St Andrews Magazine Limited Edition Fellowship Week 2017

Fellowship Week 2017

Gary Player

Rory McIlroy

Sandy Lyle

Maria Verchenova

Sandra Gal

Padraig Harrington

Nick Faldo

Tommy Fleetwood

Branden Grace

Charl Schwartzel

Jamie Dornan

Ewen Murray

David Livingstone

Paul Lawrie

Jason Connery

Jack Lowden

Oliver Horovitz

Charley Hull

Plus others still to be confirmed‌

Matt Hooper, John Boyne, Lauren Munro, Aileen Wallace-Edgar, Joanna Mowbray, Jordan Thompson, Cristina Panama

Matt is the editor, founder and publisher of St Andrews Magazine. He began writing about golf in September 2012 and has a wealth of knowledge and experience across the golf industry. He has worked as a caddie at Royal County Down and St Andrews Links, in retail at Gleneagles Hotel, in hospitality at the New Golf Club of St Andrews and obtaining a Golf Management Foundation Degree from the International Institution for Golf Education. He is the chief features writer and lead journalist of St Andrews Magazine. He has also written for Pro Golf Now and All Square Golf, in addition to being a photographer for EPIC Golf Memories.

Matt Hooper, Gabrielle Levey, Rolex, BMW, Getty, Richemont, Flickr, LET/Tristan Jones

Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper

Matt Hooper

ŠSt Andrews Magazine Ltd. 2017

Advertising enquiries Matt Hooper standrewsmagazine@gmail.com Mailing address: St Andrews Magazine Ltd. Chestney House, 149 Market Street, St Andrews, Fife Scotland KY16 9PF

This publication may not be reproduced in part or whole without the expressed written permission of St Andrews Magazine Ltd.

Contributors to this edition Jordan is the Manager at Auchterlonies of St Andrews, and is the golf equipment features contributor for St Andrews Magazine.

Joanna is a Therapist at Hepburns Nail Lounge in St Andrews who specialises in Massages and Facial Treatments. She has considerable experience of golfers and the industry through previous roles at the Old Course Hotel and the New Golf Club of St Andrews. Joanna is appearing as a guest contributor.

Sarah is the owner and lead instructor at Hot House Yoga, in St Andrews. In each edition Sarah provides tips on how Yoga can help your golf, fitness and state of mind.

Owner at The Vintage Beauty Box

Fellowship Week 2017 ST ANDREWS MAGAZINE TAKES YOU INSIDE THE NEW GOLF CLUB AND SHOWCASES ITS MAJOR REFURBISHMENT FOLLOWING THE DEVESTATING FIRE OF OCTOBER 2015.

A FULL FEATURE ON THE NEW GOLF CLUB FELLOWSHIP WEEK INCLUDING THE PROGRAMME FOR THE WEEK AND A REVIEW OF TOMMY’S HONOUR, WHICH HAD ITS PREMIERE IN ST ANDREWS LAST WEEK

2016 New Golf Club Junior Captain 2016 Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge winner

Meet the Chef

The Future: Prolific Paterson leading the way

The Club Champion

2015 New Golf Club Champion 2016 R&A Local Clubs’ Gold Medal winner

Life

St Regulus Ladies Golf Club

As Good as New ÂŁ600,000 refurbishment brings the New Golf Club back to life following the fire -Story and Photography by Matt Hooper-

In the early hours of Tuesday October 6, 2015 the New Golf Club was changed forever, after a nearcatastrophic fire engulfed the shower area of the main locker room. The fire partially spread upwards to the reading room and an investigation showed that had the Fire Service took just a few more minutes to respond then the future of the historic clubhouse could have been in doubt.

Fortunately, the large majority of the fire was contained within the shower area, but the smoke from the fire spread throughout the building, causing extensive damage to the walls, furniture, carpets, retail stock, books and artwork. The cause of the fire was a faulty extractor fan which overheated, causing the fan to melt and set the area alight. Fortunately nobody was in the building at that time, otherwise the consequences could have been much worse.

Image: Lisa Turnbull

The clubhouse was closed to members and visitors for a period of three weeks while the initial clean-up was carried out by exterior cleaners and club staff.

Upon reopening to members and visitors, service was from the Cocktail Bar situated in the upper level of the clubhouse, and with the hard work of staff and patience and understanding of members, the club was able to operate largely as normal in this very difficult period. The Links Entrance was out of bounds to anyone excepting staff and contractors employed to carry out the painstaking work of cleaning up and refurbishing the most badly affected part of this historic clubhouse.

The clubhouse, which is located on Gibson Place, and looks out over the first and eighteenth holes of the Old Course, was opened on 17 July 1902, and was originally three separate buildings.

Image: Lisa Turnbull Image: Lisa Turnbull

The old main locker room had changed very little from the time of opening until the time of the fire, and you could almost smell the history and feel it when you walked around this massive building. Photographs from ‘One Hundred Years New’ A History of the New Golf Club, St Andrews, shows that the main bar area was very much the same in 2015 as it was in 1902.

Whilst the fire was a devastating event it also gave the club the opportunity to bring the clubhouse into the 21st century, whilst retaining the class, tradition and history it has accumulated over the last 114 years. For many members the first port of call upon entry into the clubhouse after their round is the Main Locker Room, and it was fortunate for the club that they had three showers in the ‘Day Locker room’ elsewhere in the clubhouse.

As this was at the epicentre of the fire the entire space had to be gutted and new shower, toilet and locker facilities installed. The redesign and refurbishment of the area has enabled the club to make better use of the space. There are now four showers instead of two, and four urinals and two toilet cubicles behind the shower area.

The new carpet, lockers, lighting and dĂŠcor give the space a modern, comfortable and luxurious feel, making a once dark and arguably unwelcoming area a pleasant space within the club.

The carpet in the back part of the clubhouse, including the Links Entrance, Main Locker Room, Locker rooms 2 &3 and the day locker room is a different pattern from the rest of the clubhouse, to give it that feel of an exclusively golfers area. The club made the decision to relocate several pictures from other areas of the building to make the space far more welcoming than it was prior to the fire.

The competition notice boards were also moved from the Links Entrance to the centre of the building near the day locker room, partly to encourage golfers to use the Main Bar with more regularity.

The corridors around the Main Bar have been completely redecorated and carpeted with a classic blue patterned carpet, and in keeping with the renovation throughout the building, the areas are brighter and more welcoming.

With the rest of the building being given the much needed refurbishment and redecoration, the club decided to press ahead with plans to replace the tired Main Bar with something contemporary and classy, whilst retaining the historic charm.

Before Main Bar prior to the fire

After Main Bar following renovation

As the before and after photos show, the Main Bar has retained its traditional look and feel, with the lockers carefully restored and the trophies polished.

The lighter staining of the wood, new carpet and paintwork makes the room much lighter than its previous incarnation, but the major change is the centrepiece of the room, the bar.

A topic of much discussion among members, plans were unveiled in the early months of 2016 and eventually passed for the bar to sit across the room, facing out of the window.

Members got their first sight of the new bar at the Summer Meeting and it was met with almost universal acclaim. The new bar opens up the room and makes it easier for staff and members to engage with each other.

The furniture is all new, but is very similar to the items which were so badly smoke damaged, so as to keep the traditional bar feel of the room.

Adjacent to the Main Bar is the Reading Room, which was impacted severely by the fire, and again this has been carefully restored to its former glory as a quiet area for reading of newspapers, magazines and books.

The smoke damage from the fire was extensive, and the shop, adjacent to the main bar, was no exception. With hundreds of pounds worth of retail good written off.

Again the room was cleaned diligently by external cleaners, club staff and new carpet fitted by local carpet fitters.

The club shop sells mainly clothing including New Golf Club branded FootJoy shirts, sweaters from Glenmuir, the Semper Nova collection of special branded New Golf Club shirts and pullovers along with a range of books.

The room also serves as the place for members to enter their competition scores and during extremely busy times such as The Open, it becomes an additional space to eat and drink.

The upper floors of the clubhouse were not affected by fire, but once again smoke damage was extensive, thankfully for the club and its members and guests this space was able to be used throughout the refurbishment.

From October 26, 2015 to the start of June 2016 service was almost exclusively from the cocktail bar, with members seated in the Mixed Lounge.

For many members, this was a pleasant experience because of the stunning views across the Old Course and West Sands towards Tentsmuir Forest. The refurbishment, mainly painting and carpet fitting began in the upper floors of the building, with service relocating to the Main Bar for a short period before the bar instalment took place.

The Cocktail Bar and Function Suite, prior to the fire, were mainly used for functions and dinners, but out of necessity the area became a hive of activity and showed its potential as a quiet space in the evening and a vibrant, busy place during the day.

Refurbishment in the area consisted of stripping the walls, repainting and new carpet being fitted. The carpet in the upper floors of the clubhouse have the same pattern as downstairs but a mellower colour.

The Mixed Lounge was opened in 1994 by Peter Thomson, a 5-time Open Champion from Australia, and serves a venue for indoor carpet bowls and bridge during the winter, as well as many club functions such as Prize Presentation Evening, Hogmanay, Burns Night and Outside Functions.

The restaurant sits at the highest point of the clubhouse, and also was fully refurbished with new paint on the walls, new carpet and new chairs.

The restaurant offers more formal dining and has breath-taking views across the Old Course and West Sands. Regular themed restaurant nights are held at the club for members and guests, and throughout the renovation process over the last 8 months the space has been vital for the continued operation of the club.

The restaurant sits at the highest point of the clubhouse, and also was fully refurbished with new paint on the walls, new carpet and new chairs.

The restaurant offers more formal dining and has breathtaking views across the Old Course and West Sands.

Regular themed restaurant nights are held at the club for members and guests, and throughout the renovation process over the last 8 months the space has been vital for the continued operation of the club.

264 days after the night which changed the New Golf Club forever, John Mitchell, Club Captain for 2016, cut the ribbon at the Grand Opening of the fully refurbished clubhouse.

Some 60 members and guests including committee, past captains and members of long-standing were in attendance to celebrate the completion of an arduous process.

Members of the wider local press were on hand to cover the event, and John gave a simple but gracious speech thanking everyone involved and the members for their patience over the past 8 months.

It is testament to the quality of the work that the changes, whilst dramatic in some areas, have kept the traditional charm of the building and improved the facilities available to members and guests.

The clubhouse really is As Good As New.

