St. Andrews, The Old Course

Looking down the 18th fairway from the famous Swilcan Bridge remains golf's most memorable and unique image and one guaranteed to set the pulse of any golfer racing. Standing there, you are part of the history of the oldest golf course in the world, where the game was first played as long ago as 1400.
 
Host to 27 Opens, the most recent in July 2005, this original links course continues to evolve and remains a real test of golf for today's champions as well as the many amateurs who play the course each year.
 
Despite its reputation and status, it is a public course and welcomes any golfer with a handicap of 24 or under (36 for ladies). Limited tee times are bookable in advance, but most golf visitors play the course through the daily ballot (lottery) for tee times.

The Old Course is generally recognised as the world's first golf course, with the game having been played on the links site as far back as 1400 AD. Despite setbacks, such as being banned from 1457 by three kings in succession because of its popularity, the game eventually flourished and spread to the rest of the world.
               
In 1552, Archbishop John Hamilton confirmed the rights of townspeople to play golf over the links while, in 1754, the Society of St Andrews Golfers was established to organise an annual competition. In 1764, the Society, which later became the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, decided to combine a number of short holes, reducing the number from 22 to 18. Golfers played to the same holes 'going out' and 'coming in', using the same fairways and greens whichever way they were going. 
 
In the 19th century, to relieve congestion as the game became more popular, two holes were cut on each green, the first nine were equipped with a white flag and the second nine with a red flag.

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