PIN HIGH
Featuring varied topography, including a rock on the left side of the No. 6 fairway to use as a line off the tee, as well as obstacles aplenty including 69 total bunkers and plenty of red rock and desert vegetation, Sand Hollow’s back-9 is truly unforgettable. The par-3 11th with nothing but danger off to the right signifies a theme to come as the next few holes are played along a steep cliff. Balls get lost into the abyss to the left, while giant red rocks on the right can either be helpful or detrimental. I had the urge to take out my camera as much as my clubs as we continued our round on what seemed like another planet. If only my game was out of this world … Heading back to the clubhouse is equally as pleasing on the eye as you wind down the cart path surrounded by more red rocks to leave a lasting impression that you played a truly unique track. St. Andrews Strathtyrum Course St. Andrews, Scotland It was a picturesque day. Clouds blanketed the sky as the threat of rain seemed to loom at every turn. A stiff breeze bellowed off of St. Andrews Bay. Did I die and go to heaven? No. Better. I went to golf heaven.
It was my first trip to Scotland, so it couldn’t have been even more perfect to spend a day at the Home of Golf: St. Andrews. I heard about the seaside town countless times before, but kind of like visiting The Masters and Augusta National, you won’t believe it—and more importantly feel it—until you’re actually there with your feet on the ground. Surprisingly, it was better than I could have imagined. Everything and everyone oozed golf. Like the oxygenated air that gets pumped into casinos, there was something in the air above St. Andrews that left me intoxicated. After biding our time to scurry onto the 18th fairway on the Old Course for an efficient photoshoot at Swilcan Bridge, we regained our composure to focus on the task at hand: playing golf. While we didn’t play the Old Course, we were introduced to St. Andrews Links via the Strathtyrum Course. Opened in 1993 to complement the tougher championship layouts at the Home of Golf, our experience was stereotypical Scottish golf. Opting for a cart just in case it rained—it did—despite friendly banter from locals, we set about on our St. Andrews adventure. What Strathtyrum lacks in bunkers (15), it makes up for in strategy and target golf.
"Sand Hollow’s back-9 is truly unforgettable. The par-3 11th with nothing but danger off to the right signifies a theme to come as the next few holes are played along a steep cliff."
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