Fellowship Week 2017

8-14 July

Golf is like Hunting and Fishing. What counts is the companionship and fellowship of friends, not what you catch or shoot

Saturday 8 July Welcome Reception, 5.30pm

Restaurant Dining From 6.30pm Smoked Salmon and Crayfish Roulade Pumpkin Ravioli and White Wine Sauce Homemade Ham Hock and Parsley Terrine, homemade Brioche and our own Piccalilli ***

Roast Duck Breast, Pomme Puree, Seasonal Vegetables and Orange Jus Pan fried Seabass, sautĂŠed New Potatoes and Wilted Greens Spinach and Feta Risotto with Parmesan Crisp ***

Sticky Toffee Pudding, Caramel Ice Cream and Toffee Sauce Strawberry Panna Cotta, fresh local Strawberries and Strawberry Tuile Blue Murder, Cheddar and Scottish Brie Platter with Oatcakes and Chutney

Sunday 9 July The Australia Cup

Monday 10 July Texas Scramble

Tommy’s Honour: Behind the Scenes Join the film’s producer, and New Golf Club Member, Jim Kreutzer as he takes you behind the scenes of golf biopic Tommy’s Honour.

This film, based on the dramatic true story of Old Tom Morris and Young Tom Morris, was directed by Jason Connery, and the father and son are portrayed by Peter Mullan and Jack Lowden. The film won Best Feature Film at the 2016 British Academy Scotland Awards.

6pm, FUNCTION SUITE

FILM REVIEW

TERRIFIC

TOMMY’S TALE

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS EPIC. FUNNY, EMOTIONAL AND HEARTBREAKING. THIS CLASSIC MOVIE TELLS THE STORY OF A FATHER AND SON AND OF THE EARLY DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL GOLF IN ST ANDREWS IN A WAY IN WHICH NO OTHER PRODUCTION HAS EVER DONE BEFORE. BRILLIANTLY ACTED AND SPECTACULARLY PRODUCED.

This JUNE, the most hotly anticipated golfing movie in recent times had its UK Premiere at the New Picture House in St Andrews. TOMMY’S HONOUR, produced by Gutta Percha Productions and set in St Andrews, Falkland and Peebles, was directed by Jason Connery.

Matt Hooper was there for us and shares his thoughts on film which brings the book by Kevin Cook to life.

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS A STORY ABOUT A FATHER AND SON RELATIONSHIP There hasn’t been a Father-Son combination in the history of the game to compare to Old and Young Tom Morris, and at the heart of this movie it is the story of the relationship between the pair.

Peter Mullan is brilliant in his portrayal of a modest Old Tom who wants his son to follow in his footsteps as a ball maker and caddie, to keep the family tradition going. Jack Lowden plays the cocky, brash and ambitious Young Tom, and is excellent in his portrayal of the character with the scene following his fourth Open victory and celebrations. “Golf might be your god, but it is not mine” says son to father.

The movie is a quintessential period drama and illustrates the life and times accurately and eloquently.

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS A STORY ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE GAME The movie sums up the period in the history of golf perfectly and illustrates the divide between the Aristocrats who play and rule the game, and the caddies, professionals and workers who make the game an industry.

This period of the game, in its beginnings, was one in which the Aristocracy paid the players to play, betting on matches and keeping much of the money that was placed. But when Tommy Morris became so good he felt he could demand to flip the roles, the Aristocrats didn’t take kindly to it.

Sam Neill is superb as Alexander Boothby, Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS A LOVE STORY Ophelia Lovibond plays Meg Drinnen, the girlfriend and then wife of Young Tom, with fabulous charm, wit and sincerity. The movie depicts the growing relationship between Meg and Tom, and each play the character extremely well, with the typical drama you would expect from such a production.

The scene of Meg’s death and the aftermath is a particularly striking one, and Jack Lowden is magnificent in his portrayal of a broken Tom, and once again the family struggle between father and son is to the fore.

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS A SHOWCASE FOR ST ANDREWS AND FIFE From the very first scene with Old Tom emerging from the North Sea and walking down West Sands to the closing credits flying over the town, this movie is an unbelievable showcase for St Andrews and Fife.

“No gentlemen are ever seen leaving the Cross Keys” is one quote and indeed some filming was done in the venerable watering hole on Market Street, along with North Castle Street, the Cathedral and graveyard all featuring heavily.

Much of the market scenes featuring Young Tom and Meg were shot in Falkland.

No movie since Chariots of Fire has shown this town to the world as much as Tommy’s Honour.

TOMMY’S HONOUR IS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS Going into the New Picture House I wasn’t sure of what to expect. Was this going to be another golf/sporting movie which was over the top, factually inaccurate and poorly acted? Or was it going to be a gripping drama with a proper storyline, telling history and showcasing the game at its most fundamental level?

I left some two hours later feeling like I had just watched the best golf film ever made, and arguably it had the least amount of golf in it of any golf film ever made.

It truly was a gripping film and told a story which needed to be told.

It has me yearning for more, and when it is released to the general public I am sure many will agree. With the success of this movie I believe there could be an opportunity to create a series of movies based on the book ‘St Andrews in the Footsteps of Old Tom Morris’ and perhaps go on to other iconic individuals in the game such as Ben Hogan and Gary Player.

For me, Tommy’s Honour is a must see.

Restaurant Dining From 6.30pm Smoked Salmon and Crayfish Roulade Pumpkin Ravioli and White Wine Sauce Homemade Ham Hock and Parsley Terrine, homemade Brioche and our own Piccalilli *** Roast Duck Breast, Pomme Puree, Seasonal Vegetables and Orange Jus Pan fried Seabass, sautĂŠed New Potatoes and Wilted Greens Spinach and Feta Risotto with Parmesan Crisp ***

Sticky Toffee Pudding, Caramel Ice Cream and Toffee Sauce Strawberry Panna Cotta, fresh local Strawberries and Strawberry Tuile Blue Murder, Cheddar and Scottish Brie Platter with Oatcakes and Chutney

Tuesday 11 July, 6pm Tasting event

The St Andrews Golf Company evokes bygone days of hickory shafted clubs. We’ve used seasoned hickory in the production of Golf Gin to create a unique flavour; a modern seasonal gin on a classic theme. Golf gin is made in collaboration with golf institutes and our distillers use botanicals from golf courses local to St Andrews.

You’ll taste the sweet lemongrass notes left on the palate with bursts of mild pepperiness; there are also strong hints of lime, coriander and aromatic spice.

Golf gin is great served in a Tulip gin glass with a light tonic, a couple of ice cubes and a twist of orange or lime peel.

Love Gin – The famous light blush Pink Gin from Eden Mill brings together an outstanding blend of local botanicals and exotic fruits.

Our pink gin is a pale colour when poured and when diluted, sweet vanilla and floral notes are brought out.

Show your appreciation of a great pink gin and spread the word about Love Gin from Eden Mill.

Add the Love Gin gift box to your basket and give a wonderful surprise gift on a special day. The gift box comes complete with two Tulip gin glasses as standard.

Alternatively, why not add our Tulip Gin Glass to your bottle of Love Gin order to complete the sharing experience.

We’re Scotland’s original single-site brewery and distillery. So to create our award winning Hop Gin, we married our brewing and distilling skills. Hops, a core ingredient of beer, meet our distillery’s gin and the result is a zesty citrus and apricot aroma. Strong, at 46% abv, with a thick, heavy, rich finish as a G&T. Because of a balance between floral, coriander and light hoppy notes, a soft tropical fruit follows with an undercurrent of juniper.

This leaves smooth, hoppy and fresh apricot notes balanced with a refreshing crisp bitterness.

In essence, Hop gin leaves a ‘well rounded’ mouth feel that gently fades with a light hoppy character.

As we’re Scotland’s original single-site brewery and distillery, with Oak Gin, we married our brewing and distilling skills leading to our oak beer barrels meeting our distillery’s gin production. The result is a rich oak spice gin with notes of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of fudge. Warming, at 42% ABV, with a long, rich finish.

Oak gin delivers a warm finish as lovely as a sipping gin/whisky; rich oak spice and brown honey toast finishing on sweet caramel, vanilla and sugarcane.

The ginger really brings out the spice and woodiness of Oak gin. Sweet and rich-spiced fruits and spices (cinnamon & star anise) are evident. Soft delicate vanilla and fudge mingle with the ginger.

Just marvellous!

Wednesday 12 July Fellowship Quaich

Scottish Dining Experience 6.30pm Leek and Potato Soup *** Roast Chicken Supreme, Potato Fondant, Leek, Carrot and Turnip Parcels, and Flatcap Mushroom *** Local Strawberry Cheesecake *** Tea/Coffee and Whisky Tablet

Friday 14 July Auld Alliance Trophy

Prize Presentation Evening and Dinner, 7pm Home-smoked Sea Trout, Horseradish Cream, Cucumber Crouton, and Micro Salad *** Lamb Rump, Rosemary Roasted New Potato, Onion Puree, and Ratatouille *** Lemon Posset, Berries, and Shortbread

Meet the Chef

Alan Robertson

In our first part of a new series in St Andrews Magazine – Chefs of St Andrews – we talk to the recently appointed Head Chef at the New Golf Club of St Andrews. Alan Robertson shares his insight into catering for golfers with Matt Hooper.

Matt Hooper: How long have you been cooking professionally and where have you previously been a chef at?

Alan Robertson: I grew up in a small village in the Highlands, Kinlochleven and my first job in a kitchen came at the local hotel The Tailrace Inn in 2002, I have worked in a few places since moving to Fife in 2005, The Links Clubhouse, Inn at Lathones, Castle Clubhouse, Pittormie Castle and now here at The New Golf Club.

Where did you train to cook?

Is there a secret for a successful restaurant?

I went to college in Inverness, I did an intense course over 7 months, 5 days a week. But as a chef you’re learning new skills and techniques regularly.

Happy staff mean a happy working environment and this rubs off on the customers, staff have to get along at work, regular training and communication.

You have worked within the golf industry for many years, what are the challenges and pleasures of cooking for golfers and club members?

Do you have a “signature dish” or favourite dish you enjoy cooking?

Like everywhere keeping the customers happy, especially in and around St Andrews, is a challenge as we deal with a wide range of nationalities, needs and ages. As much as it can be a challenge it's also great to interact with such a wide spectrum of people.

How would you describe your style of cooking?

Varied, but don't think I have a certain style. I try to push the boundaries and test myself regularly, something that I can do at The New Golf Club as I get free reign on menus, to a certain degree. I love putting modern twists on classic dishes.

Like many chefs this is a question I get asked a lot and it isn't one I enjoy answering with ease. Pastry is what I enjoy doing the most, it's best for expressing yourself.

Do you have a favourite ingredient?

Another very difficult question, eggs. May sound daft but they are so versatile. I can't think of another ingredient that can be used for so many things. And at any time of the day for any course.

Which restaurant in the St Andrews area do you most enjoy eating at on your night off?

