What is the history of St Andrews Golf Club?
St. Andrew's Golf Club (including an apostrophe "s") - The club published a handbook in 1910 with St. Andrew's Golf Club on the front cover. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Historic Environment Scotland. "13 The Links, Links House, St Andrews Golf Club with Boundary Wall and Railings (LB48319)".
How many holes in St Andrews golf course?
For instance, in 1764, the course had 22 holes and the members would play the same hole going out and in with the exception of the 11th and 22nd holes. William St Clair of Roslin as the captain of The Captain and Gentlemen Golfers authorized changes to St Andrews on 4 October 1764.
What buildings overlook the Old Course at St Andrews?
The following is a gallery of buildings that overlook the Old Course at St Andrews: Jigger Inn, previously the St Andrews Links railway station master's cottage. ^ "St Andrews Link Trust appointment". Archived from the original on 13 January 2018. Retrieved 28 December 2020.
Why is there a rabbit on the St Andrews golf course?
The Town Council of St Andrews decided to allow rabbit farming on the golf course to challenge golf for popularity. Twenty years of legal battling between the golfers and rabbit farmers ended in 1821 when a local landowner and golfer named James Cheape of Strathtyrum bought the land and is credited with saving the links for golf.
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How old is the St Andrews golf course?
Golf has been played at St Andrews Links for 600 years. In 1552 Archbishop Hamilton's Charter recognised the right of the people of St Andrews to play golf at the Links. St Andrews Links takes up almost 300 hectares and The Castle Course almost 90 hectares.
When was Saint Andrews golf course founded?
1754In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under its original name of the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This club, which originally composed of 22 noblemen, professors and landowners, now governs the rules of golf everywhere except the USA.
Where is the oldest golf course in the world?
The Old Course at St Andrews Links in Fife, Scotland, UK, is the oldest golf course in the world. Archbishop Hamilton's Charter in 1552 is the earliest documentary evidence that allowed the people of St Andrews to play golf on the Links.
Why is St Andrews called the home of golf?
Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. The game grew in popularity and by the 19th century it was part of the way of life for many local people, whether as players, caddies, ball makers or club makers.
Who built St Andrews golf course?
Old Tom MorrisThe Royal and Ancient Golf Club built the New Course in 1895, designed by Old Tom Morris as well as the Jubilee course, which was opened with 12 holes in 1897 and named in honour of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee that took place that year.
What is the oldest golf course in the United States?
The first golf course in the United States was Oakhurst Links, built in 1884 in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. It was originally a six hole track which was later expanded to nine holes. Oakhurst was the first course and golf club in the United States.
Who owns St Andrews?
Old Course at St AndrewsClub informationLocationSt Andrews, ScotlandEstablished1552 (469 years ago)TypePublicOwned byFife Council12 more rows
What is the oldest golf brand?
Andrews Golf Co.Andrews Golf Co. is the oldest golf manufacturer in the world and the only remaining manufacturer in Scotland. While they don't have the big name of other brands such as Titleist or Callaway, they have found a way to stay in business since 1881.
How many times has the Open been played at St Andrews Old Course?
Always inspirational, truly original and hugely rewarding the Home of Golf has hosted The Open 29 times, more than any other venue. The Old Course, undoubtedly one of the most iconic courses in the world, has been the setting in which history has been repeatedly made.
How many golf courses does St Andrews have?
sevenToday there are seven public golf courses; the Balgove, Eden, Jubilee, Strathtyrum, New, the Old Course (which is widely considered one of the finest, and certainly the most famous and traditional course in the world), and The Castle Course, sited on the cliffs a mile to the east of St Andrews and designed by the ...
Why is a golf course 18 holes?
Andrews formalized the rules and stated, “One round of the Links, or 18 holes is reckoned a match, unless otherwise stipulated.” Legend has it that the reason for 18 holes is that a bottle of whiskey contained the same number of shots as holes on a course, thus providing just enough drink for a shot on each hole.
What is so special about St Andrews golf course?
St Andrews Links has hosted the Open Championship more than any other course. It typically hosts the Open every five years. St Andrews Links provides unique challenges with its infamous bunkers, including the Old Course's “Hell Bunker” on 14 and the Road Hole on 17.
Where is St Andrews Golf Club?
St Andrews Golf Club is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest remaining golf clubs in the world having been established in 1843. The club does not own its own golf course, instead, members use the seven public golf courses in St Andrews, who are owned by the St Andrews Links Trust, ...
When did Scotland start having clubhouses?
Official clubhouses became popular in Scotland from the mid-nineteenth century as the game's popularity increased. The St Andrews Golf Club's first purchased a clubhouse in 1905 in nearby Golf Place. In 1932, the club decided to purchase Links House for £2,700. It cost a further £2,000 to convert it to a clubhouse.
