Old Course at St Andrews

The Old Course at St Andrews, also known as the Old Lady or the Grand Old Lady,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> is considered the oldest golf course<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=yard>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in the world. It is a public course over common land in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is held in trust by the St Andrews Links Trust under an act of Parliament. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews clubhouse sits adjacent to the first tee, although it is but one of many clubs (St Andrews Golf Club, the New Golf Club, St Regulus Ladies Golf Club and the St Rule Club are the others with clubhouses) that have playing privileges on the course, along with some other non-clubhouse owning golf clubs and the general public. Originally known as the "golfing grounds" of St Andrews, it was not until the New Course was opened in 1895 that it became known as the Old Course.<ref name="Cook2016">Template:Cite book</ref>

History

The Old Course at St Andrews is considered by many to be the "home of golf" because the sport was first played on the links at St Andrews in the early 15th century. Golf was becoming increasingly popular in Scotland until James II of Scotland banned the game in 1457 because he felt that young men were playing too much golf instead of practising their archery.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The ban was upheld by James III, and remained in force until 1502, when James IV became a golfer himself and removed the ban.<ref>Andrew Leibs (2004). "Sports and Games of the Renaissance". p. 69. Greenwood Publishing Group,</ref>

Governance

In 1552, Archbishop John Hamilton gave the townspeople of St Andrews the right to play on the links. In 1754, 22 noblemen, professors, and landowners founded the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This society would eventually become the precursor to The R&A which is the governing body for golf everywhere outside of the United States and Mexico.<ref name=bhl>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> St Andrews Links had a scare when they went bankrupt in 1797.<ref name=bhl/> The Town Council of St Andrews decided to allow rabbit farming on the golf course to challenge golf for popularity. Twenty years of legal battling between the golfers and rabbit farmers ended in 1821 when a local landowner and golfer named James Cheape of Strathtyrum bought the land and is credited with saving the links for golf.<ref name=oce>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The course evolved without the help of any one architect for many years, though notable contributions to its design were made by Daw Anderson in the 1850s and Old Tom Morris (1865–1908), who designed the 1st and 18th holes. Originally, it was played over the same set of fairways out and back to the same holes. As interest in the game increased, groups of golfers would often be playing the same hole, but going in different directions.<ref name=oce/>

Influence on modern golf

File:TomMorrisesFeature-RHP414(Whole) (1).jpg

Plan of the Golfing course over the links of St Andrews surveyed by order of the Royal St Andrews Golfing Society

The Old Course was pivotal to the development of how the game is played today. For instance, in 1764, the course had 22 holes and the members would play the same hole going out and in with the exception of the 11th and 22nd holes. William St Clair of Roslin as the captain of The Captain and Gentlemen Golfers authorized changes to St Andrews on 4 October 1764.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He decided that the first four and last four holes on the course were too short and should be combined into four total holes (two in and two out). St Andrews then had 18 holes and that was how the standard of 18 holes was created.<ref>Forrest L. Richardson (2002). "Routing the Golf Course: The Art & Science That Forms the Golf Journey". p. 46. John Wiley & Sons</ref> Around 1863, Old Tom Morris had the 1st green separated from the 17th green, producing the current 18-hole layout with 7 double greens and 4 single greens. The Old Course is home of The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. The Old Course has hosted this major 30 times since 1873, most recently in 2022. The 30 Open Championships that the Old Course has hosted is more than any other course, and The Open is currently played there every five years.

Old Course and Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones (who later founded Augusta National) first played St Andrews in the 1921 Open Championship. During the third round, he infamously hit his ball into a bunker on the 11th hole. After he took four swings at the ball and still could not get out, he lost his temper and continued the round, but did not turn in his score card, disqualifying himself. However, he did continue to play in the fourth round. Six years later, when the Open Championship returned to St Andrews, Jones also returned. Not only did he win, he also became the first amateur to win back-to-back Open Championships. He won wire-to-wire, shooting a 285 (7-under-par), which was the lowest score at either a U.S. Open or Open Championship at the time. He ended up winning the tournament by a decisive six strokes.