I don't have a specific favourite, as a family man I enjoy going for a meal with my wife, Laura and our two sons William and Rhuridh, where it isn't too formal and has a food family atmosphere.

What is your most interesting or fun experience from your time in restaurants?

Working on buffets in the Links clubhouse for the 2005 Open and various Dunhill’s, you get to meet some of the world’s best golfers and famous faces from screen and football.

One occasion the Scotland national team visited the Links and I got to meet four of the Celtic squad, which would be my personal favourite. We also got to work with some chefs from America and Dubai. this was very interesting as we learnt different filters cooking styles. As for funny, Ruud Gullit telling me that if he had too much chorizo and bean casserole the toilet would not be good tomorrow! Also, Dougie Donnelly walking into the New Club kitchen and catching me whilst I was taking 5 mins to have a cup of tea.

What would be your “last request” dish?

Well I hope that a decision I never have to make, so many to choose from. Anything except chicken liver parfait. Can't stand the stuff!

Is there another chef that you most admire?

William Curley is phenomenal, his skills and what he can do with chocolate is unreal, Marcus Wearing is also someone I enjoy watching, he is an exceptional chef and so passionate. Closer to home you have to mention Jamie Scott at The Newport, such a talented driven chef and a really nice guy too, there is no doubt he will become one of Britain’s best chefs.

Any advice you would give to someone wanting to become a chef?

Always try to work tidily, there is nothing worse than seeing a dirty chef.

Learn from any mistakes you make, don't be afraid to make them as it’s all a learning process.

Respect the food, people spend hours, years working to grow, catch and deliver these products to us.

And too many young chefs try and climb the ladder too fast, have no respect for others. They see Gordon Ramsey shouting at swearing at people and they think this is how to carry on.

Geoffrey Smeddle, chef owner at The Peat Inn puts it simply "you can never be a good chef if you are mean"

Any final thoughts you’d like to add?

Working at The New Club is one of the best jobs I have ever had, the work/life balance is second to none.

This is very important with me having a young family. And as I mentioned earlier I can try anything in the restaurant, so I'm constantly learning, and I'd like to think this benefits the club.

We also now have a kitchen that is equipped superbly, it gives us the opportunities to make as much stuff in house as we can. I look forward to spending many happy years in the kitchen there.

Introducing the Club Champion Michael De Vries

31-year-old Michael De Vries works at the family run Russell Hotel on the Scores, grew up playing golf with his parents and was taught the game by his mother who many know in St Andrews as one of the best lady golfers in town and represented her country in Scottish international events for 11 consecutive years, she is also a selector for the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis cup team. It is easy to see where he gets his inspiration from.

He started playing golf when he was about 5 or 6 years old but at the age of 18 he stopped playing until the age of 26. “I was too busy being a chef and forgot about the game but now I'm back and loving every

minute of it, should have never have stopped playing for so long!”

A string of fine performances highlighted by his stunning Tait Medal success have made Michael one of the most outstanding golfers in the town, AND THIS YEAR HE HAS BACKED THAT UP BY WINNING THE NEW GOLF CLUB’S CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP.

Michael has finished as Low Gross in no fewer than 10 New Golf Club Medal Competitions, and reached the semi-finals of the 2016 New Golf Club Championship, losing to eventual champion Rhodri Price. His performances across the season in New Golf Club competitions gave him more points than anyone else and he was awarded with the Old Tom Morris Memorial Trophy for Order of Merit winner.

Then in July the self-styled “Big Friendly Giant” swept all comers aside with a brilliant display of golf to win the FG Tait Memorial Medal. The Unofficial Match Play Championship of St Andrews was played for the 104th time this summer with the final stages on the New Course.

“The week of the Tait Medal was one of the best periods of golf I've enjoyed especially with all 3 matches in quarters, semis and final finishing at 5&4 and 4&3's”, beams Michael.

“In the quarters I beat Sean singer from St Andrews Golf Club and we both played well, went to the 16th and I managed to squeeze into the semis where I was up

against Ray Perry, last year’s Tait Medal Winner, also from St Andrews Golf Club.

I started well as I birdied the first and second, then I

then birdie on 13. It was a great run! Paul was one of the best matches I have experienced as he is a great player and one of the best ball strikers I've played against.”

Given Michael’s ability and results in 2016 it is fair to ask the question if he has given thought to turning professional.

“Professional golf is something that all golfers would love to do but I am always chasing that dream, for now I am happy at this level and if things appear to get better for me on the course then we shall see! Michael says.

I will do qualifying stages for the next Open in St Andrews and I am going to be playing all of the Scottish amateur order of merit events in 2017, hopefully gaining enough points in the SGU to represent the Fife men's team. went on to eagle the third so I was four-under-par after three holes and a solid 3-up after 3! I felt comfortable in this match and I went on to win on the fifteenth hole 5&4.

So as the final closed in on me I realised I was up against Paul Tulleth who hits the ball a mile but I had one last push and finished the match 4&3 after having birdies on 7, 8 and 10, following with an eagle on 12

There's plans and ideas but the level of golf is amazing now and I would have to pull out something special! My Biggest goal for next year would be defend my Tait title and win back to back, plus to win gold medal so I can qualify for the St Andrews Links Trophy.”

Photography: Peter Adamson/New Golf Club INTERVIEW FROM CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR EDITION OF ST ANDREWS GOLF MAGAZINE.

The future: Prolific Paterson leading the way FEATURE AND INTERVIEW FROM 2016 JOHN PATERSON HAD AN OUTSTANDING YEAR IN WHICH HE CONTENDED FOR ALMOST EVERY TITLE AVAILABLE TO HIM AND PLAYED A PART IN THE TEAM SUCCESS OF THE NEW GOLF CLUB JUNIORS. HE CONTINUES TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YEAR IN 2017. MORE ON THIS IN OUR LAUNCH EDITION SOON. HiS most prominent success came at the Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge in September. John was the senior age category and overall scratch champion of the tournament played at The Duke’s on September 25.

His play throughout the season earned him a second Fife Golfing Association Boys’ Order of Merit title in the last three years, and in September he assisted in a team success.

The New Golf Club Junior team won the Daily Telegraph Scottish Junior Championship and will now compete in the UK Finals in the spring of 2017.

2016 was also a year of near misses for the 16-year-old Madras College student and New Golf Club Junior Captain.

In August he surged through the field in the St Andrews Boys’ Open, making it all the way to the final. He narrowly lost to Japan’s Gaku Tsukamoto on the 17th hole of the Old Course 2&1.

Paterson also reached the semi-finals of both the Scottish Boys’ Amateur Championship and Scottish Under-18 Boy’s Championship and was part of the Scottish Under-18 Boys’ National Squad.

Then in October, as reward for winning the Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge, he was unexpectedly phoned on the morning of the third day to stand in for the injured Hugh Grant alongside European Tour professional Stuart Manley. The team had little chance of qualifying for the final round, but Paterson grasped the opportunity and made 7 birdies in a magnificent round on the Old Course in a group including former Masters Champion, Trevor Immelman.

Throngs of spectators arrived on the Old Course this morning eager to see the celebrities and world class golfers in St Andrews' annual European Tour event, the ultra-popular Jamie Dornan took centre stage with several young ladies after his autograph.

Another individual which the young ladies of St Andrews are always happy to see is Hugh Grant, and he was drawn to play in the final group of the day with Stuart Manley, a replacement for former champion David Howell.

Paterson took his place in the group featuring his partner Manley, actor Greg Kinnear and former Masters Champion Trevor Immelman. Teeing off after Immelman, the talented youngster stood up and hit his 3-wood down the middle of the fairway, outdriving all of the other competitors in his group. A confident and

watching on he confidently rapped the ball into the back of the hole, drawing a large applause from the watching gallery. It was a thrilling conclusion to a wonderful day for the latest emerging amateur talent in St Andrews.

a year in "It was pretty good, apart from 17 where I got stuck on the road, After which he has won the Alfred and obviously 18 was amazing. I made 7 birdies and they were all Dunhill Schools Challenge and pretty good. I can't explain how nervous I was on the first tee." appeared in the

Many were assembled around the first tee expecting to see the renowned actor and star of Love Actually and Four Weddings and Funeral get his third round underway.

But unfortunately, due to injury Grant, 56, withdrew earlier this morning, this meant that Manley needed a partner in the pro-am competition. Step forward John Paterson. The 16-year-old Junior Captain of the New Golf Club of St Andrews won the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge and was contacted by the championship management this morning. However, he very nearly didn't appear on the first tee.

"I got the call at 9 O'clock this morning and I missed it! So, I called the guy back at 9.30, I was still in bed at 9 O'clock!" John said exclusively to St Andrews Magazine.

aggressive wedge into the green and two putts gave him a settling opening par.

"I won't forget that putt on the last."

That was the start of a day which John will never forget as long as his golf career lasts for, 7 birdies helped him and Manley to a round of 63 to finish the team competition at 8-under-par, having begun the day at 1-over-par.

In his moment in front of the Sky cameras and the hundreds of fans around the 18th hole of the Old Course, Paterson did not shy away. A drive over Granny Clark's Wynd left him with a wedge to the back left flag and he duly dispatched it to around 15 feet.

Then, with 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelman

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship you could excuse the teenager from having his expectations raised through the roof, but this potential star has a wise head on young shoulders.

"I play for Scotland in the Boys European Championships, then I am taking a year out before I make the decision to either carry on as an amateur here or go to college in America."

I dare say Saturday at the 2016 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship is not the last we will hear of him in this or any other great championship in the future.

Last autumn the New Golf Club Junior Team created history and won the Daily Telegraph Scottish Junior Championship. The New Club Junior team then were invited to represent scotland in the finals in portugal this spring, finishing eighth..

The players which participated in at least one match were as follows: Christian Barbour (4), Pol Berge (3), Ben Caton (3), Ben Mckay (3), Finlay Sey (3), Owen Abu Baker (1), Eric Berge (1), Keith Bowman (1), Christie Connor (1), Matthew McGilly (1) and John Paterson (1).

Visit St Andrews

2016 New Golf Club Junior Captain 2016 Alfred Dunhill Schools Challenge winner

When you are planning your spring or summer trip to St Andrews in 2017 you’ll no doubt be focused on golf courses, hotels and restaurants, but you should also be thinking about seeing the rest of this spectacular town, and there might not be a better way of doing that than with Chariots of Hire. The start-up, student-run company is relaunching for 2017 with better rickshaws and a new team to make your tour of the town a memorable one. The ‘Pay-as-you-wish’ rickshaw service has until now mainly focused on students for its custom, with rides from the University Library into town or the Union to home, but the four students who operate Chariots of Hire are looking to make the golfing tourists experience of St Andrews even more memorable.