When did St Andrews change its name?
In 1851 it was proposed by the then club captain, James Howie, that the club should change its name to St Andrews Golf Club or similar name. On 22 September 1853, the Fifeshire Journal reported that the Mechanics Golf Club had changed its name to the St Andrews Golf Club.
When was Links House built?
It was listed as a Grade C building on 12 December 2001. The club has used Links House as their clubhouse since 1933 .
Who was the strongest golfer in Scotland?
In the second half of the 19th century the St Andrews Golf Club was the strongest golf club in Scotland, with members such as Allan Robertson, he is generally regarded as being the best golfer in Scotland from 1843 until his death. However he never had the chance to play in The Open Championship.
Is St Andrews a private golf course?
Private club. Public link courses. Not to be confused with The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, The R&A, or Saint Andrew's Golf Club. St Andrews Golf Club is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest remaining golf clubs in the world having been established in 1843.
When did St Andrews host the founders cup?
In 1995, Saint Andrew’s hosted the “Founders Cup” matches, a competition held among the five original founding members of the USGA to honor that organization’s centennial year. Saint Andrew’s has never lost sight of its Scottish heritage. The club continues tournament relationships with the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews (Scotland), ...
What is the oldest golf club in the United States?
This was the birth of what was to become the oldest continuously operating golf club in the United States: The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club. Today’s members of Saint Andrew’s are a contemporary part of that “Apple Tree Gang,” one of the proudest, most unique fellowships in American golf.
Who won the first men's golf championship in 1900?
In 1900 Saint Andrew’s member Charles E. Sands won the first Men’s Olympic Golf Championship at the Paris Games.
What is the turn of the century clubhouse?
The turn of the century clubhouse is a veritable museum of golf memorabilia. You can have cocktails in the warm ambiance of the John Reid Room, surrounded by a priceless collection of early golf clubs and balls – some of which were actually used at Saint Andrew’s by John Reid, “the father of American golf.”.
Who bought the golf course in St Andrews?
This bunker is named after Sir James Cheape who bought the golf course from rabbit farmers in 1821. A later generation of the family sold the golf course onto The Royal and Ancient in 1892, who a year later sold it onto the town of St Andrews. 3. Cartgate bunker. Bunker.
Why is St Andrews considered the home of golf?
The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf" because the sport was first played on the Links at St Andrews in the early 15th century. Golf was becoming increasingly popular in Sco tland until James II of Scotland banned the game in 1457 because he felt that young men were playing too much golf instead ...
What is the oldest golf course in the world?
The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady, is considered the oldest golf course in the world. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews clubhouse sits adjacent ...
When did St Andrews go bankrupt?
St Andrews Links had a scare when they went bankrupt in 1797.
Who first played St Andrews?
Old Course and Bobby Jones. Bobby Jones (who later founded Augusta National) first played St Andrews in the 1921 Open Championship. During the third round, he infamously hit his ball into a bunker on the 11th hole.
Who designed the 18th hole of the golf course?
The course evolved without the help of any one architect for many years, though notable contributions to its design were made by Daw Anderson in the 1850s and Old Tom Morris (1865–1908), who designed the 1st and 18th holes. Originally, it was played over the same set of fairways out and back to the same holes.
What is the Old Course?
William St Clair of Roslin as the captain of The Captain and Gentlemen Golfers authorized changes to St Andrews on 4 October 1764. He decided that the first four and last four holes on the course were too short and should be combined into four total holes (two in and two out). St Andrews then had 18 holes and that was how the standard of 18 holes was created. Around 1863, Old Tom Morris had the 1st green separated from the 17th green, producing the current 18-hole layout with 7 double greens and 4 single greens. The Old Course is home of The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships . The Old Course has hosted this major 29 times since 1873, most recently in 2015. The 29 Open Championships that the Old Course has hosted is more than any other course, and The Open is currently played there every five years.
Six Centuries of Golf
Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. The game grew in popularity and by the 19th century it was part of the way of life for many local people, whether as players, caddies, ball makers or club makers.
Golf Banned
Golf was clearly becoming too popular in the middle ages as the game was banned in 1457 by King James II of Scotland, who felt it was distracting young men from archery practice. This ban was repeated by succeeding monarchs until James IV threw in the towel and in 1502 became a golfer himself.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club
In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under its original name of the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This club, which originally composed of 22 noblemen, professors and landowners, now governs the rules of golf everywhere except the USA. The club also runs the Open Championship and important amateur championships.
From 22 to 18 Holes
The Old Course originally consisted of twenty-two holes, eleven out and eleven back. On completing a hole, the player teed up his ball within two club lengths of the previous hole, using a handful of sand scooped out from the hole to form a tee.