In 1930, Jones returned to St Andrews for the British Amateur.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He won, beating Roger Wethered by a score of 7 and 6 in the final match. He subsequently won the other three majors, making him the only man in the history of the sport to win the Grand Slam. Jones went on to fall in love with the Old Course for the rest of his life. Years later, he said "If I had to select one course upon which to play the match of my life, I should have selected the Old Course." In 1958 the town of St Andrews gave Jones the key to the city; he was only the second American to receive the honour (after Benjamin Franklin in 1759). After he received the key, he said "I could take out of my life everything but my experiences here in St Andrews and I would still have had a rich and full life."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Features and hazards

ESPN has said of the course, "No other golf course has as many famous landmarks as St. Andrews, its 112 bunkers and endless hills and hollows have been cursed for centuries, and many have their own names and legends."<ref name="ESPN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1949, the last bunker to be filled in on the course was Hull bunker on the 15th fairway.<ref name="Golf Monthly2"/>

Hole(s)	Name of hazard or feature	Type of hazard or feature	Notes	Image (Click to expand)
All holes on the course	colspan="2" Template:N/A {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	Until the 19th century, the Old Course was played in a clockwise direction. Old Tom Morris separated the 1st and 17th greens around 1870. From then, the course was played in an anti-clockwise direction on alternate weeks in order to let the grass recover better.<ref name="Golf Monthly 1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref> The general method of play now is anti-clockwise, although clockwise play has been permitted on one day each year in recent years. The course is closed on Sundays to let the course rest.<ref name=NYT61215>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="NatClub"/> On some Sundays, the course turns into a park for all the townspeople who come out to stroll, picnic and otherwise enjoy the grounds.
	colspan="2" Template:N/A {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	The first (front) nine holes of the course have white flags, while the back nine holes (except the 18th hole) have red flags. The 18th green has a white flag so that it can be seen in front of the red Hamilton Grand building.<ref name="Open">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|||File:The Old Course 7th (white) & 17th (red) flags.png 7th hole (white flag) 17th hole (red flag)
1 and 18	The Swilcan Burn	Water hazard (Watercourse)	This waterway flows from St Andrews into St Andrews Bay across the Old Course	File:Swilken Burn (St Andrews)-geograph-5530286-by-Tim-Glover.jpg The Swilcan Burn {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	Swilcan Bridge	Footbridge	This is a small stone bridge spanning the Swilcan Burn. The bridge is about Template:Convert long, Template:Convert wide and Template:Convert tall. Originally built at least 700 years ago to help shepherds get livestock across the Swilcan Burn.	File:Swilken Bridge - geograph.org.uk - 999441.jpg The Swilcan Bridge {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	Grannie Clark's Wynd	Footpath	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was once used to haul boats from the town centre down to the West Sands Beach.<ref name="LAT"/> || File:Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th hole on the Old Course @ St Andrews-geograph-5515245-by-Scott-Cormie.jpg Grannie Clark's Wynd {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	colspan="2" Template:N/A {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Golf Monthly2"/> However, until about 1840 a large bunker called Halket's bunker was in the middle of the fairway, which was then filled in.<ref name="Golf Monthly2"/>||File:Old Course St Andrews The 18th Fairway - geograph.org.uk - 361966.jpg The 1st and 18th holes {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
1, 9, 17 and 18	colspan="2" Template:N/A {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}	The 1st, 9th, 17th and 18th holes have their own greens. All other holes have shared greens.<ref name="standrewsopen">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
2 and 17	Cheape's bunker	Bunker	This bunker is named after Sir James Cheape who bought the golf course from rabbit farmers in 1821.<ref name="Hole 2"/> A later generation of the family sold the golf course onto The Royal and Ancient in 1892, who a year later sold it onto the town of St Andrews.<ref name="Hole 2">Template:Cite news</ref>
3	Cartgate bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||File:St.Andrews Old Course, 3rd Hole, Cartgate out (geograph 5515114).jpg
4	Students' bunker	Bunker	Three small bunkers about 50 yards short of the green allegedly once popular with students wanting to seduce ladies.<ref name="Hole 4">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 4th Hole, Ginger Beer (geograph 5515121).jpg
5	The Spectacles bunkers	Bunkers	Two bunkers positioned either side of the approach to the 5th green.<ref name="Hole 5">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 5th Hole, Hole O'Cross out (geograph 5515132).jpg
	Seven Sisters	Bunkers	The Seven Sisters bunkers were excavated after the 1905 Open by removing the whins.<ref name="Golf Monthly2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
5 and 14	The Elysian Fields	Fairway	The fairway between the Beardies bunkers and out of bounds.<ref name="Irish Times"/>
6	Nick's bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>|| File:Bunkers, 6th hole, St Andrews Old Course - geograph.org.uk - 2405160.jpg The 6th bunker {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