Charlie Slater (20, Management, from Leeds), Charlie Buchanan-Smith (21, Geology, from Edinburgh), Aidan Thomson (19, Modern History, from Edinburgh) and George St Quinton (20, Geography, from Hampshire) are excited about the future of Chariots of Hire. “Until now we have mainly focused on students, offering rides to and from major student events such as the

regular balls, and to and from the town centre from University accommodation or the library. Our three rickshaws have had extensive maintenance recently and we were visible around the golf course area of town during Alfred Dunhill Links Championship week.”

Each rickshaw can accommodate up to three passengers but it may be that you want a romantic ride around the town with your other half, something which has been immensely popular since the company launched on the roads of St Andrews in early 2016.

For more details and to book, check out the Chariots of Hire Facebook Page.

Just 7 miles outside of St Andrews is one deep bunker you absolutely must visit.

Scotland’s best kept secret for over 40 years, Hidden beneath an innocent Scottish farmhouse, a tunnel leads to, Scotland’s Secret Bunker. 24,000 square feet of Secret accommodation. The size of two football pitches, one on top of another, on two levels 100 feet underground. Had there been a Nuclear War, this is where Scotland, would have been Governed, from within.

It is as if this facility has stopped in time, with neatly made beds, the command centre in perfect working order and a canteen in the original officer’s mess that cannot be missed.

Two cinema rooms show the visitor exactly how to take shelter from a nuclear fallout and you can see the workings of the Government at the time of the Cold War. We visited Scotland’s Secret Bunker in June and didn’t really know what to expect, we left wanting more and thinking what an awesome day out it was.

For more information please visit SecretBunker.co.uk

Following its phenomenally successful debut year, Byre In The Botanics returns to St Andrews every Thursday to Saturday from the 29 June to the 29 July 2017!

Set in the beautiful St Andrews Botanic Gardens, with fullyseated and covered performance area and licensed bar, the 2017 programme is packed full of unmissable events including concerts from Midge Ure and India Electric Co, Elkie Brooks, Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham, The Glenn Miller Orchestra UK, Gallagher & Lyle and jazz legend Chris Barber. Plus there’s a stunning new production of Puccini’s La Bohème from the Olivier Award-winning OperaUpClose and the chance to show off your best Strip The Willow at our Grand St Andrews Ceilidhs.

Tourism St Andrews are proud to announce the Icons of modern Scottish design, The Kelpie Maquettes, are coming to St Andrews this summer, 2017. From July 24th, The Kelpie Maquettes will be in St Andrews located on the Bruce Embankment, adjacent to British Golf Museum, behind the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Clubhouse and within sight of the stunning West Sands Beach. The three metre high sculptures were hand crafted by renowned Scottish sculptor Andy Scott, and were used as models to create the world’s largest equine sculpture, The Kelpies, situated in Falkirk. The Kelpie Maquettes tour the world helping to promote Scotland and the Falkirk area as visitor destinations. Tourism St Andrews, the newly formed Local Tourist Authority for St Andrews, is working to ensure St Andrews is recognised as a global destination of choice. By bringing The Kelpie Maquettes to the town, it hopes to give visitors a unique experience as well as offering the local community the opportunity to participate in a programme of events themed around the beautiful sculptures.

Debbie MacCallum from Tourism St Andrews commented “The Kelpies have become one of Scotland’s most well-loved landmarks, attracting visitors as well as locals to see the eye-catching statues across the country. Their arrival in St Andrews will hopefully provide an added incentive for visitors to the Kingdom and a welcome boost for local businesses in the town.” Tourism St Andrews is working with partners across St Andrews to deliver a full programme of exciting events, working with MUSA and the British Golf Museum, there will be children’s activities and workshops over the summer and the opportunity for secondary school children to sample working in tourism workshops which have been funded by the Community Trust.

Brian Thomson, St Andrews Councillor, commented “I was delighted to support Tourism St Andrews' efforts to host the Kelpie Maquettes in St Andrews. It's fantastic the iconic Maquettes are coming to St Andrews and, given the impact that they have had elsewhere, I'm sure they will be a very popular attraction for both local residents and visitors to the town. I'd like to thank all who have made this possible, and particularly Falkirk Council for allowing the Kelpie Maquettes to be displayed in St Andrews." Their installation will coincide with the Ricoh Women’s British Open, the International Photographic Festival, our returning St Andrews University students and their families, and the Dunhill Golf as well as the many cruise passengers and coach parties who arrive on a daily basis to enjoy our fabulous World-class destination.

Rhonda McCrimmon from BID St Andrews is also delighted to support the initiative: “We hope that the Kelpie Maquettes will bring additional footfall for the local businesses in the town. There is a list of merchandise for our shops to stock in order to generate additional revenue, and there will be a schedule of activity surrounding their installation which will be publicised through our new consumer channel www.standrewslive.com and its associated social media channels.”

As the world’s largest equine sculpture, centrally located between Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Kelpies form a dramatic centrepiece to The Helix, a £43million project that is transforming 350 hectares of land between Falkirk and Grangemouth and has been funded via a partnership between The Big Lottery Fund, Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals. The Kelpies create a gateway into The Helix and the Forth & Clyde canal and are the result of a unique collaboration between the partners and Glasgow-based artist, Andy Scott. The 30 metre (100ft) high steel structures pay homage to the tradition of the working horses of Scotland which used to pull barges along Scotland’s canals and worked in the fields in the area where they now stand. The Kelpies and Helix Park have now had over 2 million visitors since they opened and the sculptures feature in a specially created timelapse film celebrating Falkirk. For further information on the Kelpies coming to St Andrews, please contact Debbie MacCallum of Tourism St Andrews debbie.maccallum@gmail.com

By Jordan Thompson, Auchterlonies of St Andrews

Callaway Epic The key new technology is called Jailbreak, which comprises two metal bars behind the face that connect the sole and crown together allowing the face to take more of the load at impact and spring more powerfully.

There are two versions of the driver. The standard Great Big Bertha Epic and the GGB Epic Sub Zero. The GBB Epic is aimed at a wider spectrum of players and features a 17gram sliding weight in the rear of the sole to alter shot shape while the Sub Zero model has two adjustable sole weights so golfers can choose both high or low launch and spin.

Taylormade M1 The 2017 TaylorMade M1 driver, keeps the name of the original M1 Driver which was a great success in 2016. Much of what has changed is hidden from the human eye, the weight distribution inside the clubhead is now much more efficient but there is still some new technology for everyone to see. The 2017 M1 Driver shines above its predecessor in the category of forgiveness and customisation and more adjustability means more swing speeds and golfers will be catered for, while all abilities of golfer will appreciate the extra forgiveness on off-centre hits.

Taylormade M2 The original TaylorMade M2 driver was released a few months after the original M1 but for 2017, both updates to TaylorMade’s drivers are coming at the same time.

Strangely enough, despite the M1 being the company’s showpiece, premium driver, it is the M2 that is gaining the most traction out on tour, including the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods.

The new M2, like the M1, has a larger address profile, inspiring a touch more confidence over the ball. It feels light and effortless to swing powerfully, and the improved acoustics from the ‘Geocoustic’ construction contribute to a more muted, authoritative sound at impact.

There’s no sole adjustability to tinker with here, hence the lower price of £369, with golfers needing to optimize their launch through the 4-degree adjustable loft and the plethora of no-upcharge shaft options during a fitting.

Custom fitting is available on the Great Big Bertha Epic Driver either in our Fitting Suite, or at the Callaway Performance Centre, if this is something you would be interested in please call us on 01334 473253.

Custom Fitting is available on the new M1 and M2 Driver in our Fitting suite, if this is something you would be interested in please call us on 01334 473253.

For a sport with a reputation as a slow, gentile game, Golf can be stressful. Missing a short putt or hitting a ball out bounds can send the blood pressure skywards! However, most golfers give little thought to the stresses and strains the game puts on their bodies. Walking long distances with a heavy bag on their shoulders, walking on uneven ground and swinging the club over 80 times during the round can do unseen damage and put pressure on the joints and muscles.

Regular stretching before and after the round is one way of remedying pain and discomfort caused by golf. But one of the best ways of ensuring you’re at your best on the golf course is to get a Golfer’s Massage.

THERAPIST, HEPBURNS NAIL LOUNGE

Joanna Mowbray is a massage therapist and beautician with 3 years’ experience of giving golfers massages in St Andrews and recently she performed the Golfer’s Massage on me.

As I said, golf can be a stressful game. It can turn mildmannered men and women into raving lunatics in the space of a few hours, and massage can help emotionally as well as physically. Massage helps to relieve stress, anxiety and aid a good sleep as it helps to relax the mind.

Massage calms aggressive behaviours, which fortunately I don’t usually suffer from, but from time to time on the golf course? Oh yeah, maybe!

Massage decreases depression and helps to promote a healthy mind, which is perfect for getting rid of the memory of that double-bogey on the Road Hole! A blend of calming background music, witty chat, specialist oils and the motion of the massage assists in relaxing the golfer after their exertions on the golf course.

In addition to the emotional impact of a massage for a golfer, a massage can have notable health benefits including increasing white blood cells to improve immunity, aiding recovery from surgery and alleviating age-related disorders, sleep disorders and decreases illness-related fatigue.

However, it is the physical benefits which are perhaps the most important element of getting a Golfer’s Massage.

Golfer’s Massage specifically targets the muscle groups used within golf and so can improve play and range of movement within the hips and shoulders. This in turn can improve the golfers swing and prevent straining and pulling of the muscles.

However, it cannot turn you in to Rory McIlroy overnight!

The Golfer’s Massage, as with any massage, is performed on a specialised massage table, usually around 6 feet in length in a specific massage room. The massage includes a shoulder, back and neck massage where the therapist works the muscles in your shoulders, the top and bottom of your back and stretches your arms. The massage helps to loosen any knots caused by stress on the body.

The therapist then goes on to perform a number of stretches on specific parts of the body impacted by golf, such as the knees, calves and hips. The Gluteals (the muscles which make up your butt, to me and you!) and Hamstrings are worked because they usually have an impact upon lower back pain, which golfers especially can suffer from.

A variety of stretches are then performed on the leg, all within the ability of the golfer.

OTHER THERAPISTS ARE AVAILABLE

The calves are then stretched by bending the leg to 90 degrees, and the therapist works the Soleus, a powerful muscle within the calf. With the knee still bent the leg is lifted off the table, I must confess at this point I thought I was going to fall off! The leg is then swung gently back and forth to stretch psoas and hip flexors.

The Golfer’s Massage then concludes by stretching the quads by bringing the ankle towards the gluteals. The massage usually lasts between 50 and 70 minutes and believe me, when I next played golf the difference was remarkable. I felt looser and was able to make a much freer swing each time.

