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The Duke's St. Andrews ©You've just spent a fortune for a face lift, a tummy-duck, and a hair transplant. You''ve slimmed down and purchased expensive clothing and jewelry. Everyone who knows you says you look marvelous. Just as important, they say you're great fun to be with. Then you're invited to a dinner party in the most exclusive neighborhood in the world and are seated at a table with the world's most famous and beautiful people. Got the picture? Think you would get much attention?That's how The Duke's St. Andrews must feel. There it sits, smack dab in the middle of the most famous golfing area in the world, bedecked in garlands of heather and clothed in the most beautiful of nature's finery. The Duke's even has stunning panoramic views of the surrounding counryside and overlooks the town of St. Andrews.
The golf course has undergone a million dollar face lift that's made it a much more challenging and enjoyable layout. Yet, not more than ten minutes away is Mecca--The Old Course-- every golfer's dream play. Fifteen minutes from that is Kingsbarns,a golf course that's on just about veryone's Top 100. Another ten minutes takes you to the corner of Fife where the North Sea meets the Firth of Forth and the venerable Crail Balcomie links sits. And to top it off, less than an hour's drive to the north the ever-challenging Carnoustie beckons. What's a golfer to do? Then add to the equation the fact that almost every other golf course in the area is a Scottish links course and The Duke's is a heathland course. If you were The Duke's Course wouldn't you be templed to feel the world is a black tuxedo and you are a pair of brown shoes!
I first played The Duke's Course several years ago and thought the layout was okay but the maintenance was less than satisfactory. In winter of 2007 I happened to be watching the Duke's Skins Game on TV (played, obviously, on the Duke's Course) featuring a multitude of British and American professional golfers and won by Darren Clark. I was impressed with what he and the other professionals were saying about the course. So I decided to give it another try. I met with Neil Paton, the Head Professional at The Duke's Course and Andy Campbell the Manager and they told me about the extensive changes that had taken place and were still ongoing. Away From the Sea The Duke's St. Andrews is owned by the Old Course Hotel St. Andrews Golf Resort and Spa. Yes, the very hotel you have to hit over when you tee off on the 17th hole of St. Andrews Old Course. A hotel's golf course is usually right next to it, but considering that the hotel is in the middle of the St. Andrews Trust's six courses, it was impossible to obtain the land to build aother golf course. Instead, the hotel purchased 333 acres of farmland on the outskirts of town and in 1995 opened the course. The all-new redesigned Duke's Course is in great shapeI was very pleased to find it is now in excellent shape--and getting better by the week. Thousands of heather shrubs have been planted, trees trimmed and bunkers redesigned and added. The fairways have matured so that every ball that lands in the fairway has some grass underneath. The ball rolls true on the excellent greens and the bunkers--(see the photo of a typical bunker)--add a touch of fear as you eyed up each shot. And the layout has changed quite drastically. Par 4s and 5s have been changed to add to the flow of the course. For instance, the last four holes were pars 5,4,3,4. They are now pars 4,3,4,4. The last hole in particular used to be a 381 yard par 4 slog up hill. Because of the change in elevation and the 3 foot high wall about 25 yards in front of the green, there was no rolling your second shot to the green so the hole played as if it were closer to 450 yards. And with a stiff wind in your face it became a par 6 for a mid-handicapper like me. Now it's been redesigned into a more manageable finishing hole and one I have at least a chance of parring.
The Duke's course is no pushover The Duke's is a full-fledged championship course, greens included, and few golfers will play to their handicap on it. (In fact, during the Skins Game in 2007, there was not one birdie by the professionals who played it.) In contrast to most of the other course in the area, however, it is not a Scottish links course but rather an inland, heathland course with lots of hills and trees and changes in elevations. What it does share with St. Andrews Old Course is plenty of bunkers--many of them pot bunkers and all of them grizzly looking and as au natural as they would have been a century ago. Another aspect it shares with Scottish links golf is that on many holes you can putt from far off the greens. So many inland courses are like the courses in the USA, i.e. the apron around the green is usually cut much longer than the grass on the green itself. This makes it unlikely you will choose to putt from off the green and so you usually end up using a lofted iron to chip onto the green. Not so in Scottish links golf or golf at many holes on The Duke's Course. Often you can putt from quite far off the green. And, by the way, it's a good idea to putt every chance you get. Next time you find yourself off the green and the grass is short enough, put that iron away and try your putter.
The Duke's is a thinking person's golf courseManagement 101 -- First off, get yourself a yardage book before going out. The Duke's yardage book is the best I've ever seen bar none. It is a bit pricy, but if you don't have a caddie or are playing with someone who knows the golf course, it's worth every penny. Next, match your game to one of the five available tees. They go from the Blue tees which play to 7,002 yards to the Red tees at 5,216. (The competition Black tees which play to 7,512 yards? Fuggedaboudit!) Pay particular attention to the flag location and the terracing of the greens. If you are at the wrong end of a terraced green, you have little hope of one-putting and a good chance of three putting. And speaking of the greens, many of them are inverted saucer-shaped, so be careful coming in. You don't want to come in hot and fall off the back or hit short and not be able to roll onto the green. This is a thinking person's course, and If you manage the course properly you can save quite a few strokes.
There are punishing bunkers on many holes. These are not slap-on-the-hand bunkers, they mean business and can easily cost you 2 strokes or more. As you can see from the photo below, they look like the outside of an old man's ears! If you're heading for a bunker pray that it lands in the sand and doesn't stop shorty in the "ear hairs!" And if you do manage to get caught in one, the first rule is to get your ball out. "Duh," you say? Believe me, if you've never been in a Scottish pot bunker you don't know how punishing they can be. Rule #1 is "just get out." Even if you have to hit backwards, just get out. Don't try to get too fancy, it will cost you big time (one more time!) JUST GET OUT! And as you will note below, some holes have plenty of bunkers.
There are many memorable holes. I really like the look of the 11th, a par 5 with a SI of 1. It's a real beauty--physically and tactically. (See photos of yardage book above.) The fairway is long and undulating and calls for a long, straight drive. Any hope for an eagle calls for another long shot over a creek that is only 45 yards from the front of an inverted saucer green. It is downhill but at 501 from the whites and a monstrous 613 from the blues, I doubt there are many eagles on this beauty. My advice, take your par here and be happy. The 13th is one of those driveable par 4s because, although it's 363 yards from the white tees and 405 from the blues, you are teeing off from far above the green (with wonderful views of the adjoining countryside to the north) and there's nothing to stop a well-struck straight drive from rolling onto the green. Of course what goes down must go up. The 15th is a severe uphill test of aerobic conditioning and endurance and with six bunkers guarding the green and an SI of 3, is quite a test. By the way, unlike most golf courses in Scotland, electric buggies (golf carts) are allowed. Those who have trouble walking may want to take advantage of this service on this hilly golf course.
So what's the verdict? If this golf course were anywhere else but in Fife with all the truly great Scottish links golf courses in the area, I would tell you to be sure to play it. But if you're in the area for only a short time, you may want to play some of the others links courses I've written up before playing this one. However, if you have time or if it's your second trip to the St Andrews area, be sure to give it a try. The course is kept in fantastic shape and if you give it a play, I believe you'll like it. The Golf Nook rating -- BIRDIE
There is a good bar/restaurant--a nice place for an after-round drink or meal. It's inexpensive and the food is well prepared and good tasting and served by a very friendly staff..
www.playthedukes.html *For WHAT TO DO ALL DAY see St. Andrews area |
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