Direction of Play
When Old Tom Morris created a separate green for the first hole, it became possible to play the course in an anti-clockwise direction, rather than clockwise which had previously been the norm.
Double Greens
The track through the whin bushes on which the Old Course evolved was so narrow that golfers played to the same holes going out and coming in. As the game became increasingly popular in the nineteenth century, golfers in different matches would find themselves playing to the same hole, but from opposite directions.
Rabbit Wars
In 1797, due to 'temporary impecuniosity,' that is to say bankruptcy, St Andrews Town Council lost total control of the Links, allowing rabbit farming to challenge golf for pre-eminence.
Who was the first golf ball maker at St Andrews?
Patrick saved money by bulk buying 5 or 6 dozen at a time direct from the ball-maker, Andrew Rynde. Rynde is the first known golf ball-maker at St Andrews.
Who was the Regent of St Andrews University?
The Regent of St Andrews University was too. He was Alexander Munro and he was a friend of John Mackenzie above and he wrote him a letter on 27th April 1691 in which he referred to St Andrews as the 'metropolis of Golfing'. With the letter, Munro sent Mackenzie.
When did golf become popular in Britain?
With the increased prosperity of the Victorian times and the expansion of the railways, golf tourism took hold all over Britain. By 1857, there were second holes on the middle greens and the course became the first 18-hole golf course in the world. Other courses soon followed.
Who was the uncle of St Andrews?
While he was there his uncle, Andrew Melville, preached a sermon in the town against the self-indulgence of the Pryor, including the fact he played golf, presumably to excess. Other religious students at St Andrews associated with golf include Bishop George Graham who graduated from St Andrews c1588.
Who lifted the ban on golf in 1502?
King James IV, who effectively lifted the 'ban' on golf in 1502 by buying the first set of clubs from Perth, is also recording as spending money on golf clubs and balls in 1504, almost certainly at Falkland Palace to play golf at St Andrews. The Royal Court moved from palace to palace in those days and Falkland Palace was the Stuart 'sporty' palace.
Who was the first person to use the word "golf"?
St Andrews University was founded in 1413 and one of its earliest graduates, Sir Gilbert Hay, scholar and international traveller, is probably the first individual writer to use the word 'golf', which he did in a poem in 1460.
Is St Andrews a golf club?
Although, St Andrews was always well known as a golf-ball manufacturing centre, club making appears to have been more sporadic until 1819 when Hugh Philp began supplying the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Until then they had been paying Peter McEwan for over a decade to travel from Bruntsfield in Edinburgh.

Overview
St Andrews Golf Club, originally known as St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club, is a private members’ golf club located in St Andrews, Scotland. The club is one of the oldest remaining golf clubs in the world having been established in 1843.
The club does not own its own golf course, instead, members use the seven public golf courses in St Andrews, who are owned by the St Andrews Links Trust, …
History
The St Andrews Golf Club was established by 11 local tradesmen on 29 September 1843 as the St Andrews Mechanics Golf Club. The founding members were: William Ayton (Cabinet maker), John Keddie (Joiner), George Morris (Butler) elder brother of Old Tom Morris, Alexander Bruce (Cabinet maker), John Lynn (Tailor), Robert Patterson (Slater), Alexander Carstairs (Cab…
Membership
Membership of the club has grown over the years from 11 at its foundation in 1843, to 535 in 1927, 1,013 in 1947 and to over 2,000 members in 1998.
Bobby Jones became an honorary member in 1958. He was a winner of 13 major golf championships and the only man to have won the Grand Slam, winning the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur, the British Open, and the British Amateur Championship all in the same year of 1930.
Name of the club
During its existence there have been slight differences in the club's name:
• The St Andrews Golf Club (including the prefix "The") - The official website (https://thestandrewsgolfclub.co.uk/) includes "the" in the URL, it also states "All Images © The St Andrews Golf Club", and "This is the website for The St Andrews Golf Club".
• St Andrews Golf Club (excluding the prefix "The") In Companies House it is registered as St Andrews Golf Club Limited (…
See also
• Golf in Scotland
• British Golf Museum
• List of listed buildings in St Andrews, Fife
Further reading
• Clark, Eric D. (1992). 150 Years: A History of the St. Andrews Golf Club, 1843 to 1993. St. Andrews Golf Club.
• St. Andrews Golf Club, 1888-1963. St. Andrew's Golf Club. 1963.
• St. Andrews Golf Club (SAINT ANDREWS) (1946). The St. Andrews Golf Club Centenary, 1843-1943. Being the Hundred Years' Record of an Historic Fife Golf Club. By Andrew Bennett. [With Plates.]. St. Andrews.
External links
• Official website