Massage has long been used in professional sports, including golfers on tour, but at an affordable cost, the Golfer’s Massage is something every avid golfer should get with regularity.

Joanna’s experience of attending to golfers makes her a must visit for any golfer visiting St Andrews this summer!

St Andrews’ only hot yoga studio opened its doors in August 2015. Hot yoga is a set sequence of yoga postures practiced in a heated room. Hot yoga is a cardiovascular workout that strengthens, tones and stretches your muscles while calming the mind and reducing stress. The heat allows you to stretch deeper into your tissues, tendons and ligaments, safely leading to improved flexibility, strength and blood circulation.

BY SARAH MCLAUGHLIN

I

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AJ PHOTOGRAPHY

2 During a golf swing some parts of the body are in great tension, continuous tension can lead to injury. General stiffness in certain areas of the body can also lead to injury. The most common injury is injury to the back; because of the shear force placed on the spine during the golf swing it is there that we typically see most injuries. So, through the practice of yoga we are able to alleviate some of these potential injuries. A couple of examples are below how yoga can help: Wrists- Help control the club more effectively.

Spine- Increased rotation through the back swing.

Legs – Good grounding over the ball.

Yoga is great for everyone as it helps to keep your body fit and your mind calm.

Across the next two pages we show you yoga stretches you can do on the course while playing golf. The stretches will relieve tension in the shoulders, back and neck.

1

For more information on yoga or to organise a private class contact Sarah www.hothouseyogastandrews.com info@hothouseyogastandrews.com Telephone – 07762 281159

3

1 - Side Stretch 2 - Shoulder and triceps Stretch 3 - Hamstring Stretch 4 - Shoulder Twist

4

PROPERTY

The Perfect Golfing Retreat

Story by Matt Hooper Photography by Square Foot

Fixed Price of £1,150,000

Have you ever dreamt of your own, private piece of Scotland, set within minutes of the home of golf and still within easy reach of the major cities? Have you ever dreamt of having a grand eighteenth-century mansion which has played a role in Scottish and UK history? Have you ever dreamt of having a place where the entire family could live and still have space to breathe and grow up in complete privacy? Or have you ever dreamt of moving your company to an estate which has room to develop and grow on the edge of the biggest marketplace for golf in the UK? Brilliant Blebo has it all. Brilliant Blebo can make dreams come true. Brilliant Blebo must be seen to be believed.

Upon entering through the rather understated front door you realise that this is indeed, a Grand Scottish house, and you can imagine a butler waiting to take your jacket and umbrella as you come in from a windy and wet day outside into the warmth of your home.

Moving through into the splendid entrance hall you start to get a feel for the scale of this wonderful property. You can imagine excited children moving in and running off in all directions to find ‘their’ room. On the ground floor there is two reception rooms, a comfortable, spacious family living room and a grand dining room, with a ceiling dating back to 1903.

One can imagine a family from the period the house was built in sitting here for a Christmas meal with the father at the head of the table! It is sumptuously decorated with wood panelling and has a stunning fireplace. The views from this room, as with many of the rooms in the house, are truly spectacular and unmistakably Scottish, In days gone by you can imagine the smell of freshly cooked food coming from the nearby typically country kitchen, which is accessed through one of the many well-fitted wooden doors, which match the panelling in the dining room.

The kitchen is at the heart of the house and has a nice-size table which the family can sit around at breakfast, lunch or dinner, There are numerous other small rooms which are beyond the kitchen in this area of the house which is ideal for storage.

If the ground floor isn’t enough to take your breath away, your journey to other parts of the house certainly will. From here it is down to the basement and two superb spaces.

Firstly, there is the wonderful billiard room with a full-size snooker table, decorated in dark wood panelling, and secondly there is the spacious games room, which has in the past been used for the practising of golf, with a net of course! One can certainly imagine this space in either a family home or even a grand, boutique hotel. Blebo House has been a family home for most of its history, and has been occupied for much of the last half century, but its potential as a hotel cannot be ignored by a prospective buyer.

With 11 bedrooms, this Grade B Listed Mansion is perfectly suited to use as a hotel, and with 35 acres of land, a tennis court and a setting pretty much unrivalled in Fife, Blebo House could certainly sit alongside any comparable destination, such as The Carnegie Club at Skibo Castle, The Eden Club at Pittormie Castle or Cameron House at Loch Lomond.

The upper floors of the property are where the bedrooms are found, and each offer a different aspect on a truly spectacular setting across the Fife countryside. One has a balcony which former Prime Minister Herbert Henry Asquith, MP for East Fife, gave a speech from during his premiership sometime between 1908 and 1916.

The rooms are variable in size and shape and lend perfectly to a hotel offering different types of accommodation to their guests.

Adjacent to the room from which Asquith made his speech there are a set of wonderfully appointed lockers, which would make superb storage for golf clubs and apparel, further adding to the property’s undoubted potential attraction as a hotel.

The Master Bedroom is splendidly decorated with a modest tartan wallpaper and offers a spacious area for relaxation at the end of the day. The house has expanded over the years and the front of the property is the older late Victorian/early Edwardian portion, with each extension tastefully done in keeping with the history, tradition and architecture of this wonderful property.

With the soon-to-be completed Feddinch Golf Club adding to the 12 existing golf courses in the area, and Open Championships to come to Carnoustie and St Andrews within the next five years, there is clear potential for Blebo House to become a stunning boutique hotel.

For more information on Blebo House, to arrange a viewing or to purchase the property, please contact Edinburgh Property Finders:

0131 268 0588

info@edinburghpropertyfinders.co.uk

www.edinburghpropertyfinders.co.uk

For a full description, you can also contact Matt Hooper at St Andrews Magazine via standrewsmagazine@gmail.com

About St Andrews, The Open, World Golf and Golf’s Return to the Olympic Games

The Open is a time when we celebrate the history of the game, and each year’s championship adds to it. This year we celebrate 60 years since Gary Player made his debut at the home of golf.

Golf has changed significantly in the last six decades. The prize fund for the 1957 Open was £3,750 ($10,500), when the world’s best came to St Andrews in July 2015 they they played for a share of £6.3million ($9.8million).

The balls, the equipment, the clothing and how players are treated have all improved beyond recognition in the sixty years since Gary Player made his Open Championship debut.

Even the most modest of professional or amateur playing in The Open this year will have a cosy room in a hotel, guest house or rented accommodation, for Mr Player that wasn’t the case when he visited St Andrews for the first time. “I’ve

never forgotten my first Open Championship at St Andrews in 1957.

My golf club in South Africa had to take up a collection to fund my ticket to Britain. I took the train from London to St Andrews, and I remember climbing off at Leuchars Station”, Player said.

“It was so surreal; I just stood there for a moment. The realization had finally dawned on me. I was here at the Home of Golf, finally realizing my dream of playing this great Major at the Old Course.

“When I got to St Andrews I quickly found out that I did not have enough money to stay in a hotel, so I found a sand dune, put on my waterproofs and went to sleep. That along with those pot bunkers was an incredible learning experience and one that helped shape my career.

Imagine a professional golfer today sleeping outside on the ground in this day and age.�

Player went on to finish 24th in his first appearance on the Old Course, it was a modest start to a career which transformed golf worldwide and made an enormous impact upon the status of The Open. Despite his incredible achievements one thing Gary failed to do was win The Open at the home of golf.

“It was a disappointment (not winning in St Andrews) in the sense that I wanted to win every tournament I played. Winning The Open Championship at the Old Course would have been particularly satisfying because of the rich history associated with St Andrews”, said the 3-time Open Champion.

“It is the birthplace of golf and still to this day is one of the most special destinations in the world. When you step onto the grounds of St Andrews, you can feel the rich and timeless history that includes the origins of this great game. Golf really has been a true blessing in my life, which makes visiting St Andrews that much sweeter. Having said that, I am blessed to have won The Open Championship three times over three different decades.”

Despite not winning that first Open, Player has fond memories of it, even if the first shot wasn’t up to his very high standards!

“My first experience of links golf was the first time I went to The Open at St Andrews, I was a nervous wreck walking to the first tee. It was my first time playing a links course. I was so nervous I missed the fairway with a big duck hook, and I kept thinking, please don’t go out

of bounds. Luckily, the ball hit the out-of-bounds stake and came back into the fairway”, Player said.

He very quickly adapted to and embraced the challenge of links golf “I have always loved links golf because of its

distinct challenges. On links courses, wind will almost always play a factor in decision making, especially when playing on an Open Championship course.

This will make the player become creative and strategic at the same time. If it is windy, widen your stance and play the ball a little further back in your stance to hit at a lower trajectory. It’s also key to learn to play the ball along the ground, especially around the greens. Creative bump and run shots also are a must.”

Gary Player played in The Open 46 times, 10 of which were at the Old Course in St Andrews so what he doesn’t know about playing the Old Course isn’t worth knowing. “You

need Patience, accuracy, a very strong mental game and a bit of luck with the weather and your draw”, said Player.

With 46 appearances, 3 wins and 12 top 10 finishes it would be easy for the South African to be accused of bias towards The Open as his favourite major, but he gives a convincing argument for it being the greatest championship of all.

“Links golf is the way the game was meant to be played.

The Open Championship has always been one of my favourites and yes, it does hold special memories. The Old Course is perhaps the greatest venue in golf.

Having the opportunity to play on so many beautiful courses has been a dream come true.

The wonderful fans, unique weather and rich history is what makes The Open so special and is why I enjoy it so much. The tournament itself has not changed a lot. It has remained true to its roots and history.”

Given the level of success Gary Player had in The Open it is unsurprising he has many fantastic memories of playing in the championship, but the one which stands out for the 9time major champion is from the venerable links in Lancashire. “The 1974 Open at Royal Lytham and St.

Anne’s is where I won my third and final Open Championship. There are two memories that still stand out the most after all these years. First, on the 17 th I hooked my approach into the treacherous rough on the left of the green. I had to search on my hands and knees for that ball and it had gone into the rough right under the noses of the spectators. We found the ball with less than a minute to spare and I managed to scramble a bogey 5 from an impossible lie.

Then on 18, my approach overshot the green and ran hard up against the clubhouse wall. I had to hit a lefthanded chip with my blade putter and got it to within 15 feet, and was able to seal the victory.”

Part of the joy of The Open is the variety of locations it visits, from the old links in the home of golf such as Carnoustie, Muirfield, Troon and Turnberry to the fun tracks of Birkdale, Hoylake and Lytham and the brutal test of Royal St George’s. But there can be no question that The Open is at its biggest and best when staged here in St Andrews.

