St.Andrews Castle Course

The Castle Course

The newest of the seven great courses here at St Andrew's is the Castle course. This par 71 measures 6,759 yards and opened its doors for play in 2008. The golf course is designed in conjunction with  David McLay Kidd (DMK Golf Design) and the St Andrews Links trust. And is located on a clifftop with spectacular views second to none. As for the scenery, there may be no other seaside golf course anywhere in the world as striking as the Castle Course.

The course design is also one of great design with not one of the holes showing weakness with each having a test all of its own.

The course opens up with a par 4, 346 yards, played as left to the right dogleg, the place for your first tyee-shot should be just short on the fairway bunkers to give you a straightforward approach into the green. This, of course, is not made easy with two greenside bunkers guarding, so perhaps an extra club will be suited to your approach here.

The 18th Hole is named “ Rock & Spindle, at 555 yards this par 5 is only a stroke index 10, but a test from tee-to-green that's for sure. A long straight drive should leave you in a good position to see how you approach your second shot. The prominence of a fairway bunker leaves you with little choice other than to lay up short, leaving a test of nerve for that final shot into the awaiting green.

The Signature Hole here, however, is “ Braes” the 17th, not for the sake of its stroke index but its sheer beauty, this par 3, the 184-yard hole has fantastic views from the tee out across the bay to the right. Stay left and aim between the bunker and the green, remember to add 10 yards, hit just right everything runs into the middle of the green from there.

Although the newest of the courses here, many golfers will be surely choosing to play this Castle course over-and-above any of the others, not that you are spoilt for choice.