You may be wondering why we didn’t play the New Course, the Old Course, or the Castle Course. Getting onto the Old Course as a visitor usually means entering the ballot, and tee times on the New Course are often snapped up well in advance by tour companies and local golfers. We had already paid for our other rounds, so even if a spot had opened up, taking it would have meant giving those rounds up. In the end, our choices worked out beautifully.
The courses we played had their own character, but they shared the spirit of St Andrews links golf. On our final day, we sat by the Old Course’s first tee and watched golfers set off. I was secretly pleased when one player duffed his shot into the fescue. A coveted tee time doesn’t guarantee a perfect round!
Our next round was on the Eden Course, and the day could hardly have been better. The wind had eased to 10 or 20 miles per hour, a welcome change from the 40-mile-per-hour gusts we’d faced at Strathyrum. It still nudged the ball around, but we could manage it. The layout had its own surprises, too: some holes crossed one another, and in places golfers shared a green. It often gave that feeling of WTF are we doing and where do we go from here?
The Eden was a little longer and more challenging than Strathyrum, making it a satisfying next step. I played close to bogey golf and enjoyed every minute. Then, on the fifth hole, a par 3, Harley hit his first hole-in-one. What a place to do it: Scotland, at St Andrews. The whole day had been fantastic, and that shot made it unforgettable.
After the round, we celebrated at the Jigger Inn, a stone pub beside the Old Course that once served as the stationmaster’s lodge. Inside, it was warm and welcoming, the sort of place where you want to linger over a pint. Outside, golfers tackled the famous Road Hole, the 17th, just beyond the windows. It was a perfect spot to soak up the history of St Andrews and toast Harley’s ace. Best of all, Harley was buying the drinks. The service wasn’t the best, but with a beer in hand and the Old Course right there, we were happy to stay for a beer.
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