7 and 11	Cockleshell bunker	Bunker	A large bunker between the 7th and 11th holes.<ref name="Uni">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="FriedEgg2"/>
7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12	The Loop	A group of 6 holes	Six crisscrossing holes at the far end of the course.<ref name="ESPN"/>
8	Short Hole bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||File:St.Andrews Old Course, 8th Hole, Short (geograph 5515152).jpg
9	Boase's bunker	Bunkers	Deep pot bunkers<ref name="Hole 9">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 9th Hole, End (geograph 5515157).jpg
	End hole bunker	Bunkers	Deep pot bunkers<ref name="Hole 9"/>
10	Kruger bunkers	Bunkers	Built during the Second Boer War when the British were fighting in the Transvaal Republic, whose president was Paul Kruger. The bunkers are called Mrs Kruger and Kruger's mistress.<ref name="Hole 10">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 10th Hole, Bobby Jones (geograph 5515162).jpg
11	Hill bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="NatClub">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="FriedEgg2"/>|| rowspan="4"|File:St.Andrews Old Course, 11th Hole, High in (geograph 5515168).jpg
	Strath bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="FriedEgg2"/>
	Eden bunker	Bunker	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Shelly bunker	Bunker	<ref name="FriedEgg2"/>
12	Stroke bunker	Bunker	It is said that once a ball goes in it, the golfer loses at least one stroke.<ref name="Hole 12">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 12th Hole, Heathery in (geograph 5515174).jpg
	Admiral's bunker	Bunker	citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
13	Walkinshaw bunker	Bunker	Legend has it that it was named after a local golfer who kept going into it.<ref name="Hole 13">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 13th Hole, Hole O'Cross in (geograph 5515181).jpg
	Lions Mouth bunker	Bunker	<ref name="Irish Times"/>
	Coffin bunkers	Bunker	A group of three bunkers located in the centre of the 13th fairway. The shape gives the bunkers their name.<ref name="Hole 6">Template:Cite news</ref>
14	The Beardies bunkers	4 bunkers	Four small bunkers that are said to be difficult to mow, hence the name.<ref name="Hole 14">Template:Cite news</ref>
	Kitchen bunker	Bunker	A small pot bunker originally shaped like a coffin.<ref name="FriedEgg">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>
	Benty bunker	Bunker	<ref name="FriedEgg"/>
	Hell bunker	Bunker	Golf Monthly said that it is "one of the world's most notorious golfing hazards". It covers an area of Template:Convert and between Template:Convert and Template:Convert deep.<ref name="Golf Monthly">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Hole 14"/> ||File:Hell Bunker, 14th hole, Old Course, St.Andrews-geograph-5178864-by-Scott-Cormie.jpg Hell bunker {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	Grave bunker	Bunker	<ref name="FriedEgg"/>
	Pulpit bunker	Bunker	A pot bunker just above Hell bunker. Golf Monthly said it is so named because "you can look down into Hell (bunker)".<ref name="Golf Monthly"/>
15	Miss Grainger's Bosoms	2 Mounds	Two prominent mounds on the 15th hole, named for prominent local 19th-century golfer Agnes Grainger.<ref name="ESPN"/> She used to be a member of the St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club.<ref name="todaygolfer">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||rowspan="4"|File:St.Andrews Old Course, 15th Hole, Cartgate in (geograph 5515199).jpg
	Cottage bunker	Bunker	Refers to Pilmour Cottage, which is now Pilmour House and the Eden Clubhouse.<ref name="Glenderran"/>
	Rob's bunkers	Bunkers	<ref name="Irish Times"/>
	Sutherland bunker	Bunker	In 1869 a tiny bunker about 260 yards behind the much bigger Cottage bunker was filled in only to reappear three days later. The golfer thought to be responsible for restoring it was one AG Sutherland. While it was ultimately determined that Sutherland wasn't the culprit, he had the bunker named after him anyway.
16	Principal's Nose bunkers	4 bunkers	Legend has it that the bunkers are either named for Mr Haldane, a 19th-century head of St Mary's College who reportedly had a prominent nose, or are a reference to the front porch of Sir Hugh Playfair's South Street House, which was nicknamed thus.<ref name="Hole 16">Template:Cite news</ref>	File:St.Andrews Old Course, 16th Hole, Corner of the Dyke-geograph-5515205-by-Scott-Cormie.jpg Principal's Nose bunkers {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	Deacon Sime bunker	Bunker	About 30 yards beyond the Principal's Nose cluster.<ref name="Liveabout"/>
	Grant's bunker	Bunker	<ref name="Liveabout"/>
	Wig bunker	Bunker	<ref name="Liveabout"/>
17 (The Road Hole)	The old railway sheds (part of the Old Course Hotel)	Previously railway sheds.	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Open"/>	File:17th Hole, Old Course. The Old Course Hotel, St Andtrews2406188 9637bbe7 (cropped).jpg Old railway sheds {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Herald">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Bunker || The Herald has called the bunker "The most notorious golf hazard in the world."<ref name="Herald"/><ref name="Open"/> || File:Road hole bunker.jpg Road Hole bunker {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
	Scholar's bunker	Bunker	<ref name="Glenderran"/>
	The Old Station Road and stone wall (out of bounds)	Single-track road	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Open"/> || File:The Road - geograph.org.uk - 1441857.jpg Old Station Road & wall {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
18	Valley of Sin	Depression	This is an Template:Convert deep depression along the front before the 18th putting green.<ref name="Hole 18">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>||File:The 18th (Tom Morris) Hole on the Old Course (St Andrews).jpg

