The Old Course at St. Andrews, SCOTLAND    

12^th hole, 320 yards: The game's best short two shotter. There are so many options off the tee. Again though the green is the key - its shallow rear shelf falling away on all sides remains as fresh a challenge today as it did to Allan Robertson 125 years ago.

What bunkers? The view from the 12th tee is highly deceiving as not one
of the seven bunkers is visible

14^th hole, 560 yards: The game's best three shotter due to all its options. While many comment on the different ways to play the hole, don't overlook the best green on the course. Alister MacKenzie was right when he lamented that the fearsome Hell bunker is not visible for the second shot -- it would be more effective if it stared the player in the face, daring him to knock his second shot over it.

the terrifying tee shot from the championship 14th tee, with out
of bounds down the right

16^th hole, 390 yards: The Principal's Nose combined with the imaginative contouring in and around the green makes this one of the most admired medium length holes in golf. Why aren't there more holes of this length being designed today with the same appeal?

17^th hole, 460 yards: The world's ultimate 'half par' hole comes at the telling moment in the match. The fact the green is the single most focused point in the world of golf does little to calm the golfer's nerves.

18^th hole, 350 yards: Terrific finisher and much more satisfying than just another long par four hole. Birdie is a real possibility, but the player is far from guaranteed a par, as Doug Sanders can attest, thanks to the terrific green contours that Old Tom Morris instilled in the Home Green when he built it in 1869. The finest finishing holes provide for this type of two stroke swing. Most players will leave the course in a good mood, eager to return. Also, making a three here with the onlookers ringing the green is a tremendous thrill, as it is likely to be the greatest number of people most golfers play in front of in their life. After the Dunhill Cup in 1994, the authors were playing in a brisk 45 mph 'breeze.' The 18^th was down gale and steadying oneself proved difficult as a topped tee shot into the Swilcan Burn indicated. The second ball from the tee, however, found the green and an unlikely par was saved.

the Putting Green is another unique feature at St. Andrews

One often overlooked aspect of the Old Course is that it can be a very, very hard golf course. In calm, soft conditions the course can be attacked with its double fairways and huge greens. In windy, firm conditions, the golfer can be ripped apart. However, unlike so many of the monstrously difficult courses built in the 1980s, the golfer remains keen for another opportunity to test himself on her.

The flexibility in course set-up is unmatched. It allows Ernie Els to be fully challenged one day, and a father and his family to have a highly enjoyable round the next. This fact ensures St. Andrews lasting appeal for generations of golfers to come and makes it the model against which all courses are judged.

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