Its the 150th Open Championship week. Played at the Old Course St Andrews. That’s for those who havent heard the story here, there and everywhere. Obviously, it is a significant milestone but the fanfare is fairly nauseating. Not about the Open but about the Old Course at St Andrews.
I will no doubt upset plenty of golf purists but I am firmly of the belief that it’s the most overrated course in the world. Lets put some context to that. I have played the course about five times including in competition as I was a member at the New Club/had a Links ticket for a while.
I have played all the other St Andrews courses on multiple occasions as a consequence of that. I have played the Old Course in benign conditions and also when it’s a little breezy. In rain and sun. Not crazy winds tbf. I have played it with a caddy. Undoubtedly, there is something special about being stood on the first tee. Even the second hole. You know that there is so much history here. You have the crazy and unique double greens. You have the holes crossing around the turn. Lots of short par 4’s. At 13 you know things are about to get tougher as you change direction and as you stand on 14 you can see the town again in the distance. 17 and firing one over the top of the hotel is fun. Road hole bunker not that intimidating these days. 18 again is about the history rather than the hole.
As you play the course in different conditions you begin to appreciate the nuances and the different humps and hollows. It is an incredibly scorable course for all types of players. The weather also has a huge influence on how difficult it is with wind the only real defence.
I have been there as a fan and was there when Tiger won by 8 shots in 2000. I am lucky to have played a lot of top links courses whether that be in Scotland, England or elsewhere. It is consistently ranked in the top 10 courses in the world.
I honestly believe that if it didn’t have the history it wouldn’t be in the top 25 links courses in the UK. The actual course itself is so incredibly average it is untrue. I get sick to death of being told that it is such an amazing course and clearly I am missing something.
Its as if it is rite of passage if you are involved with golf that you have to worship the Old Course. Like so many things in life I much prefer to form my own opinions on these things. Its honestly just not on the same planet as something like Kingsbarns or Carnoustie down the road.
My Dad didn’t really talk about golf that much growing up but he did tell me stories about his Father breaking 80 at the Old Course etc. I understand the emotional attachment to such a course/place. It is littered with history.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t highly recommend playing it. The experience is fun and is bucket list stuff. its just that it is not close in my opinion to being one of the top 10 courses in the world. This week everyone will fawn over it. FWIW you can stick Pebble Beach in that overrated bucket as well.
The top players will absolutely obliterate it this week if the wind doesn’t pick up. The last two editions in 2017 and 2010 both saw some tricky weather. The game now has so many bombers that someone will tear it up.
ProPunting 