The Open Championship

The Open has been staged at the Old Course at St Andrews 30 times. The following is a list of the champions:

Year	Winner	Score					Notes
		R1	R2	R3	R4	Total
1873	Template:Flagicon Tom Kidd	91	88	–	–	179	This was the first time the Open Championship was played on an 18-hole course. Instead of three rounds of 12 holes, there were two rounds of 18. Kidd won £11.
1876	Template:Flagicon Bob Martin 1st	86	90	–	–	176	Due to a controversial ruling, Bob Martin finished in a tie for first. In protest, his opponent Davie Strath refused to participate so Martin walked the course and became the Open Champion. He won £10.
1879	Template:Flagicon Jamie Anderson 3rd	84	85	–	–	169	With this win, Jamie Anderson became the first person to break 170 in the Open Championship. He won £10.
1882	Template:Flagicon Bob Ferguson 3rd	83	88	–	–	171	This was the third straight Open Championship for Ferguson. He won £12.
1885	Template:Flagicon Bob Martin 2nd	84	87	–	–	171	The second of Martin's Open Championship wins, he won £10.
1888	Template:Flagicon Jack Burns	86	85	–	–	171	Burns won after his score was re-added, giving him a one-stroke victory. The winner's share was £8.
1891	Template:Flagicon Hugh Kirkaldy	83	83	–	–	166	Kirkaldy set the tournament record with his 166. This was also the last Open Championship that was 36 holes. The winner's share was £10.
1895	Template:Flagicon J.H. Taylor 2nd	86	78	80	78	322	This was the first Open to be played over two days (36 holes a day) and a total of 72 holes at St Andrews. He shot the first sub-80 rounds at St Andrews. The winner's share was £30.
1900	Template:Flagicon J.H. Taylor 3rd	79	77	78	75	309	This open marked the first time the "Great Triumvirate" finished 1-2-3. That was the name given to the three golfers who dominated the game in the late 19th century to the early 20th century. From 1894 to 1914, J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon, and James Braid combined to win 16 Open Championships. This was Taylor's third of five Open Championships. The winner's share was £50.
1905	Template:Flagicon James Braid 2nd	81	78	78	81	318	This was the first Open to be played over three days, with 36 holes on the last day. This was Braid's second of five Open Championships. The winner's share was £50.
1910	Template:Flagicon James Braid 5th	76	73	74	76	299	This Open was the last of Braid's five Open Championships. With this win he became the first person to break 300 in a four-round Open at St Andrews, and was the first to win five Open Championships. The winner's share was £50.
1921	Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison Template:Flagicon	72	75	79	70	296 PO	Born in Scotland, Hutchison was the first American citizen to win the Open Championship with this win. This was also the first time Bobby Jones played St Andrews. He ended up walking off the course after he took four shots to get out of a bunker on the 11th hole. The winner's share was £75.
1927	Template:Flagicon Bobby Jones (a) 2nd	68	72	73	72	285 (−7)	This win marked Bobby Jones's first Open championship win at St Andrews, his second straight Open Championship, fourth professional major, and his 7th career major (he was a three-time winner of the U.S. Amateur). As an amateur, Jones received no prize money. Aubrey Boomer and Fred Robson finished in a tie for second, and the winner's and second place share of £75 for first place and £50 for second place were combined and divided into two, so each player earned 62 pounds and 10 shillings.
1933	Template:Flagicon Denny Shute	73	73	73	73	Template:Nowrap	Shute won the Open title by five strokes in a playoff against Craig Wood. Leo Diegel could have joined them but he whiffed a putt on the 72nd hole, finishing one shot off the lead. The winner's share was £100.
1939	Template:Flagicon Dick Burton	70	72	77	71	290 (−2)	The 1939 Open was the last Open until 1946 because of World War II. The Royal Air Force used the fairways of the Old Course as runways. Burton held the Claret Jug the longest (7 years), until the tournament resumed in 1946, also at St Andrews. The winner's share was £100.
1946	Template:Flagicon Sam Snead	71	70	74	75	290 (−2)	Even though Sam Snead won the first Open Championship to be played since 1939, he still lost money because of the high travel expenses; his winner's share was £150. When taking the train into St Andrews, Sam Snead is quoted for looking out of the window and saying "Say, that looks like an old abandoned golf course" about the Old Course.
1955	Template:Flagicon Peter Thomson 2nd	71	68	70	72	281 (−7)	This was the second of Thomson's three straight Open titles, and five overall. His winner's share was £1,000.
