So here I sit in my hotel room St. Andrews after my foursome failed to win the ballot and four other lucky friends are playing TOC as I type. (All eight of us played the New Course this morning.) I did walk The Old Course yesterday afternoon and I was really glad to see it that way first without clubs in my hands.
Standing behind the first tee looking at a pancake flat expanse of double wide fairway full of people wandering about (it was Sunday,) I honestly could not envision how this could be one of the greatest courses in the world. My first thought was "wow, the site is incredibly flat and I feel completely underwhelmed."
As I started my walk on the outward holes it became obvious to me that what makes TOC so great is the simple, understated beauty of the links. How almost everything I saw was mostly made by Nature's hand. I did not like the two bunkers in front of the right side of hole #2, they demand an aerial approach when the pin is on the right while the land screams for a run up. But everything else was so natural looking and incredibly cool.
The hidden nature of many of the fairway bunkers was shocking. Clearly, this is a course you need to play MANY times to understand.
It also becomes quickly obvious that if you take the safe line to the center of the course to avoid the trouble on the outside of the holes, you'll pay the price with your approach from a less than ideal angle. I know I'm not breaking news here, but it was cool to see this design concept so eloquently on display.
As I studied the greens it became obvious that Tom Doak had to be profoundly influenced by TOC. The greens have SO much movement, so many sections. I thought to myself: if you built greens like this today you would be widely criticized, just as TD is by some. I'm sensitive to this because I've witnessed many low handicaps play a Doak for the first time, times when I brought these guys to the course, and they say things like: these greens are "over the top." I used to struggle to find an answer that they would buy into. Now my response will simply be: go play TOC and tell me that Doak's greens are too severe. I'm not saying this to be a Daok butt-boy. Rather, as students of gca I think it is important to try to identify design influences. Having played a dozen Doak courses before visiting St. Andrews, the importance of TOC course was instantly clear.
I thought the work done on the Eden hole was very well done. If I had not read about the changes, I'm sure I would not have noticed the alterations. I think a back left pin position will be very cool and very difficult.
I loved seeing the Hell Bunker but wished it was visible before you crested the mound.
I was stunned by the small size of the Road Hole Bunker. But that is probably because I grew up playing a Banks course where his bunker was triple the size. I also was shocked by the narrowness of the green.
In summary, I was surprised that the genius of the course lies not with its scale or drama. Rather, it is the course's subtly and simple, natural beauty. Now I need to win the ballot and give it a try!