St Andrews Confidential
On my watch, I’ve seen St Andrews change… and not always for the best!
Set in its honey-coloured citadel overlooking the 1st and 18th holes of the Old Course, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is, along with the USGA, the ruling body of golf.
St Andrews Castle was first built around 1200 and the ruins we see today date back to 1571.
SETTING THE SCENE
I got into golf journalism & photography in the very early 90s at a time when St Andrews golfers changed into their golf shoes at the back of their car and a round on the Old Course was readily available and relatively inexpensive!
How things have changed!
I recall the newly-formed Communications Team from the St Andrews Links Trust arriving at my humble little Dundee flat to select photographs for their latest marketing efforts. Until then, there had been no active promotion of the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ or its golf!
It was at the time, a Scottish thing! Rather than promote something, you simply stood on the sidelines and cast as leary glance with one sceptically raised eyebrow.
THEATRICAL AGENCY
In the 90s, there was a rumble on the links. Much to the consternation of the locals, a deal was struck with a London theatrical ticketing agency that wanted to sell tee times on the Old Course. This was unheard of and a radical departure for an operation guided by a slumberous Fife Council and the town council of St Andrews.
But it raised around £5 million to plough back into niceties such as changing facilities for the growing number of visiting golfers. A sea change was taking place in St Andrews! You could smell it on the North Sea breeze. And what was that smell? Money!
KING OF THE HILL
The opening of Kingsbarns in 2000 was a decisive moment. A handful of miles south of St Andrews, two Californians pitched up to build a course on what basically was a sprawling cow pasture.
I knew the site well! During successive Fife photo missions, I would park my VW campervan on an unserviced ‘Caravan Club’ site (now the 1st green of Kingsbarns) with the most amazing views across the Firth of Forth to East Lothian. I’d usually have the place to myself and sit sipping a coffee and enjoying the sunset, never imagining what was to materialize from all the manure!
Kingsbarns was an American run operation with American service values. Mark Parsinen and Art Dunkley, along with designer Kyle Philips established an operation that set new standards in Scotland, not only in the quality of the golf course but everything that went with it.
Convivial ‘meet & greet’ staff, courteous bartenders, friendly waiters, even accommodating starters - this was all new in ‘the land that good service forgot’. They built it and they came! Parsinen and Dunkley’s ‘field of dreams’ almost overshadowed the Old Course in popularity, particularly with American golfers who had all heard about the new course thanks to a well-planned PR campaign. I became friendly with Mark through those years, especially with his Castle Stuart project and was deeply saddened at his sudden death. I’ll expand on the Castle Stuart story in another post.
GOLF GALORE
Thanks partly to Kingsbarns success, there was a rash of new courses popping up everywhere along the Scottish coastline mostly backed by wealthy Americans looking to make their mark in the ‘Home of Golf’. And their target market was their fellow countrymen. Old, frosty, stoic Scottish attitudes quickly melted in the ‘warmth’ of the noticeable increase in visitor numbers and new money that came flowing in. Fife Council and the Links Trust even joined the bandwagon by adding to the Castle to the half dozen council-run St Andrews courses. We had entered a new era in Scottish golf and the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ never looked - nor felt - better!
ST ANDREWS TODAY
I tell you all this purely to set the scene. St Andrews today really has hit a high note. Maybe not since the days when St Rule rowed ashore with St Andrews relics has the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ been so blessed! Even a cynical old Scotsman like me who thinks he has seen it all enjoys strolling around Market Street or South Street, watching the people of the world route around the shops, pubs, cathedral or castle.
If the sun is shining, it’s all the better! Take a walk down to the East Sands by the harbour, walk the harbour wall as do the university students most Sundays during term and come back up to town via the Cathedral. Next door is St Andrews Castle. Or you can seek out Butts Wynd. Just to clarify, the Butts were where archery was practised and a Wynd is a narrow lane or alley.
PUB LIFE
St Andrews pubs have changed a bit too! They are more visitor-oriented now and most provide good pub grub. At one time they fell loosely into three categories; students, locals or golfers. Now, through the day at least, they’re more about serving food & drink to hungry tourists. The Criterion, established in 1874 on South Street holds onto its old Fife charms and serves good pub food and beer. If it’s a decent day, sitting outside ‘The Cri’ provides a pleasant if somewhat cramped amphitheater to watch the world go by. Their famous ‘Cri Pie’ is basically a puff pastry crust with a filling of your choice - Scottish Steak & Ale being the prefered.
The Central Bar used to be a student hangout and still probably is during term time but on a sunny summer day, it’s another great pavement patio. The Trades Bar on Market Street has one of the best whisky bars. We like the and at night it gets busy as a cocktail bar. But I think everyone will agree, The Dunvegan still rules the roost as the place to hang. Jack and Sheena have only recently sold the business but can still be found . Jack was an oilman from Texas who chanced upon the property one golfing day. The owner wasn’t doing well. Jack made him an offer and he accepted it. Neither Jack nor Sheena had run a pub or hotel in their lives but over the past 20 odd years they’ve made it a roaring success.
For so many centuries, St Andrews has been a place of pilgrimage and veneration! The ancient ecclesiastical town got its start when the relics of the apostle, St Andrew were brought "to the ends of the earth" for protection. St. Rule and his precious cargo were shipwrecked on the coast of Fife and the place of his landing became established as an ecclesiastic centre.
St Andrews University students take a Sunday stroll sporting their traditional red cloaks.
Today, St Andrews is a singular island of culture and academia. Students come to St Andrews University from around the globe including the heir apparent, Prince William and it was here he met Katherine, now his wife. From the Dunvegan Pub to the old Cathedral and Castle, an informal stroll around the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ is always rewarding.
And of course golf. Upon this very soil, the game took hold, developed and flourished. Here you walk in the footsteps of all of the game’s greats from Old Tom to Tiger Woods and sample a truly unique programme that explores the fabulous heritage of Scotland’s past alongside its most enigmatic, renowned and redoubtable present.
The Old Course Hotel
The Old Course Hotel building used to be mocked as a chest of drawers. It is showing its age again. We stayed in the West Wing and even Mr Kohler’s amazing showers are malfunctioning. It’s nothing serious but when you come to the best 5-star hotel on the East Coast of Scotland you expect the best.
Hamilton Hall
Jim, fishing boats
The Adamson
In spite of its rather formal sounding name, The Adamson’s casual. It’s fairly fine dining but at the same time is the most popular place to go for cocktails.
Perhaps best of all it’s all easily accessible on foot from the main hotels in town.
