St Andrews - Castle Course

Reader Ratings / Reviews

• 
  by Archer66
  on June 16th, 2009 06:03

  I have now played this course three times; once out of curiosity, a second time to make sure that I wasn't dreaming and a third time to see if they changed it much after its first winter.
  
  The answer to the last question is, sadly, no.
  I reviewed this course on another site - and I have never reviewed any other course ever, at least not unless I was being paid to do so in a magazine.
  Yet this course annoys me so much that I feel compelled to write again.
  
  The Links Trust claimed that the course was for locals to enjoy when the Old Course was clogged up - to escape the tourists. However, the only people that I have ever come across on the Castle are bemused American tourists who, generally, wonder why they are there and why they paid a ludicrous amount of money to be humiliated.
  
  The tragedy is that, from tee to green the Castle is fantastic - the 100% (near enough) uneven lies can be lived with as an homage to pseudo links golf. However the greens are the result of designer ego running amok.
  
  I noted that this year - despite much drier weather - the speed of the greens has been much reduced. This, at least, means that some putts can remain on the dancefloor...
  
  Look at any of the great courses in Scotland and the greens will be challenging but relatively flat in the mai. The tricksy novelties of a Biarritz green, for example, are in stark contrast to the rest of the greens at North Berwick.
  
  One mental green on a course is a talking point, 18 of them is a crime. At the Old Course the sweeping swales and hummocks are reduced by the sheer size of putting surface - just one double green has massive variations (7th and 11th), the rest offer subtle breaks that are tricky and enjoyable to combat.
  
  At the Castle the greens are just plain stupid - impossible to putt sensibly on, hardly ever is an approach shot worth worrying about - wherever you go will leave you with a 'Himalayas' putt that is difficult (and oftentimes impossible) to stop within five feet. Following the 'architect's tips' in the strokesaver was a laughable waste of time - it became a bit of fun as we were the only people on the course we were hitting four, five, sometimes six shots into greens and even the prescribed 'architect's tip' resulted in the ball running right off the green or, at best, rolling some thirty feet past and leaving an impossible putt back.
  
  Several key people on the project were 'allegedly' warned that the greens were too severe and would need rebuilding within a year or two but no notice was taken. It appears that arrogance ruled throughout the entire design and build at the Castle...
  
  So if you want to go and have some amazingly silly and impossible putts in St Andrews, go play the Himalayas in town. It costs a pound fifty and is much more fun than the ridiculous Castle.
  
  The Links Trust ought to take note that their course for locals is currently being played only by tourists and they will only play it once - so either dig this over to community allotments (there is a growing food crisis after all) or get a proper golf course architect to redesign the greens. Better yet get a good greenkeeper in to do the job for a fraction of the cost - such people built the Old Course greens after all.
• 
  by Tom Forrest
  on April 26th, 2009 16:23

  This has to be the best golfing experience in St Andrews ! Design and layout are of the highest standard facilities to suit and the view! This is a course for the 'purist golfer' and people who understand what has gone in to the construction of Castle Course. The pure fescue/bent greens are amazing given that they are merely a year old !
  Congratulations to the Architect and the Greenstaff for the work they have put in to the Course. People will come from all over the planet to see and play this wonderful course.
  
• 
  by Michael Polster
  on January 26th, 2009 15:24

  This course does not live up to the hype for several reasons. First, the "Don King" helmets of grass in the middle of the fairway distort visual angles and and represent silly obstacles in windy conditions. Second, the views are scant at best. Most holes are isolated from one another, and few offer dramatic or sweeping peeks at the sea or town. Third, the greens are far too severe and even unfair in light of the regularly breezy conditions. Finally, the "signature hole", the 17th, is a par-3 that requires aiming left of the green an hoping for a favorable bounce! I'd rather play Kingsbarns 100 times than play the Castle Course once.