1957	Template:Flagicon Bobby Locke 4th	69	72	68	70	279 (−9)	Between 1949 and 1957, Locke won the Open title four times. He survived a possible disqualification when he marked his ball on the 72nd green, and played his ball without replacing his ball mark. The R&A decided that because he had a three shot lead, and he didn't gain an advantage, that in the spirit of the game, he should not be disqualified. The winner's share was £1,000.
1960	Template:Flagicon Kel Nagle	69	67	71	71	278 (−10)	This was the 100th anniversary of the Open Championship, although due to wars it wasn't the 100th Open Championship to be played. Arnold Palmer finished second and is credited with returning the Open to the eyes of Americans. The winner's share was £1,250.
1964	Template:Flagicon Tony Lema	73	68	68	70	279 (−9)	From 1962 to 1966, Lema won 12 times on tour, but this was his only major. He beat Jack Nicklaus by five strokes, and his winner's share was £1,500.
1970	Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus 2nd	68	69	73	73	283 (−5)PO	Doug Sanders missed a tough two and a half-foot (0.75 m) putt on the 72nd hole, bogeyed, and ended up tied with Nicklaus. The playoff the next day came down to 18th hole and Nicklaus birdied to win; it was his second Open title and eighth overall major; the winner's share was £5,250.
1978	Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus 3rd	71	72	69	69	281 (−7)	Nicklaus completed the career Grand Slam (winning all four majors in your career at least once) for the third time making it his third Open Championship. The winner's share was £12,500
1984	Template:Nowrap	69	68	70	69	276 (−12)	Ballesteros birdied the 72nd hole to win by two. His winner's share was £50,000.
1990	Template:Flagicon Nick Faldo 2nd	67	65	67	71	270 (−18)	Faldo set the Open championship scoring record shooting 18 under par, winning his second major of the year, his second Open Championship and his fourth overall major. The winner's share was £85,000.
1995	Template:Flagicon John Daly	67	71	73	71	Template:Nowrap	Daly defeated Costantino Rocca in a four-hole playoff to win the Open title and £125,000. It was the final Open Championship appearance of Arnold Palmer, and the first for Tiger Woods.
2000	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods 1st	67	66	67	69	269 (−19)	Winning the 2000 Open was Tiger Woods's second consecutive major championship, making him the fifth golfer and the youngest to complete the career Grand Slam. Having won the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, he went on to complete the "Tiger Slam" by winning the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club and the 2001 Masters at Augusta National. Woods did not hit a single bunker the entire tournament, won by eight strokes, and set the new Open Championship scoring record with 19 under par. The winner's share was £500,000.
2005	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods 2nd	66	67	71	70	274 (−14)	Woods' won his 10th major championship; it was the fourth he had won by five or more strokes. It was Jack Nicklaus's last Open Championship. The winner's share was £720,000.
2010	Template:Flagicon Louis Oosthuizen	65	67	69	71	272 (−16)	On the 150th anniversary of the first Open Championship, Oosthuizen played consistently well, winning the Open title by shooting a 16 under par 272 and winning by seven strokes. Rory McIlroy shot a 63 in the opening round and the winner's share was £850,000.
2015	Template:Flagicon Zach Johnson	66	71	70	66	273 (−15)PO	In the 144th playing of the Open Championship, Zach Johnson emerged from a three-man playoff to win the tournament. Tom Watson was given a special exemption by the R & A in order that he could finish his Open career at the Old Course. The tournament finished on Monday due to the extremely high winds that arose during Saturday's round. Johnson defeated Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in a four-hole playoff. The winner's share was £1,150,000.
2022	Template:Flagicon Cameron Smith	67	64	73	64	268 (−20)	In the 150th playing of the Open Championship, with a final round 64, Smith came from four strokes behind third-round leaders Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland to win by one from Cameron Young. Smith's winning score of 268 (20 under par) set a new record for the lowest aggregate over the Old Course in the Open, and tied the championship to-par record, set by Henrik Stenson at Troon in 2016. The winner's share was £2,100,000.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

