Sports

Golf

Link to the past

St. Andrews has a steep history and famous connections, even without golf.

By BOB HARIG
Published July 13, 2005

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ST. ANDREWS, Scotland - At the place they call the home of golf, where the first holes were laid out and where the game's first real superstar is laid to rest, visitors from all over the world come to pay homage.

It is not unlike a religious experience to visit the Old Course, golf's Mecca.

At one time, there were 22 holes on the ground where the 134th Open Championship will commence Thursday, scaled back to the present day 18 when it was deemed eight holes were too short and converted to four longer ones.

That was in 1764, more than 100 years before the first British Open was played here, but more than 200 years after they started playing the game with sticks and stones in this town that dates to the eighth century.

Yes, there is some history in St. Andrews, where about 18,000 people reside.

And it's not all about golf.

St. Andrews University saw three men who signed the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin, pass through its halls. The St. Andrews Cathedral, started in 1130 and completed in 1318, was eventually taken down, replaced by a cemetery.

Many buildings in town were built with the remnants from the old church - and are still standing.

St. Rule's Church has nothing to do with how golf is played, and the Restoration was not about the reshaping of bunkers on the Old Course.

"This is a historical town, a university town," said Bradley Bailey, site steward for the St. Andrews Cathedral visitor center - and unlikely to watch one shot played at the Open this week. "Golf is obviously a very important part of the town. And many will come just for that.

"But maybe by the end of their time, they'll be a little sated on the golf and will come here for their obligatory nod to culture."

Some 100 yards from the R&A Clubhouse, which was built in 1854 and became the home to golf's governing body outside of the United States in 1897, sits the Martyrs Monument, where those "in support of the Protestant Faith Suffered Death by Fire."

Not far from there, also within a Tiger Woods 8-iron shot of the Old Course's 18th green, is Witches Lake, where those thought to deal in witchcraft were put to death in the 1500s. According to legend, anyone accused would have her thumbs tied to her toes before being pushed into the sea below. Those who floated were considered guilty and subsequently burned at the stake. Those who drowned were deemed innocent.

They didn't take such harsh measures against golfers, but three times the game was banned in St. Andrews because it was considered distracting to bowmen who were supposed to be practicing archery.

Nonetheless, golf would not go away. The original 13 articles were founded by the Society of St. Andrews Golfers in 1754.

Yet to many, St. Andrews is so much more than the Old Course. Being the home of Scotland's first university and its largest cathedral had an enormous pull.

"I didn't know any of that in the first 20 years I came here," said Australia's Peter Thomson, who won the second of his five British Open titles here 50 years ago. "I had no idea what was happening in the town. So that's what happens to the golfer's life here. This is an amazing place, historically. It's very unique, this place. And the golfers who play professional golf never know."

They are missing out on plenty - from The Scores, the road that runs from the ruins of the Bishop's Castle to the Old Course, to the remains of St. Andrews Cathedral, which was destroyed after 1559 and became a favorite burial ground.

That is where three former Open champions are buried - Tom Morris Sr., Tom Morris Jr. and Willie Auchterlonie - along with the game's first true golf professional, Allan Robertson, who was the first person on record to break 80 in an 18-hole round.

Morris Sr., in addition to being a fine player, spent many years nurturing the Old Course. He designed dozens of courses around Scotland, but St. Andrews is where he spent most of his later years. He was 87 when he died here in 1908.

Over time, St. Andrews evolved into a historic place for golf, too. The Open will be played here for the 27th time, dating to 1873, when it was won by Tom Kidd. Woods won the last Open here in 2000.

"Certainly the local people are well aware of how it brings tourism into the town," said David Joy, a St. Andrews historian. "The Open is sort of a traveling circus, but golf is played here all year. For most people, golf is a way of life. In America ... I don't want to say it's an elitist sport, but it can be expensive. But my son pays nothing at all for his golf until age 16. And he can play five courses. As locals, we pay 100 pounds (about $190) per year and get access to all the courses, including the Old Course.

"As locals, we get very bad publicity. You've got to understand that for over seven centuries, this has sort of been willed to us."

No doubt, the gouging of tourists can be a sore spot. Locals get to play the Old Course for a virtual pittance, while an outsider who books a tour might pay $250 or more. Even those who show up for the daily lottery - names in by 2 p.m., players picked by 4 p.m. for the next day's play - are paying a hefty price.

"They have fallen into the tourism trap," said David Findlay, who owns the East Neuk Hotel, a bed & breakfast in nearby Crail. "There is a niche, I understand. But they play on the notion that we all wear kilts and eat haggis over here. Fundamentally, that doesn't work for me as a Scotsman. I know they are trying to build the tourist trade. But I think they have lost the value of what they are all about. They could do more to sell the historic value."

Certain things, however, sell themselves.

When Prince William, the oldest son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, enrolled at St. Andrews University, a local proprietor immediately noticed a difference at the school.

"I think it doubled its numbers - with women," said Paul Hughes, whose Old Castle Tavern is billed as the oldest pub in St. Andrews, dating back some 400 years. "Will," as Hughes called him, often hung out in his pub, never having to buy a drink.

Perhaps that can be traced to the friendliness of the people. The "Auld Gray Toon" might be medieval, but it also has many modern touches. Walk along the main drag, Market Street, and you'll find a Starbucks and a Subway, albeit housed in 600-year-old buildings.

"It's an amazing town," Hughes said. "Laid back. Everybody's friendly. Everybody helps each other out. It has a mix of students, locals, tourists."

And golfers.

[Last modified July 13, 2005, 01:09:34]

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