A spectacular layout offering wonderful views of St Andrews. Very different to the other St Andrews Links courses, it provides an excellent alternative.
St Andrews Castle Course Review
Top 100 Ranking 2021/22 – TBC
Previous Rankings
2019/20 – 84
2017/18 – 85
2015/16 – 90
2013/14 – 91
2011/12 – 90
2009/10 –
Summer Green Fees
See website for details
Medal Tee: Par 71 – 6,759 Yards
Website: www.standrews.com
Changes since previous ranking
Practice putting green re-contoured to provide more useable space. Contours on range softened to better see where ball lands. Some out of play bunkers filled in: RHS 5th fairway, LHS 16th fairway, behind 17th green, hidden ones in first grouping to the right of the fairway.
St Andrews Castle Course Review
The latest addition to the St Andrews Links portfolio, the Castle delivers a different view, different terrain and a different test. It’s an undulating roller-coaster of a course delivering great fun and tremendous variety throughout.
Related: Top 100 Courses UK and Ireland
Set on the cliffs around Kinkell Ness to the south and east of St Andrews, The Castle Course was constructed to a design by renowned architect David McLay Kidd.
Castle Course 14th hole
Quite different from the courses on the links to the west of town, The Castle was built on land used over the centuries for hunting then farming.
The terrain has been sculpted to create a natural looking course with rolling fairways and severely undulating greens. Hugging the rugged coastline, the course offers stunning views out to sea and down to the historic town of St Andrews.
Due to its elevated situation, the wind is even more influential here than down by the water, and the direction and strength will be key to any round.
The course opens with a relatively gentle uphill par 4, before crossing the entrance road to a tough left-to-right dogleg with the first glimpses of the town beyond.
A major feature of the course, and indeed one that has attracted criticism, is the severity of some of the greens. They have been softened a little since opening, but you will certainly encounter some challenging putts.
There are a number of spectacular holes on The Castle, but the par-3 17th stands out. It’s played over a yawning ravine to a green perched on the cliff edge with the attractive clubhouse and town’s towers and spires as a backdrop.
Assessor Feedback
The Castle Course offers a real test of golf. Bunkers are in play on every hole and shot selection from both the tee and with your approach shots is crucial which really makes you think.
It has a divisive reputation, but you have to appreciate the design that has produced a course of such quality on land that was previously farmland. The routing of the course up and down from cliff edge to road provides plenty of outstanding views.
GM Verdict
A spectacular layout offering wonderful views of St Andrews. Very different to the other St Andrews Links courses, it provides an excellent, additional option.
This article St Andrews Castle Course Review appeared first on Golf Monthly.