Over the years many players have said that they think The Open should be played on the Old Course each year.

“I have many favourite courses in the UK. All of the places where I have won both The Open and Senior Open Championships hold a special place in my heart.

St Andrews is the home of golf. It’s a special place for all who love the game. There is so much history. I don’t think it would be a bad thing if the tournament was played there every year, but luckily that is not for me to decide.

I especially appreciate all the venues that host The Open that are public golf courses, and always enjoy watching folks walk across the course immediately after the tournament. As soon as the ropes come down, the course becomes “a walk in the park.”

Gary Player won The Open three times, including 1968 at Carnoustie and 1974 at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s but the one he believes is his greatest was his first.

“The Open was at Muirfield in 1959 and I remember getting there extra early to prepare. By the time we got to the last day, I was eight shots back of the leader. In those days we had to play 36 holes a day. But I refused to give up and even told one of my sponsors that tomorrow they would see a small miracle: I was going to win The Open.

After an opening round 70 I was feeling very confident, and it seemed like everything began to click. I went out in 33, made a few birdies, but then I double bogeyed the last from the greenside bunker. The next two hours were agonizing as I waited in the club house with a small lead. I thought I blown the tournament. But, as we know, I won by two shots and became the youngest winner of The Open since the event became a 72-hole tournament”, said Player.

Player’s final Open Championship appearance came in 2001 at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s.

.

The Open Championship has been broadcast across the world for over 60 years, beginning with news coverage and then moving into live coverage in the late 50’s and 60’s.

“I remember being a young boy growing up in South Africa who saw The Open as the ultimate test in golf. I wanted to become a champion, and told my family that I would. Besides Bobby Locke, there weren’t many great South African golfers. We are a fairly small country.

Winning The Open was a dream that motivated my teenage self, and I finally achieved this dream in 1959 with my first Major Championship win at Murifeld.

As one of the four Majors in golf, The Open helps signify that one has to play golf on an international scale in order to succeed in this sport. The style of play is much different than with courses in America and many other countries. Golf was invented on links-style courses, so The Open is the truest test of a player’s skill.

The sheer history and prestige of this event beckons to golfers in South Africa, to sportsmen across the world, and stands as a challenge to players who want to be the greatest in the game.”

growth of golf in my home country, and by providing golfers with the opportunity to compete on the European Tour, this tournament helps push South Africans forward to competing on a more global scale”, said Player.

“There are so many talented golfers for whom this tournament may be a springboard into competing across the world, so I’m excited to see the talent the Joburg Open has to offer each year.

Even more, I hope it will inspire more youth in this country to take up this excellent sport and follow their dreams of competing on an international level. Of course, not every young golfer will become a champion, but golf is a sport that rewards you, both physically and mentally, for the rest of your life.”

The Open and many of the other great tournaments around the world are broadcast on South African television, helping to inspire a new generation of South African golfers.

However,

Since 2013 The Open Qualifying Series has included tour events around the world, giving players from across the globe the opportunity to compete for spots in The Open in their home region. The Joburg Open has been an OQS event since 2014.

there is no substitute for seeing their heroes in person. In 2013 the International Federation of PGA Tours were set to stage a World Golf Championships event in South Africa, however the Tournament of Hope did not go ahead due to a lack of sponsorship.

As you would expect, the icon of South African sport has a view on how South African tournament golf can attract the best in the game.

“I think it is absolutely fantastic to see the Joburg Open as an Open Qualifying Series event. I love to see the

“Even though there is so much talent in South Africa, too many of our best players are taking their golf game

outside of the country. It’s hard to blame them because there is so much more money on the PGA and European Tours”, said Player.

“This impacts how professional golf is played in our country. As a professional golfer, I made an effort to play at least four tournaments a year in South Africa.

I think more South African golfers need to start playing more tournaments in their home country, and not just the same ones, to really bring golf around. We have the talent to put South African golf up against most any country in the world. By supporting our Tour, the media, the sponsors, and our fans, golf could gain more traction and attract the best golfers from around the world.”

South Africa’s biggest event is unquestionably the Nedbank Golf Challenge, played each December on the Gary Player Country Club course at Sun City. The title has been won by many of the world’s greatest players in the last 40 years including Johnny Miller, Raymond Floyd, Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, Corey Pavin, Colin Montgomerie, Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen, Jim Furyk, Trevor Immelman, Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Martin Kaymer.

Gary Player

Rory McIlroy

Sandy Lyle

Maria Verchenova

Sandra Gal

Padraig Harrington

Nick Faldo

Tommy Fleetwood

Branden Grace

Charl Schwartzel

Jamie Dornan

Ewen Murray

David Livingstone

Paul Lawrie

Nick Dougherty

Beatriz Recari

Jason Connery

Jack Lowden

Oliver Horovitz

Charley Hull

Plus others still to be confirmed‌

Most of these players returned year after year and the event went from strength to strength, attracting the most vibrant and largest galleries of any tournament on the African continent.

Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel (1 each) have combined to win 9 major championships.

breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”

Something which fills Player with pride.

But the world’s greatest and most popular player, Tiger Woods, has only played in the tournament once. In 1998 he lost a dramatic playoff with Nick Price, and the event inspired him to create his own charity event, the World Challenge.

“I am very proud of our South African golfers. They are gentlemen of the game. These men have so much talent, and so much hunger to win. For the size of our country, it’s remarkable to have the amount of Major winners we do” said Player.

“And think of Tiger Woods. I remember how much of an inspiration he was to black children in South Africa when he was winning all those tournaments. They witnessed a black golfer become the most popular athlete in the world.

Invariably the tournament has clashed with the Nedbank Golf Challenge, and Tiger Woods has never returned, his only other appearance in South Africa was at the 2003 Presidents Cup.

“South Africa has been a land of great adversity for many years, and I truly think that this adversity has helped shaped driven, resilient sportsmen and woman.

I’m honoured to call golfers such as Els, Goosen, Immelman, Schwartzel, and Oosthuizen my fellow countrymen, as they have done a large amount to help advance golf in South Africa.”

Given the population split in South Africa it must surely be a source of frustration that he has not played at least once every couple of years in the Rainbow Nation.

“Tiger is absolutely fantastic for the game. He has helped spread the popularity of the game to people from all backgrounds. I would love to see him play more in South Africa. If he did so, I think he would help bolster golf in the country and among our youth”, Player said.

Right now, though, he needs to focus on getting his game back. He needs to regain his swing from the confusion of too many coaches.

For a generation of South Africans though, it was the exploits of Gary Player on the global stage which inspired them to take up the game. Since the start of the 1990’s Ernie Els (4), Retief Goosen (2), Trevor Immelman, Louis

These are the star names of South African golf, and while the colour of a golfer or sportsman is largely irrelevant, it is remarkable that a country which is nearly 80% black has never produced an outstanding black golfer.

“I think this could change very soon”, said Player.

“Sport has the ability to bring people together from all walks of life. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand.

Sport can create hope, where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in

That was so inspirational. Those kids watched first hand an incredible example of why race should never matter in sports, or in life for that matter. I hope Tiger has a comeback in him, because he is so important to the game.

I foresee an athletic big man revolutionizing golf in the future. Imagine a LeBron James type of player dedicating his life to golf. A player that has raw power and coordination.

Golf has never seen this before. We have had phenomenal athletes, from Sam Sneed and Ben Hogan to this younger generation that works hard in the gym.”

Mr Fitness, the Black Knight and the Most Travelled Athlete are just some of the nicknames attributed to Gary Player.

Whatever he may be known as there is no question that his passion for this great game is still burning bright. His contribution to the growth of the game across the world and to The Open Championship is almost without parallel.

Gary Player is the embodiment of why the game of golf should be part of the Olympic Games. He is the ultimate rags to riches story, he embraces the world and all that it has to offer, he lives his life as an athlete and he promotes

the ideals of sportsmanship, integrity and respect. This August he will lead the golfers of his homeland into the Olympic arena for the very first time. Born in Johannesburg in 1935, Gary experienced a hard childhood with his mother dying from cancer when he was just 8 years old and his father working away from home in the gold mines.

He picked up the game of golf at the age of 14, turned professional when he was 17 and played in his first Open Championship at the age of 20 in the 1956 Open, tying for fourth place. His first professional victory came at the East Rand Open in 1955, and he would go on to break almost every record in Southern African golf. He won 13 South African Opens, 11 South African Masters and 4 South African PGA Championships, part of over 70 wins in his homeland.

to be a great champion Gary always knew he would have to win abroad, and around the world. He won the Australian Open a record 7 times, part of 18 tournament victories in Australia; he won titles in Chile, France, Japan, Canada, Spain, England, Egypt and Ivory Coast; and of course he won 24 times on the PGA Tour including 9 Major titles.

His achievement of winning the 1959 Open, 1961 Masters and 1962 US Open helped elevate him to the very top of the game, and he became part of the Big Three alongside Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus.

The trio travelled the world playing in exhibition matches, the Australian Open and the World Match Play Championship, helping to grow the game. And he did it in much more modest transport than today’s pampered stars.

“We did not travel around in private jets back when I first turned professional. Imagine traveling from South Africa to America like I did. Tiny airplanes, four stops, six children, no disposable diapers. Players today truly travel in style. It was necessary for me to play all over the world because I had to make a living by playing in as many tournaments as possible even after I won several Majors,” says Gary.

“Today, guys can win one tournament on the PGA Tour, become a millionaire and be set for a long career. But that makes me so happy. It is incredible how far we have come.”

Because Gary and his peers were prepared to make the arduous journeys across the world the game has grown and it is now at a stage where it can go to Rio and hold its head high among other global sports.

Olympics only occurs every four years, it just would not fit in correctly.

your homeland. What an honour this should be for every person, men and women.

And this is fine for me personally because as we know, golf was not included in the Olympics for more than 100 years so I never had the opportunity. No living golfer has ever played in the games.”

It is different with golf coming back to the games for the first time in 100 years. The spotlight is on us. Maybe it will just take time for players to be fighting for a spot within the professional ranks. It has been welcomed by the top tennis professionals and I think participation will help make our top golf pros feel the same way.

Bearing this in mind I asked him where winning an Olympic Gold would have ranked in his career, had he had the chance to compete in an Olympic Games.

“In my mind golf has and always will be a global game” says Gary.

“The fact that we went 100 years without one of the world’s most popular and important sports in the Olympics was a crying shame. I am so thrilled the appropriate governing bodies took action to really push golf to be included beginning in 2016, 2020 and hopefully beyond.”

Many of the world’s top golfers have turned down the chance to compete in Rio, some due to the worry over the Zika Virus but many also due to prioritising the Majors over the Olympics. It is fair to say that golfers have never dreamed of an Olympic medal, and that the Majors are golf’s Holy Grail. I asked Gary if he thought the Olympics should be treated like a Major Championship.

