Yet somehow, I still found myself deep in one—OK, maybe two—of the pot bunkers. Those “cunningly placed” bunkers and endless amounts of sand and fescue don’t make the course a pushover by any means, though it is more attainable than the Old Course. After rightfully donating a few balls to the golf gods at the Home of Golf, I settled down and stopped putting pressure on myself to score well, realizing this was a once-in-a-lifetime—though hopefully not—opportunity. The name of the game at Strathtyrum is accuracy—not just off the tee, but with your irons and putter as well. While the greens are large, their slopes and borrows can cause even the most confident putters to shake in the wake. Stop to soak in unbeatable views of the town from a number of holes, including beyond the greens on No. 8 and 9. A split fairway on 18 tests your final few shots to the very end of the round as you return to the clubhouse to warm up with a whisky. With greens fees ranging between £25-55 depending on the time of year, the 5,628-yard, par-69 Strathtyrum Course is a perfect introduction to St. Andrews Links, making you yearn to return time and time again in an attempt to conquer the rest of the historic golf courses.
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