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A tour of Scotland’s Open Championship venues begins on the west coast with Turnberry, who first hosted in 1977, the famous ‘duel in the sun’. It went to the final hole before Watson prevailed. In total Turnberry’s hosted four Opens. Watson figured prominently last time in 2009. A capricious hard bounce on the 72nd proved golf doesn’t do sentiment and denied the then 59 year old. The following day we go to Prestwick, the birthplace of the original championship in 1860. Prestwick last hosted in 1925 but being locked out of the rotation has protected many of her quirky features from modern re-development so retaining a lot of its original character. We complete the Ayrshire swing on Tuesday with Royal Troon which has hosted nine times. This is where we pitch ourselves against the legendry ‘Postage Stamp’ and dreaded ‘Railway Hole’, following in the footsteps of the 2016 classic between Stenson and Mickelson. We transfer east that evening
To get value from Musselburgh, we need to reinforce it with North Berwick because today Musselburgh is an unremarkable, flat 9-hole layout played inside a race-track. Not only did Musselburgh host the Open Championship six times between 1874 and 1889 though, it also has a unique place in golf history. Musselburgh is actually the oldest golf course in the world. The following day we play Muirfield, which took Musselburgh’s place. None of Scotland’s Open Championship venues can boast a more impressive honours board. Hagen, Player, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, Faldo, Els, & Mickelson have triumphed here. On Friday we head into St Andrews to aim at the Old Course.
In total the St Andrews Old Course has hosted the Open championship 29 times now. Perhaps most dramatically in 1970 when Doug Sanders missed a tiddler to gift Jack Nicklaus the title. It’s the one Scottish venue to evade Tom Watson who otherwise won everywhere else. Our final assignment is the toughest of the lot. On Sunday we sign off at Carnoustie. In total the Angus links has hosted eight Opens, the most dramatic coming in 1999. All we need to say is Jean van de Velde and the Barry burn. The rest is legend. 2006 was nearly as dramatic as Padraig Harrington and Sergio Garcia took it turns to try and not win. It went to a play-off with the Barry burn heavily involved again, before the Irishman came out on top
8 nights
Scotland
Transport
Self-drive works bestLogistics
‘Point-to-point’ touring structureNon-Golf Offer
Moderate - Edinburgh & St AndrewsMileage
Medium - (Approx 425 miles) Approximately 10 hrsTravel Class
Supports - Luxury, Premier and AffordableOld Course
Medium chance - through the ballot. Walk-Up-Rule likely to succeedSUNDAY - Turnberry
The iconic Stevenson lighthouse sitting on its craggy headland in amongst the ruins of Turnberry castle, and with views of Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran out to sea, plus a tendency to put on spectacular sunsets, Turnberry is the most aesthetic of all the Open venues. In modern golfing legend Turnberry is forever etched in the pages of history as the location for the ‘duel in the sun’ from 1977 when Tom Watson narrowly prevailed over Jack Nicklaus with the rest nowhere. Myths are made in moments, but legends last a lifetime. In 2016 the course finished it’s stunning redevelopment. The new holes 9-11, look set to become the signature stretch. Not so much Amen Corner, as perhaps a Rocky Horror! The fifth is the hardest on the course and has been toughened up further. The fourteenth, an infinity hole out to sea might become the most awe inspiring.
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MONDAY - Prestwick
Prestwick is the home of the first ever Open Championship of Golf, and therefore the genesis of all such modern variants played since. This is your chance to tackle the original ‘Open’ undulations, the narrowest fairway in Europe, and the continents ‘biggest bunker’. Today’s course remains surprisingly faithful. Unreasonable fairway ricochets, and a plethora of ‘blind shots’ abound. Six of the original greens played from 1860 are still in use. A number of holes, including the famous par 5, ‘Cardinal’ have only received the absolute minimal alteration over the decades. The opening ‘Railway hole’ is another timeless links classic. Prestwick’s quirky and charismatic. To play here, really is to step back in time. No where is quite like it, nor can it be.