“No. It should never happen. The career Grand Slam only consists of the four Majors: The Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship. Because the

“Perhaps it would be up there with my finest achievements in golf, which I consider to be winning the career Grand Slam on the Regular Tour as well as on the Senior Tour. Winning it on the Senior Tour actually is tougher because I am the only man ever to do it,” beams Gary.

“I wouldn’t see it as important as our four Majors but what a thrill to have a gold medal. I am always proud to represent my country. That would be my biggest reason. To represent and compete for South Africa on the biggest stage in sports.”

So given that he doesn’t view the Olympics as important as a Major and many of the players agree, I asked Gary what he thought the governing bodies could do to ensure Olympic Golf was important to the players.

“They should not have to do anything special. Players need to take pride in their country, and not think about it as an individual achievement. You are representing

But it is important for golf to have a good showing with lots of public interest and high ratings to keep golf as an annual Olympic sport. We need to make sure golf will be an Olympic sport for the next 100 years. The game will grow in many smaller countries because of our participation in the Olympic Games.”

Given that much of professional golf worldwide is based on 72-hole strokeplay I asked him whether the format for Olympic Golf is correct

“This is currently a big debate,” says Gary “Perhaps not but the best in the world should be invited to play while involving as many countries as possible.

The strokeplay format is good to start with for golf first appearance back in the Olympics. I have always felt it is tougher to win a tournament competing against the whole field, rather than match-play style where you only play a few others during the week.

No doubt the Olympics brings the best in the world to compete, so I anticipate a very entertaining tournament.”

Once it was announced golf would return to the Olympics it was clear a golf course would have to be built for the competition, and to leave a legacy in Rio. From the outset it looked perfect for Mr Player to enter the competition to design and build the course, as a designer of over 300 courses on five continents, but he lost out to the American Gil Hanse. I asked Gary how disappointed was he to miss out and what would he have brought to the table that was different.

“Traveling all over the world as a professional, I’ve been to many countries that take part in the Olympic Games. No doubt we wanted to design the course. We had some great ideas. With nearly 400 courses all over the world, Gary Player Design would have brought decades of experience to the fold. I have not yet seen the course, but looking at the photos the designers did a world-class job.”

Aside from golf’s return to the Olympic Games, I asked Gary how he thought golf could grow around the world and how the World Golf Championships could improve.

“It is interesting they are called World Gold Championships. Three out of four this year are played in the United States. Identical to how the four Majors are set. In my opinion, three of the four WGCs need to be played around the world.

Why not rotate them to different countries each year?

Australia, Europe, Africa, South America, there are so many other places to grow the game. Bring a prestigious match-play event to a place like Abu Dhabi and golf will reap the benefits of the global exposure.”

As of August 2016 we now have World Golf Championships in Mexico and China, and a few years ago the PGA of America talked openly about taking the PGA Championship on tour around the world.

“I have always encouraged the PGA of America to host the PGA Championship outside of the United States. It seems unfair to not involve the rest of the world. The US hosts three Majors annually. Why not bring this as an extra element while golf continues to grow in popularity around the world?” Gary asks.

“A Major in Africa, Asia, South America or Australia would be tremendous for golf. Each continent can take turns hosting the PGA Championship. This needs to happen. I guarantee it will increase the game’s popularity and increase the importance of the championship as well.”

For the vast majority of the competing athletes at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, this will be their first visit to Rio and maybe even Brazil. But for South Africa’s golf captain it is a welcome return to somewhere he enjoyed record-breaking success in over 40 years ago.

“No South African had ever won the Brazilian Open so I saw fit to put my name next to previous winners like Sam Snead and Billy Casper. From the beginning of my

career, I wanted to win on every corner of the globe. I had my eye on South America. It would have been easy to move my family and life to America, and only play on the PGA Tour. But I love my home country and wanted to be golf’s global ambassador. Looking back on my career, I say with certainty that I did my part.”

Player not only went to Brazil with a mission he left with the trophy, twice in three years.

“During my prime this was a very popular tournament to play in. I had never won in South America, so this was one I wanted to add to my worldwide wins. When I won in 1972, I told my wife we would come back so I could win it again, Plus, Brazil is a beautiful country,” In 1972 the tournament was played at the stunning Gavea Golf Club, located some 13 miles east of the Olympic Golf Course, with breathtaking Atlantic views. Five birdies on the back nine on Sunday saw him surge to a whopping 10-stroke victory over former U.S. Amateur champion, Steve Melnyk.

“I played my best round ever as a professional in 1974 when I shot a 59. Not only my best round, but no man had ever broken 60 in a professional national tournament. I had shot sub 60 before in practice rounds, but not under that kind of pressure.” It is testament to the outlook and passion Gary Player has that he treated the Brazilian Open with such respect. The tournament has never had a large prize fund and never attracted a truly deep, world class field, but he wanted to showcase his talent to the world. Not just through television, but to people on the ground and outside the ropes.

An Original feature by Matt Hooper

FROM THE SWILCAN BRIDGE TO THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE, THE MEN WHO TOOK GOLF FROM ITS HOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

ST ANDREWS, FIFE SCOTLAND THE HOME OF GOLF WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

St Andrews was once a place of pilgrimage for thousands of religious pilgrims to the town for many years until the reformation. Nowadays thousands of golfing pilgrims make the journey to East Fife to play the Old Course. It is actually difficult to find a reason, bar the weather, to leave this beautiful and historic town. But St Andrews does have many famous emigrants to other parts of the world.

Old Tom Morris made his name as the keeper of the green and course designer at Prestwick in the 1860’s; Pop star K.T. Tunstall was born here in 1975 and has been nominated for the Mercury Prize in her nearly 30 year career.

Arguably the greatest collection of St Andrews emigrants are the golf professionals which made their own pilgrimage to the United States and North America in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s. They played a pivotal role in establishing the game in the United States and educating Americans on how to swing their golf clubs.

Perhaps the most important of these individuals were John Reid and Robert Lockhart, who were from Dunfermline, a town 35 miles South West of St Andrews. Reid was born in 1840 and emigrated from Scotland to the United States as a teenager and when returning to Scotland he was inspired by talks given by Old Tom Morris outside his shop by the 18 th green of the Old Course. Reid’s friend, Robert Lockhart, who was also from Dunfermline, bought six clubs and 12 gutta percha balls and took them to the US.

Reid borrowed the clubs and tried to show friends how the game was played, over time this evolved into something more formal and eventually in 1888 a club was formed. Reid and Lockhart were joined by Henry O Tallmadge, Harry Holbrook, Kingman H Putnam and Alexander PW Kinman in playing the game at an Apple Orchard in Yonkers, New York.

At the end of their competitions the six used to share a ‘Wee dram’ of Scotch Whisky by one of the Apple Trees, and they quickly became known as the ‘Apple Tree Gang’. The club was formally established as the Saint Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. The club has been on its current site since 1897 and in 1983 the course was redesigned by Jack Nicklaus.

The Saint Andrews Golf Club was one of the clubs which founded the United States Golf Association in 1895 along with Newport Golf Club, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, The Country Club and Chicago Golf Club.

One of the very first St Andreans to find their way to the other side of the Atlantic was James Beveridge. Born in 1872 he became the professional at the former Royal Isle of Wight Golf Club in 1888 and departed the role in 1894 and immigrated to Southampton, New York. There he became the professional at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

Beveridge passed away in 1899, cutting his time as professional on Long Island short.

SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK

WHEATON, ILLINOIS

Beveridge was followed by a flock of professionals from one family, namely the Herds. Fred Herd was born in St Andrews in 1874 and in 1898 he emigrated from the east coast of Scotland to the north east of the United States, specifically to the industrial city of Chicago.

He served his apprenticeship with Forgan and Son, along with William Yeoman. The two would later go on to set up a club making and golf retail business, as I discuss later in this piece. Herd became the club professional at South Shore Country Club on the shores of Lake Michigan in that same year.

He went on to win the 1898 US Open representing South Shore. His tenure at the club lasted until 1920.

Fred was one of five golfing brothers from the home of golf and his older brother David joined him at South Shore in 1919.

Another golfing family from St Andrews was the Foulis’s and in 1895 James Foulis became the head professional at Chicago Golf Club after an offer from CB Macdonald. 12 months later Foulis won the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.

After ten years at the helm James was succeeded by his brother David. He stayed at the Wheaton, Illinois club until 1916.

Another golfing family from St Andrews is of course the Auchterlonies and in 1899 Laurence Auchterlonie came to America as the professional at the St Andrews Golf Club in Yonkers, New York. Laurence had three spells at the club as professional as well as making his way down to Bellevue Country Club in Florida in 1908 and to Ravisloe Country Club near Chicago in 1913. He won the 1902 US Open at Garden City in New York, he is listed as representing Chicago Golf Club although there seems to be no record of him holding the professional’s position at the club.

David Cuthbert was born in St Andrews in 1885 and was a caddie on the links, he became the professional at Huntingdon Valley Country Club in Pennsylvania in 1915.

There were many other Scots who made the journey to the United States, along with the men from the home of golf, St Andrews. Travel to America 100 years ago was an arduous process by boat, usually from Southampton on the south coast of England.

The journey would take anywhere between 7 and 12 days across the Atlantic Ocean and ships did not have the luxurious accommodation and facilities of the later 20 th and early 21st century.

HASTINGS-ON-HUDSON, NEW YORK

Within a dozen years of the game being introduced to the United States there were over 1,000 golf courses across the country. The game was booming, and with the role of the club professional becoming even more important and the demand for equipment spiralling, many sporting goods stores began selling golf equipment to the masses. Fred Herd and William Yeoman set up onE of, if not the first, golf club manufacturing and retail store in the United States in 1910 in Chicago. There were many others in the industrial North and North East United States too, with the likes of Allied Golf Corp. Chicago and ATCO in New York selling golf equipment in their sporting goods stores.

Jack Jolly, from St Andrews, was a pioneer of golf equipment manufacture in the United States. Jolly was a sailor who had stayed in New York after catching Malaria. He was put in charge of the New Jersey affiliate to the St Mungo Company and after meeting James Smart, also from St Andrews, in a Manhattan store, took up the role as professional at Forest Hill Golf Club in New Jersey.

IN the 1920’s and 1930’s two of America’s most prominent department and clothing stores Abercrombie & Fitch and R.H. Macy and Co. sold golf equipment.

It was in MANY department stores across America and Canada that Harry Vardon performed exhibitions in 1900, helping to popularize the game among the American people.