• Note: Multiple winners of The Open Championship have superscript ordinal designating which in their respective careers.
• (a) denotes amateur

Scorecard

Hole	Name	Yards	Par		Hole	Name	Yards	Par
1	Burn	376	4		10	Bobby Jones	386	4
2	Dyke	453	4		11	High (In)	174	3
3	Cartgate (Out)	397	4		12	Heathery (In)	348	4
4	Ginger Beer	480	4		13	Hole O'Cross (In)	465	4
5	Hole O'Cross (Out)	568	5		14	Long	618	5
6	Heathery (Out)	412	4		15	Cartgate (In)	455	4
7	High (Out)	371	4		16	Corner of the Dyke	423	4
8	Short	175	3		17	Road	495	4
9	End	352	4		18	Tom Morris	357	4
Out		3,584	36		In		3,721	36
Source:<ref name=yard/>					Total		7,305	72

Women's British Open

Winners of the Women's British Open at the Old Course at St Andrews:

Year	Winner	Score
2007	Template:Flagicon Lorena Ochoa	287 (−5)
2013	Template:Flagicon Stacy Lewis	280 (−8)
2024	Template:Flagicon Lydia Ko	281 (−7)

Senior Open Championship

Winners of the Senior Open Championship at the Old Course at St Andrews:

Year	Winner	Score
2018	Template:Flagicon Miguel Ángel Jiménez	276 (−12)

Structures overlooking the Old Course

The following notable structures overlooking the Old Course in a clockwork direction from the north:

• St Andrews Links Clubhouse 5708118 8c03b04c.jpg

  St Andrews Links Clubhouse

• St Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club (The Himalayas).jpg

  St Andrews Ladies' Putting Club

• Caddie Pavilion under construction-geograph-6534075-by-Graeme-Yuill (cropped).jpg

  The Caddie Pavilion

• The Old Pavilion at the Old Course 6114081 424633ac.jpg

  The Old Pavilion

• The R&A World Golf Museum, St Andrews with a closer view of the building.jpg

  R&A World Golf Museum

• Old Course Starter Hut, St Andrew's Links 2679063 d82c872c.jpg

  Old Course Starter Hut

• Royal and Ancient Golf Club.jpg

  The Royal and Ancient clubhouse

• Martyr's Monument St Andrews.jpg

  Martyrs' Monument

• The St Andrews' Links Shop-geograph-5028168-by-Stanley-Howe (close cropped).jpg

  The St Andrews Links Golf Shop

• Hamilton Grand (cropped).jpg

  Hamilton Grand

• The Old Course Shop, St Andrews-geograph-5028194-by-Stanley-Howe.jpg

  The Old Course Shop, previously the St Andrews Woollen Mill Shop

• Tom Morris House And Golf Shop, 7-8 The Links, St Andrews.jpg

  The Open Store, previously known as the Tom Morris Golf Shop

• 12 & 13 The Links, St Andrews.jpg

  The clubhouses of The St Rule Club (left) and St Andrews Golf Club (right)

• Rusacks Hotel portrait view.jpg

  Rusacks Hotel

• The Jigger Inn, St Andrews Golf Course geograph-6911629-by-JThomas.jpg

  Jigger Inn, previously the St Andrews Links railway station master's cottage.

• Old Course Hotel-St Andrews-Geograph-6167264-by-Richard-Sutcliffe (cropped).jpg

  Old Course Hotel

See also

• Golf in Scotland
• St Andrews Links
• The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews

External links

• St Andrews Links Trust official site of the Old Course
• Golf Course Histories – comparison between 1932 and 2012 course aerials (prior to November 2012 changes)
• Top 100 Golf Courses - The Old Course
• 3D Course Planner at ProVisualizer