Today is St. Andrews day! The drive to St. Andrews from Edinburgh takes just under two hours. We plan to spend the day doing all things golf at the home of golf! St. Andrews Links is compromised of seven courses; the Old Course (circa 1400), New Course (circa 1895), Jubilee Course (circa 1897), Eden Course (circa 1914), Strathtyrum Course (circa 1993), Balgrove Course (circa 1993), and Castle Course (circa 2008). The Old Course is, as one would expect, the oldest and most famous of the seven. It requires a handicap of less than 36 for both men and ladies and must be booked a year plus in advance. Less advance is required to book the other courses though it is smart to book as early as possible. The greens fees vary from course-to-course and by season. The Old Course is, of course, the most expensive though I don’t think the fees are overly excessive compared to courses in the United States. Equipment and services are available for hire including clubs, pull trolleys, shoes, and caddy services. Again, I consider the fees for equipment and services quite reasonable. 

We arrived in St. Andrews and proceeded to the Eden Clubhouse to check in and get ready. I reserved a 10:40am tee time for us on the Eden course a few months in advance and was able to confirm my first choice for date and time. I did not attempt to reserve the Old Course because I am still learning the game, the rules, and taking lessons to improve my skills. (Interestingly, the Old Course and the Eden Course run parallel on some holes so we did see bits of golf’s most famous course.) We checked in at the clubhouse, picked up our rented clubs, and hired a pull trolley for the day (side note: I had never used a trolley before but I really like them; it’s like a lightweight stroller for your golf bag). All the courses at St. Andrews are walking courses with carts only permitted on specific courses and for players over age 65.

The weather was overcast and the temperature in the mid to upper 50s so quite comfortable for a game of golf, even with a slight chill from the wind. I was able to roll my sleeves up/down and remain comfortable. The forecast called for rain and we were prepared with rain gear but the rain miraculously held off until we were leaving the course after a full 18 holes. I didn’t keep track of my actual score because I approached this as an opportunity to 1) have a fantastic and memorable day with my husband doing something we enjoy, 2) enhance my skills at one of the best known courses in the world, and 3) have fun. Truth be told, I was actually very proud of myself. I had some great shots and some good holes. I also had some terrible shots and bad holes but I played all 18 and didn’t get frustrated with myself which was a win!

We finished the 18th hole and returned our clubs and trolleys before making our way to the Tom Morris Bar and Grill for lunch. We had a round of drinks with lunch and enjoyed views of the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa while we dined. The food and service were good and we were able to stay dry as the rain intensified. The pro shop offers some nice souvenirs. I highly recommend purchasing a bag tag as some of them can be engraved with the date you played and make really nice ornaments for the Christmas tree.

This is the part where our day went a bit sour. When we got back to the car, I could press the start button and the electronics on the car would power on but with “malfunction” and “not ready to drive” error messages. I couldn’t put the car in gear. We called roadside assistance and the nice lady walked us through how to do a reset. The reset was successful and we were driving again after about 30 minutes total. 

We stopped to check out the R&A World Golf Museum but they were closed for the day. This is on the list for our next visit to St. Andrews along with another round of golf! The Old Course Shop at St. Andrews Links is across the street from the Golf Museum so we popped in and I am glad we did. The pro shop at the clubhouse had limited options for ladies and, with it being the end of the season, what few options they did have were further limited in sizing. The Old Course Shop was slightly limited in terms of sizing but had many more ladies options overall and I was able to find a couple things there. I was pleased with the selection of t-shirts, polos, pullovers, sweaters, sweatshirts, and golf accessories including towels, ball markers, and gloves. 

Unfortunately, the car was giving us the same error messages and resetting it did not work. We called roadside assistance again and they told us it would be an estimated 60 to 90 minutes wait. While we certainly were not thrilled with this turn of events, we also didn’t have much choice so we opted to make the best of it. Hams Hame Pub and Grill was on the corner between the Old Course Shop and the parking lot so we went in for a pint. I was going stir crazy and there was a bookstore nearby so I walked there while Robert stayed at the pub. 

Topping and Company Booksellers of St. Andrews is absolutely worth a visit! The quaint exterior hides the wide selection of the interior and the staff are very friendly. There is a section dedicated to golf, as one would expect when visiting the home of golf. There are also sections for cooking, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and many others. Perhaps my favorite was the travel section because their selection rivals any big name box store. I have never seen so many maps in a single place and the travel books compliment the map selection. I found a few books to bring home (limited myself because there are more book stores in my future!) and went back to the pub to meet R just as he was finishing his dinner. 

We tried the car again and, thankfully, it started this time! We drove straight back to National/Enterprise at Waverly Station to return the car. The staff were understanding, even waiving the fee for returning the car with less fuel than at pick up due to the mechanical issues. I shared with them that I was afraid to stop at a fuel station in the event that the car wouldn’t start again and no one wants to spend hours stranded at a fuel station. We collected our souvenirs and called a car to take us to the AirBnB. It was an eventful day with some unexpected and unpleasant surprises, but I played a round of golf with my husband at St. Andrews Links and that makes today a huge success!