With club makers and club professional’s role growing in importance and evolving it was clear that an association or union for these many thousands of professionals was needed by the mid 1910’s.

Barnes prevailed 3&1 but Hutchison would go on to win the 1920 Championship and on his return to his native St Andrews, as a naturalized American, won the 1921 Open Championship – he was the first US citizen to win the claret jug and remains the last man from St Andrews to win The Open.

And it was another department store which played the pivotal role in making this association into a reality.

Despite that inaugural win by an Englishman, it was only apt that a man from St Andrews, would take his place in the first final of the PGA Championship.

John Wanamaker opened his store, Wanamaker’s, in 1876 and the store was the first department store in Philadelphia.

In 1863 John Wanamaker and his wife Mary Erringer Brown had a child called Lewis Rodman Wanamaker. Rodman joined his father’s business at the age of 23 after studying at Princeton University. In 1889 he went to Paris to manage the Wanamaker Store in the French capital. When his father purchased the former Alexander Turney Stewart business in New York Rodman returned and made it a success.

With his father ageing Rodman took on a more prominent role. He had a passion for golf and on January 17, 1916 he invited a group of 35 golf club professionals and industry representatives to a luncheon in New York at the Taplow Club in the now Radisson Hotel Martinique on Broadway.

After further meetings the Professional Golfers’ Association of America was formally established on April 10, 1916 and the inaugural PGA Championship was contested at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York from 10 to 14 October.

32 professionals contested 36-hole matches over five days with England’s Jim Barnes and St Andrews’ Jock Hutchison reaching the final.

Jock Hutchison was born in St. Andrews, in 1884. He immigrated to the US in the early 1900s, settling in Pittsburgh at the Allegheny Country Club. By 1918, he was at Glen View Club in the Village of Golf, Illinois. In 1919, he became a PGA professional. The PGA and the PGA Championship was off and running. Just as St Andrews played a crucial role in the development of the game and spread of it, they did so in the establishment of what is now the largest operating sports organization in the world.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK USA WHERE GOLF WAS INTRODUCED TO AMERICA

KINGSBARNS OPENED TO THE PUBLIC IN 2000 AND HAS BECOME ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC AND MUST PLAY COURSES IN SCOTLAND IN THE 17 YEARS SINCE. IT GAINED WORLDWIDE ATTENTION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2001 WHEN IT WAS FIRST INCLUDED ON THE ROTA OF COURSES FOR THE ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP. NOW, FOR THE FIRST TIME THE KYLE PHILLIPS’ DESIGNED LINKS ON THE CAMBO ESTATE PLAYS HOST TO A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP. KINGSBARNS WAS USED AS A FINAL QUALIFYING VENUE FOR THE 2013 RICOH WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN WHEN THE CHAMPIONSHIP WAS PLAYED ON THE OLD COURSE IN ST ANDREWS. THE COURSE IS NOTED FOR ITS FAIR BUT CHALLENGING LAYOUT, AND WILL PROVIDE A FUN TEST FOR THE BEST FEMALE GOLFERS IN THE WORLD THIS AUGUST.

IMAGES: KINGSBARNS GOLF LINKS

FOR THE PURPOSES OF PLAYING HOST TO A MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIP AND EVERYTHING WHICH GOES WITH IT, THE COURSE WILL START AT THE USUAL PAR THREE SECOND HOLE AND FINISH AT THE USUAL PAR FOUR FIRST. THIS MEANS KINGSBARNS WILL GET OFF TO A SPECTACULAR START WITH VIEWS UP THE COAST TO ST ANDREWS AND BIRDIE CHANCES AT THE FIRST AND SECOND, A 511-YARD PAR FIVE, THE FRONT NINE OFFERS UP MANY BIRDIE CHANCES AND CAN FORM THE BASE OF A GOOD SCORE. BUT FORGET THE SCORE, EVERYONE WHO PLAYS THIS WEEK WILL HAVE THEIR BREATH TAKEN AWAY BY THE OUTSTANDING VIEWS AT EVERY TURN. THE USUAL NINTH HOLE IS A SPECTACULAR PAR FIVE WHICH WAS MADE FAMOUS BY LEE WESTWOOD’S ALBATROSS TWO IN THE 2003 ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP, THIS WILL PLAY AS THE EIGHTH HOLE.

ARGUABLY THE BEST PART OF KINGSBARNS IS ITS CONSTANT RISK-REWARD NATURE. PAR THREE’S RANGING FROM 135 TO 190 YARDS, PAR FOURS RANGING 320 TO 455 YARDS AND FOUR MAGNIFICENT PAR FIVES RANGING FROM 511 TO 566 YARDS. UNDOUBEDTLY THE MOST OUTSTANDING OF THESE IS THE 566-YARD TWELFTH, WHICH WILL PLAY AS THE ELEVENTH DURING THE WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN. THE HOLE SWEEPS AROUND THE BAY AND FINISHES WITH A WIDE AND SHALLOW GREEN SITTING UNDER THE DUNES. THE VIEWS ARE SPLENDID AND THE RISK IS WORTH THE REWARD ON THIS HOLE GIVEN IT IS TWO THIRDS THROUGH THE ROUND. THE PLAYER WHICH TAKES THE TIGHT LINE UP THE LEFT WILL BE LEFT WITH THE SHORTEST SECOND INTO THE GREEN.

KINGSBARNS HAS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING COLLECTIONS OF PAR THREE HOLES IN SCOTLAND, BEGINNING WITH THE 190-YARD SECOND HOLE (FIRST), WHICH PLAYS DOWNHILL AND GIVES YOU A FIRST VIEW OF THE SEA. EACH PAR THREE ON THE COURSE IS WELL PROTECTED BY TRADITIONAL POT BUNKERS AND THERE ARE A VARIETY OF LENGTHS, WHICH IS ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF THESE OUTSTANDING LINKS. ARGUABLY THE MOST ICONIC PAR THREE HOLES ON THE LINKS IS THE 185-YARD FIFTEENTH (FOURTEEN) WHICH IS PLAYED ACROSS THE SEA TO A WIDE, BUT SHALLOW GREEN. THE FIFTEENTH BRINGS YOU CLOSE TO THE CAMBO ESTATE, WHICH WE WILL BE FEATURING IN OUR LAUNCH EDITION. THE FIFTEENTH WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN DECIDING THE CHAMPION ON SUNDAY.

WITH THE ROUTING OF THE COURSE SLIGHTLY ALTERING FOR THE WOMEN’S BRITISH OPEN THE TRADITIONAL 18 TH AT KINGSBARNS WILL NOW PLAY A DIFFERENT ROLE AS THE 17TH AND WITH THE PRESSURE ON COULD SCUPPER THE HOPES OF THE CONTENDERS ON SUNDAY WITH ITS TOUGH TEE SHOT AND APPROACH TO A TRICKY GREEN. THE ‘CUNDIE’ IN FRONT OF THE GREEN (FROM THE 1700S) WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE FOUND BY ANY SHOT WHICH FINISHES SHORT OF THE GREEN. THE PENULTIMATE GREEN, WITH ADDED PRESSURE COULD ALSO PROVE TRICKY WITH A SEVERE SLOPE BETWEEN THE TIERS, AND PIN POSITION WILL BE PIVOTAL. THE CHAMPIONSHIP WILL CONCLUDE ON THE 405-YARD PAR FOUR 18TH (USUALLY THE FIRST), WHICH DOGLEGS SLIGHTLY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT AND ENDS WITH A TABLE TOP GREEN AND SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF THE SEA AND BACK TOWARDS THE CLUBHOUSE.

The 2013 RICOH Women's British Open will go down in the annals of golf history as one of the truly great major championships, defined by a final day marathon for some and a day which saw many lead changes and more drama than an Opera. It was a day which started at 6.15am and ended around 9pm with photos of the Solheim Cup teams on the Swilcan Bridge, it was a day that saw the rain fall, the wind blow and the sun shine and it was a day which had almost everything golf could possibly offer.

The third round came to a spectacular conclusion with birdies from Morgan Pressel and Suzann Pettersen at the 18th hole, Pressel took the sole lead at 9-under-par and take a 2 shot advantage into the final 18 holes.

Bogeys at 2 and 8 saw the American fall back into the pack of 5 players who were in contention for the title, at one stage on the front nine we had a four way tie between NaYeon Choi, Morgan Pressel, Stacy Lewis and Hee-Young Park at 8-under-par, with Suzann Pettersen 2 strokes back on 6.Korea's Na-Yeon Choi made birdie at 10 to reach 9-under and as she did that her challengers melted away, Hee-Young Park made bogeys at 12, 13 and 14, Morgan Pressel made double-bogey at 12 and Stacy Lewis dropped shots at 11 and 12.

The 2012 US Open Champion had a three-shot lead with 6 holes to play. It was all over bar the shouting. But this is golf and major championship golf at that. Bogey from Choi at 13 and birdie from Lewis at 14 closed the gap to one, Lewis then bogeyed 15 but Choi also bogeyed 14 to leave her at -7, 1 ahead of the American. Lewis playing 2 groups ahead of Choi then found the 17th fairway 160 yards from the front edge of the green, she saw in her mind a low 5-iron and she hit the shot as she saw it, into the front of the green and it rolled up to a few feet from the hole and she holed the putt for an astounding and critical birdie. She had tied the lead with 1 hole to play.

She hit a long drive on 18 and was left with a 40-yard pitch or, as she chose, a long putt to set up a birdie chance.

Leaving herself with a putt from behind the hole, slight left to right break and it was her experience of playing over 15 rounds on the Old Course across the 2008 Curtis Cup and 2013 British Open that stood her in good stead for this moment.

"I remember one of my matches in the Curtis Cup, the pin was in that similar place, and I remember having a putt back up the hill and leaving it short. So that's the kind of the mistake there is to not get the putt to the hole, because you see the swale (Valley of Sin) on the other side, you think it's downhill, but it's actually back up the hill. I knew what that putt did, right off the face, it looked pretty good, and it was pretty cool when it went in".

Pressel and Choi bogeyed 17 to effectively hand Lewis the title, but make no mistake the 28-year-old from Texas won this in the most remarkable fashion possible, birdieing

arguably the two most famous holes in all of golf when it mattered. Not on Thursday like Catriona Matthew did, but in the heat of battle on Sunday in a Major, that is class and that is historic.

It is in my opinion without question the greatest championship we have seen at the Home of Golf since the 1984 Open won by Seve, it produced the best finish we have seen on the Old Course in 29 years and we had many of the world's best contending right the way until the end until Lewis produced her remarkable finale.

Women's golf around the world has a very healthy future, they have a gaggle of young, talented and marketable stars from every corner of the globe and championships like the 2013 RICOH Women's British Open enhance and confirm it.