qualifying courses when the Open is held at St Andrews because it was suspected of giving those who played on it an unfair preview of what was to come. Don’t tell them I suggested this, but if you are both sneaky and desperate enough, you could contrive to hook your opening tee-shot over a gorse bush and onto the Old Course. Because there is no out of bounds, you would then be entitled to play your next shot off the hallowed turf itself. Although not quite the same thing as a full round, it’s possibly marginally better than nothing. The Old Course is on your left as you tee-off on the New while the Jubilee is on your right. Beyond the Jubilee is the glorious sandy beach memorably featured in the film Chariots of Fire. At 6,742 yards, the Jubilee is nearly 150 yards longer than the New and is reputed to be the toughest test of the three. Originally only 12 holes, it was designed, built for a modest £178.3s 8d and opened on Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee on 22 June, 1897, all in the space of three months. Five years later, it was extended to 18 holes. However, it had the unmistakeable appearance of a rushed job and was subsequently re-designed and improved by 1893 Open Champion, Willie

Auchterlonie, who struck the opening tee-shot on the revamped course in February, 1946. Further improvements and modifications were to follow in 1988 when Donald Steel re-designed and lengthened it to championship standards. Raising the teeing grounds not only improved the views of the town and sea, but exposed golfers to the winds that sweep in from the bay. The views are so splendid, however, that a buffeting is a small price to pay. Easily expressed but more difficult to execute, the secret is to stay out of the bunkers, clear of the gorse and off the beach. There are two other 18-hole courses run by the St Andrews Trust and another, yet to be named but presently being constructed on the other side of town, due to open in 2007. But there are other top quality courses very close by which would understandably be offended if they were only thought of in terms of last minute substitutes for the Old Course. Kingsbarns may not have the history of its more famous near neighbours, but it certainly has the class and the quality. Built along a stunning stretch of craggy coastline, this Kyle Philips design is quite simply breathtakingly beautiful. Purists might moan about the 300,000