Pre-trip work!

 May 12, 2025   St. Andrews, Scotland.....It's more than a golf course!

Our guest, Casey Papp, had one request during her time in Scotland and that was to visit St. Andrews golf course, the location of the origin of golf. Here's a quick history of Scottish golf according to Google.

"Key Milestones in the History of St Andrews Links:

15th Century: Golf is first documented being played on the St Andrews Links.

1457-1502: King James II and James III ban the game, but James IV removes the ban after becoming a golfer himself. Golf was banned in Scotland by King James II in 1457, along with football, due to concerns that people were neglecting archery practice, which was crucial for military defense. The ban was repeated in 1471 and 1491 by his successors. The rationale was that golf and other "pointless sports" were distracting from the national interest of preparing for war.

1552: Archbishop Hamilton grants a charter recognizing the right of people to play golf on the links.

1764: The Society of St Andrews Golfers (later the Royal & Ancient) reduces the number of holes on the Old Course from 22 to 18.

18th-19th Centuries: Daw Anderson and Old Tom Morris shape the iconic Old Course we know today.

1893: James Cheape sells the links to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

1974: The Links Act allows for the management of the courses by the St Andrews Links Trust.

The Old Course has hosted the Open Championship (British Open) more times than any other course. The course continues to evolve while maintaining its historical charm and tradition." (BTW, our tour guide said there is no such thing as the British Open, it's just what Americans say!) 

Since this was Casey's gig, we let her run with arranging anything golf related. She arranged a tee time  for us to play an 18 hole putting course. It was the closest she was going to get to playing at St. Andrews and us non-golfers were up for anything. St. Andrews is a links course which, I learned, means undulating fairways, and challenging greens. There are no trees on a links course which allows for more tightly packed courses. 

Here's how the morning played out.

Casey arriving at St. Andrews.

Outside the clubhouse which is open to the public. There is a restaurant, golf shop, bathrooms, and a locker room. It was down to earth and not snooty, like I was expecting. 

The view of the putting course from the clubhouse.  

Paul and Aaron

Born to be wild!!

Casey

Clare hit the flag on hole 7 with her first stroke! She had too much speed on it for it to go in.

I'm thinking of you, Dad! 💕

#14 was Casey's mom's favorite number.

Casey thinking of her Mom! 💝

You can't take these guys anywhere!

Aaron likes the clubs more than the actual game of golf. 

Tallying up the scores. Of course, Casey won, but we all did pretty well.

We made it! It was a lot of fun! Rod went exploring while we played.

After our game, we walked into the town of St. Andrews to see what was there and have lunch. 

A worker scrubbing moss off a roof.

St. Andrews is a cute town.

Our lunch spot. See the smiling faces through the glass?

The inside of the restaurant. 

Haddock.

After lunch, we explored the University of St. Andrews. According to Google, "The University of St Andrews is a public university in St Andrews, Scotland. It is the oldest of the four ancient universities of Scotland and, following the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the third-oldest university in the English-speaking world." Pretty impressive! The campus was lovely.

One side of a courtyard. Students were out enjoying the lovely weather.

Buildings surrounding the courtyard.

Inside St. Salvator's Chapel, one of two churches on campus. In Great Britian churches, very little is original as the churches were taken by the Scottish government at the start of the Reformation. 

It's still quite beautiful inside.

The oldest part of the church.

Aaron and Casey checking out the hymnals.

The windows were stripped of stain glass during the Reformation and the windows shuttered. In the 1840's, the windows were filled with clear glass. "The 1843 schism within the Church of Scotland saw the departure of the most extreme Calvinists from the ranks of the ministry, leaving the moderates the freedom to embellish their churches." The windows were restored in the 1860s.

The exterior of the church.

Another campus building and students sunning themselves.

After lunch and our walk about, Casey and I returned to St. Andrews Links for a golf tour and Rod and the kids went to investigate the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. 

The Golf Tour:  Casey and I went on a tour of the 1st, 18th, and 17th holes of the Old Course. Fans of golf will recognize locations in the photos from what you see on television during the (British) Open Championship. 

Our guide, Roger.

Casey 

The Hamilton Grand that stands near the 1st and 18th holes.

The Royal and Ancient (R&A) Golf Club of St. Andrews, also near the 1st and 18th holes.

Our backs at the buildings looking down the course. It bends to the right and is shaped like a big shepherd's hook.

Looking down the 18th fairway to the 17th with the Old Course Hotel in the background.

This guy was a big deal in the world of golf.

Tom Morris' shop and living quarters. The property is still in the family.

Our guide, Roger, took us along the side of the 18th fairway and out on the course to see the Swilcan Bridge. Roger kept alert for golfers coming through. You have to keep out of their way and mind you don't get hit in the head with a golf ball!

The Swilcan Bridge. I'm told it's well known among the golfing world.

Casey on the Swilcan Bridge.

The sand pit on hole 17 is known as the Road Hole bunker, also nicknamed "The Sands of Nakajima". This is as close as we could get.

St. Andrews Cathedral:   Rod and the three kids went to explore the ruins of St. Andrews Cathedral. They were struck by how massive it was! The original length of the church was approximately 391 feet from east to west and 168 feet from north to south. As most ancient churches, it was in the shape of a cross. The height of the nave was around 100 feet. Here are two short YouTube video links if you want to learn more about its history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqH395bR1Jc

3D reconstruction of St. Andrews Cathedral:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BvWg4_oGZ0

Here's an artist's rendition of the complex that includes the Cathedral.

The front door reconfigured after a portion blew down.

What remains of the front door and the wall that protruded out. 

The view after stepping through the front door arch and looking to the very back wall 391 feet away. The tower that stood in the middle where the cross shape intersects is completely gone.

Another view. I hope the massive distance is coming across. Aaron is in the black fleece and tan pants.

The cloister on the side of the church where the artist's picture showed an orchard.

After the group explored the Cathedral, they took a tour and climbed St. Rule's tower which is all that remains of St. Rule's Church. The tower predates the Cathedral. 

They climbed the tower for an excellent view of the city and the North Sea.

The tower is on the right.

Views of town from the top of the tower of St. Rule's Church.

Views of the North Sea.

At this point, all of us reunited for daily Mass at St. James Catholic Church which is the parish for the students of the University of St. Andrews. Father was great and chatted with us after Mass and there were many students attending.

At this point, we walked back to the cars, snapped a few more pictures of the golf course as the sun was getting low, ate the snacks we brought (which caught the eye of some ravens), and drove home exhausted.

Casey saying good bye.

Such a happy day for her.

Aaron chasing ravens.