TUESDAY - Royal Troon
Troon is a traditional links and has hosted the Open a total of eight times. Make your score going out. The inward nine against the omni-present wind is always a trial, made harder by hideously deep rough interspersed with thick gorse and broom. The par 3, eighth, described by Willie Park as “a pitching surface skimmed down to the size of a Postage Stamp” is the signature hole. The name stuck. It’s the par 4, eleventh, ‘the Railway Hole’, that’s most feared though. In 1997 Tiger Woods carded an eight here. Jack Nicklaus was even more chewed up. He returned a ten in 1962. More recently Troon staged the memorable 2016 Championship. Henrik Stenson edged Phil Mickelson in one of the most stunning displays of head-to-head play in Major Championship history. They pulled a remarkable 11 shots clear, both shooting record equalling 63’s en-route.
WEDNESDAY - NORTH BERWICK
The links of North Berwick are a traditional out and back nine. Undulating fairways, blind shots, tricky burns and even stone walls make their presence felt in the landscape. The course really is a throw back to the experiences of the game’s pioneers. They had to interpret the landscape and weave the hazards nature handed them into their own personal tapestries. The courses were handcrafted, and North Berwick has an endearing old-fashioned feel. It also possesses the original ‘Redan’ hole, (15). Found the world over, ‘Redans’ are the most copied hole in golf. With an eerie similarity to Turnberry’s Ailsa Craig, Bass Rock rears out the ocean, and lends North Berwick further personality. It would be wrong to think that it’s a curiosity relic though. It’s a beguiling world top-50 ranked course on merit
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WEDNESDAY - Musselburgh
Today Musselburgh is an unremarkable, flat 9-hole affair played inside a racecourse. You’d never guess at its heritage looking at it. Musselburgh has two claims to golfing heritage. Up until 1889 it hosted six Open championships. Even more remarkable however, Musselburgh is actually the oldest golf course in the world. Records even exist of Mary Queen of Scots playing here. If you wanted to add some spice to the round, you can hire out 19th century clubs and attempt to try and beat the championship’s pioneers
THURSDAY - Muirfield
Frequently ranked inside the world’s top 10, Muirfield is always immaculately maintained and doesn’t have any weak holes. So impressed was Jack he went back to Ohio he built Muirfield Village in homage to the original. Muirfield embraces all three paradigms of golf design penal, heroic and strategic. It tests all aspects of your game. The prestigious roll call of Muirfield Open championship winners is perhaps its best testimonial. Player, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, Faldo, Els & most recently of course, Mickelson. It offers golfers choices and then requires you to execute. It is a golfers, golf course. Muirfield is notoriously exclusive however, access is limited. Booking early isn’t just advised, it’s pretty well essential.
FRIDAY - St Andrews, Jubilee
The Jubilee in question was that of Queen Victoria. This course dates to 1897. It’s a quite typical links for the area, threading its way through low dunes, and without any double greens. The raised tees afford the golfer stunning views across St Andrews Bay and the town beyond. It was only in 1988 that the Jubilee course came of age when Donald Steel was asked to upgrade it, adding length, interest, and challenge to the layout. Slowly it started to build up a reputation and loyalty. Today most judges agree the Jubilee is St Andrews’s most underrated course. Some go even further and regard it has the toughest links in the family now.
SATURDAY - St Andrews Old Course
St Andrews, the home of golf, needs little introduction nor hype from us. The first surviving record of the game being played here dates to 1522. The town oozes atmosphere and the course is soaked in heritage. The view from the iconic Swilcan Bridge looking back up the final fairway to the magnificent R&A headquarters and red bricked Hamilton Hall is one of the most instantly recognisable in world sport, never mind golf. ‘The Road Hole’, the 17th, is the signature assignment. No hole yields more bogeys in the Open than this one. Another unique feature are the massive double greens. The secret? don’t be over-awed. Keep out the 112 bunkers, especially so ‘Hell Bunker’ at the 14th. Then attack the course! St Andrews is actually one of the more obliging links, so don’t leave wondering what might have been. It can be tamed!
