187 - St. Andrews (Castle Course)

Location: St. Andrews, Scotland

Rating: 9.1

After playing the Old Course the day before we weren’t sure how that experience could be bettered. Needless to say the Castle Course in my opinion is arguably a better course. It doesn’t have the buzz of sitting in the middle of the town nor have the spectators lining the 1st/18th fairways but it’s an awesome design.

The course is way more undulating than the Old Course, you start by making your way up the hill and slowly continue to climb before heading down towards the 9th. The fairways are generous yet the wind can be intimidating, they are undulating but littered with fairway bunkers to create the challenge and if that’s not hard enough the greens are big, wide and have different levels. Most of the greens have stunning views and some like infinity ones with steep drop offs over the back and views over the North Sea. All the holes are interesting, each unique and equally fun to play however the 17th is an extraordinary hole. Hitting across a gorge into a howling cross wind is not something I’ve done before and after a first attempt me and my playing partner decided to aim way out over the ocean and bring it back towards the green, worked perfectly!

It’s a really fun course, reminds me a bit more like Trump International just slightly less dramatic and more playable for your average golfer. There’s a driving range right next to the clubhouse with unlimited, great quality balls and the clubhouse itself is a unique building, circular in shape with the pro shop housed right in the middle.

Another awesome experience courtesy of St Andrews and would definitely recommend playing it!