|
A hole-by-hole look at the Old Course at St. Andrews
No. 1, 376 yards, par 4: A short opening hole with no bunkers
and probably the widest fairway in golf. The only hazard is the Swilcan Burn which
cuts directly across the front of the green.
No. 2, 453 yards, par 4: This hole has been gradually extended
over the years. The ideal tee shot is not immediatell apparent, but you need to
pick a line between Cheape's Bunker and the edge of the rough on the right. A
steep ridge runs through the center of the green.
No. 3, 397 yards, par 4: The drive should be to the right
side of the fairway for the best angle to avoid Cartgate Bunker, which guards
the front left side of the green and is very deep.
No. 4, 480 yards, par 4: This hole is some 30 yards longer
than it used to be back in the heyday of Nicklaus and Seve. The fairway tightens
slightly at about 350 yards, and the green is protected by a mound in front and
a deep bunker to the left.
No. 5, 568 yards, par 5: One of only two par 5s on the
Old Course, the green is shared with the 13th and is nearly 100 yards wide. Therte
are a lot of bunkers on this hole but all can be avoided with a atraight teeshot.
In good conditions, this is usually easy to get up in two shots.
No. 6, 412 yards, par 4: The tee shot is completely blind,
over a mass of gorse and heather. The green features a depression at the front
where you can get a back kcik, but hitting a a lofted iron for your second shot
should avoid this.
No. 7, 390 yards, par 4: This starts a famous loop, a six-hole
stretch of short par 4s and two par 3s. Cards have been ruined over this stretch
so take care.
No. 8, 175 yards, par 3: The only par 3 on the outward
nine, there is only one bunker at the greenside and getting a par is all dependent
on pin position.
No. 9, 352 yards, par 4: This hole at first appears flat,
empty and dare we say, boring. But its all about going for it, or laying up to
gain better control on the approach shot.
No. 10, 380 yards, par 4: In calm conditions, another par
4 that can be reached off the tee. The landing area is tight and the green has
some wicked slopes than can turn a great shot into a three-putt bogey.
No. 11, 174 yards, par 3: Bobby Jones once tore up his
card but later came to appreciate it as a classic par three. Again the slopes
on the green are tricky and precision is necessary off the tee.
No. 12, 348 yards, par 4: There are four hidden bunkers
in the fairway, and the pin location determines the line off the tee. A steep
slope guards the front of a narrow green that is hard to hold, so many players
opt to try and drive as close a possible to the putting surface.
No. 13, 465 yards, par 4: The drive must avoid a line of
the Coffin bunkers down the left side. The approach will generally reuqire a long
iron, which must carry the entire way to am elevated green.
No. 14, 618 yards, par 5: Despite an additional 37 yards
off the tee, Hell Bunker should not pose a threat on the second shot unless the
wind is strong into the players. There is out-of-bounds to the right and a group
of bunkers called "The Beardies" to the left that require a 250-yard
carry. The approach is to a plateau green that is hard to hold.
No. 15, 456 yards, par 4: The drive should be aimed at
the church steeple between two mounds. Undulations at the front of the green make
the approach anything but straightforward.
No. 16, 423 yards, par 4: The Principal's Nose bunkers
are in the middle of the fairway about 270 yards off the tee. The green rises
sharply at the front and is very cloe to the out-of-bounds fence at the right.
No. 17, 455 yards, par 4: The Road Hole is arguably the
most famous in golf. The drive should be aimed over the "o" in "Course"
on the "Old Course Hotel" sign, over the edge of the out-of-bounds wall
to a narrow fairway. Anything left with the second shot flirts with the Road Hole
bunker, and anything long will result in a shot from the road behind the green.
No. 18, 357 yards, par 4: The closing hole can be
reached from the tee, but a road runs along the right side, and shots toward the
green -- the first or the second -- must carry a swale known as the "Valley
of Sin." Most famous part of the hole is the Swilcan Bridge. In many ways
this hole is the embodiement of the traditions of Golf.
|