SATURDAY - St Andrews New Course
“New” in the context of St Andrews means 1895! The course is often said to be the town’s favourite. It’s a tighter and more defined course than its regal neighbour, and aided by yellow gorse bushes, it tends to be more aesthetic too. The ‘New’ runs adjacent to the Old course and as a consequence has similar characteristics. The fairways are undulating but not as dipped as the Old course, leading to fewer hanging lies. A traditional out and back nine, only the 3rd and 15th share a green. The burn wends its way through a low dune system and features some particularly charismatic holes. The 464yd tenth is often cited as the pick. Think about it logically. It’s likely that the newer course that was designed for purpose, would be the better golf course than the ancient artefact. The good folk of St Andrews know!
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SUNDAY - Carnoustie
American media commentators wasted no time dubbing the Tayside course ‘Car-Nasty’. Few would deny the claims of Carnoustie to the crown of toughest Open venue of them all. Carnoustie is long and menacing. It has a number of challenging holes, particularly the par fives. The Spectacles’ (14) and ‘Hogan’s Alley’ (6) are the two toughest assignments on the stroke index. The par 3 sixteenth is another shocker. It’s the enduring image from the 1999 Open of Jean van de Velde paddling in the Barry Burn however, that cemented Carnoustie’s legend. Sports Illustrated described the course as “a nasty old antique brought down from the attic by the R&A after 24 years” as scoring soared. Carnoustie revels in such notoriety. If the wind gets up you’re unlikely to ever play a tougher assignment.
The St Andrews Links Trust don't publish ballot strike-rates. Faraway Fairways do occasionally succeed in extracting an off the record opinion however. In addition to this, we’re also able to draw on our own evidence, and that which we’re able to extract from credible co-operative partners (usually hotels) plus what other tour operators might tell us. We have a good guideline idea of strike rates by month of the year and by day of the week
It needs to be stressed that these are indicative averages only. Different parts of a month will behave differently dependent on any end of factors. The ballot is quixotic and unpredictable, Extended runs of good or bad luck can, and do, happen. They are provided in good faith, but can of course fail, and can't therefore be used as a basis for compensation
Multiply by the number of days you are available to give you a guideline
Ballot Strike-Rates
MONTH OF THE YEAR
| APR | MAY | JUN | JUL | AUG | SEP | OCT |
| 59% | 21% | 20% | 16% | 14% | 17% | 19% |
DAY OF THE WEEK
| MON | TUE | WED | THU | FRI | SAT | SUN |
| 20% | 21% | 16% | 23% | 15% | 30% | n/a |
St Andrews 'Guaranteed' Tee Times
There is a heavy price premium on a guarantee a tee-time. Plus they usually involve a minimum hotel stay in St Andrews of at least three nights, playing an additional St Andrews course is mandatory, and normally a minimum food & drink spend in a specified hotel. So are they worth it? The answer to that question really is "it depends ...". If money is no object, and you don't mind paying much more than you might need to, and you're short of time, then they might be. Otherwise Faraway Fairways wouldn't be convinced and would tend to encourage folk to try the 'advance guaranteed ballot' as a first resort
Handicap requirements
St Andrews advise the following for the Old Course. “A current official handicap card (Golf Club affiliated to a Golf Union/Association) record or certificate must be presented to the starter prior to play. Maximum handicaps – 36 for both gentlemen and ladies. St Andrews will not accept letters of introduction from a local Club Professional”.
Carnoustie - 28 for gentlemen, and 36 for ladies respectively.
Royal Troon - 20 for gentlemen, and 30 for ladies
Prestwick - 24 for gentlemen, and 28 for ladies respectively.
North Berwick - 24 for gentlemen, and 36 for ladies respectively.
Muirfield - Asks for 18, the tightest of them all. So long as you can meet Muirfield's you'll be OK everywhere else
Some known issues to consider
St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns jointly host the Dunhill Links challenge in the first week of October
Muirfield open their diary at the end of March for play the following. Something like a 12-18 month lead time. The popular times sell-out within weeks. If you wish to include Muirfield, this is the planning timeline we'll need to observe
The university's graduation week takes place in mid June for a full week of June. This causes a price spike in hotels and sold-outs about 9 months before. It does however improve your prospects of playing through the ballot by about 5% each day as there are less golfers in St Andrews
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