I was one over par standing on the 17th hole and then hit a cracking drive which the caddie claimed as perfect. Walked in the direction of the ball but there was no ball. After the allotted time for the search I walked back to the tee rather disgruntled. I teed up but this time I hit it OB into the hotel grounds. Now, seriously unhappy I teed up once more and hit a duplicate of the previous shot.  When I asked the caddie for another ball he informed me that there were no more balls.

That was not the end of my misery. Walking down the fairway, a tippler from the Jigger Inn came over and said that he had heard that a woman from the pub had run over to the ball, picked it up and left the area. 

I know that someone is going to say you dumb SOB carry more balls. I had changed bags to lighten the load for my aging caddie and left them in the storage room at the club.

Bob

This story reminds me of a round I played when I was a young lawyer with a senior partner and a major client.  I lost a ball on the second hole and looked in my bag to find a yellowed Top Flite and a brand new Titleist on which I had inscribed "Jon Sucks" during a recent round in a more casual atmosphere.  I played the yellowed Top Flite and employed conservative tactics the rest of the round.  It was one of the more pressure filled rounds of my life.

[Dan Kelly]

I can't say this was one of my favourite memories but it certainly was one that has haunted me for a very long time.



Playing in the medal and with a wizened old pro as my caddie, I was one over par standing on the 17th hole and then hit a cracking drive which the caddie claimed as perfect. Walked in the direction of the ball but there was no ball. After the allotted time for the search I walked back to the tee rather disgruntled. I teed up but this time I hit it OB into the hotel grounds. Now, seriously unhappy I teed up once more and hit a duplicate of the previous shot.  When I asked the caddie for another ball he informed me that there were no more balls.

That was not the end of my misery. Walking down the fairway, a tippler from the Jigger Inn came over and said that he had heard that a woman from the pub had run over to the ball, picked it up and left the area. 

I know that someone is going to say you dumb SOB carry more balls. I had changed bags to lighten the load for my aging caddie and left them in the storage room at the club.

Bob

This story reminds me of a round I played when I was a young lawyer with a senior partner and a major client.  I lost a ball on the second hole and looked in my bag to find a yellowed Top Flite and a brand new Titleist on which I had inscribed "Jon Sucks" during a recent round in a more casual atmosphere.  I played the yellowed Top Flite and employed conservative tactics the rest of the round.  It was one of the more pressure filled rounds of my life.

Who was Jon -- the senior partner or the major client?

[ChipOat]

I holed a 6 iron for Eagle 2 at #18 with a couple of hundred people watching.  Not a Masters-type roar, but I did get a loud hurrah!

Also got an ovation as I approached the green and removed my ball from the cup.  I did remember to take off my cap as I was nearing the green.

Since it wasn't a hole-in-one, I tossed my ball to the crowd, which got a laugh.

It was VERY fun!

[cary lichtenstein]

2
1st my shock at how much I literally loved the course, inspire of my thinking it wouldn't be fun
2nd when I shot 35 on the front 9

[Pete Lavallee]

While on my honeymoon in Sept. 1986 my wife and I got into town early and although we had a scheduled tee time the next day decided to try our luck on the list. We waited all afternoon and just as we were about to leave for dinner our names were called; it was by then 6pm! We expressed concern about finishing our round but the starter assured us that it would be light well past 11:00 so off we went. We were paired with a father and son from the US who had already enlisted caddies. We told the caddies that we were happy to carry our own clubs but would glady compensate them for yardages and the occasional read of a putt; they agreed. We finished around 10:00 which gave us time for a quick pint at the Niblick before the 11:00 closing. One caddy decided to catch the last bus back to Dundee. The other knowing we were booked into Russacks Hotel, informed us that as Hotel guests the bar could stay open for us as long as we wanted; so off to Russacks we went. Several hours later he realized that it was too late to find a place for the night so we invited him to sleep on the floor of the Honeymoon Suite! I suspect he is probvably the only caddie to ever spend a night there. We had hired them to caddy for us the next day. When we finished our round, over a pint at the Niblick they asked us "how much are you paying for that expensive hotel room?". When we told them they offered for us to stay at their two bedroom apartment in Dundee free of charge! We accepted, checked out of Russacks and they treated us like long lost relatives; they even bought us a crystal decanter as a wedding gift! We've remained freinds through the years and stayed with them again a couple of times.

[Sean Walsh]

On the Saturday before the 2007 Open I was able to follow Geoff Ogilvy and Adam Scott around the course. The wonderful part was that it was part of a twosome in the group behind them.  

When we got to the 11th tee and after they had putted out ahead. Ogilvy, Scott and 20-30 people following them were waiting on the 12th tee for the green to clear.  I sized up my tee shot to the easiest pin, to the left of "Strath". Tee shot veers hard right and a club long finishing to the right of the bunker at the back of the green, right at the mid point of the 11/7 double green.  

I reached my ball and started to work out how I was going to get it anywhere close.  The only option was to chip over the bunker along the top ridge and have it nearly stop at the top of the severe slope above the pin and hope it rolled down without finishing 10 yards off the green.  I clipped the 7 iron nicely and it followed exactly the path I wanted settled at the top of the ridge and gently rolled down within a ft or two.

A fellow GCAer who was watching Ogilvy's group later told me that Ogilvy had been watching and said something like "what a shot".

My favourite as a caddie was late in the season having an american player who insisted on offering me his range finder at the start of the round.  I told him I'd be fine and we headed off.  For the first half a dozen or so holes, we'd get to the ball and I'd give him the yardage, he'd then take out his range finder and check it.  Not the most annoying thing one of my players ever did but not far behind the cheat with the heavy bag.  Thankfully the most we ever differed was by 2 yards and he gave up checking.

I loved playing the course for 6 months on a links ticket but I think given the choice I'd prefer to go back and caddy it than play it..