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COURSE MANAGEMENT WITH... 3
Some would feel history weighing heavily on their
shoulders carrying out any kind of work on the Old Lady,
but for Gordon it was not a burden to bear, instead
simply a case of history repeating itself.
Like the sands on which it stands the Old Course has
never stood still, it is a living, breathing, dynamic
landscape whose proud custodians such as Old Tom
Morris and Allan Robertson have never feared change,
instead choosing to embrace and look on as their work
has been replicated or become a flag-bearer for golf the
world over.
The period of change, which really defined the Old
Course as we know it today, dates back to 1764 when
the then Links was 22 holes, having been reduced from
its original 26. On the 4th of October 1764 the minutes
of the Society of St Andrews Golfers, now more
commonly known as the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of
St Andrews, reveals the first four holes were deemed too
short and inadequate. The course was cut down to 18
holes, setting a much-copied precedent for future golf
courses in the 1760s around the world.
As well as the undoubted hands of “Keepers of the
Greens” there is another, lesser known individual who
perhaps did more than any other to shape the town of
St Andrews, and whose influence reached the Links.
Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair transformed the town from his
arrival in the 1830s and as Provost of St Andrews from 1842
to his death in 1861. He brought in beautiful architecture
similar to the new town development of Edinburgh and
literally cleaned the town with laws that limited the amount
of dung that could be kept on a premises!
Playfair’s first noticeable change
related to the Swilcan Burn, which would
all too frequently meander or flood. On
17th of December 1834 a Mr Bowrey
was paid £4.10 by the town council for
dumping rubbish and fill at the Swilcan
Burn. In the same year, Mr Robert
Goodfellow started to work with this
Greenkeepingtechnology has comea long way over theyears, in 1960 apetrol mowerdominated the vastlandscape of the18th green on the OldCourse during aroutine cut and roll
Course Manager Gordon McKie watches the dawn skystretch out across the world’s most famous links.
COURSE MANAGEMENT WITH...
A group of golfers teeoff on the first tee in1885, caddies in towand towns folkwatching in a scenerepeated to this day
The Old Course is nostranger to
improvements withthis group ofgreenkeepers
working on ShellBunker at the 7th
hile many clock in for the Monday toFriday, 9 to 5 shift behind a desk,Gordon and his team are responsiblefor making sure the hopes, dreamsand expectations of golfers fromacross the world are met when theytee it up at the Old Course.
It is a 365 days of the year job, filled with early
starts, variable weather and the time constraints
associated with golfers teeing off from dawn till dusk, all
carried out while aspiring to the standards of those that
have gone before.
In the winter of 2012 Gordon and the Links team,
working with renowned architect Martin Hawtree,
undertook a programme of course improvements as part
of the annual off-season work carried out across the Links.
The programme, which included work on the 2nd,
7th, 11th and 17th, was designed to continue the rich
history of the Home of Golf and ensure its legacy of
playability and accessibility to golfers of all ages and
abilities continues.
5
refuse to build up the bank and then added a brick
retaining wall to the burn. He set out 181 feet and 3
inches of stones, laid at six stones per foot. Goodfellow
was paid on the 4th of April 1835 for completing “the
retaining walls, built on the banks of the burn” and for
also cleaning the burn too. His bill was £9.66 but
Goodfellow agreed to settle for £8.66. This work set the
course of the burn for the first time.
Playfair’s impact continued when the town council
carried out the very first reclamation of land in 1844
along the 1st and 18th holes to protect the fairways
from the sea. According to Jarrett and Mason in their
book ‘St Andrews, the First 600 Years’, in Playfair’s day
the 1st and 18th fairways were only 80 yards wide and
great crashing storms would leave debris and seaweed
strewn across the 1st fairway. There was a real danger
that the fairways could be washed away so the town
council employed David Steele from around 1844 to
1849 to widen the area by building a brick wall on the
boundary alongside the 1st hole and filling in the gap
with rubbish, remnants from building constructions, soil
and then seeding the area. The wall was known as ‘Mr
Steele’s barricade’ or the ‘sea walls’; it no longer stands
as it disappeared as the Links grew.
In the so called “Road Wars”, when the town debated
the need for a road down the side of the Links in front
of Old Tom’s shop, local surveyor James Gillespie stated
that the 1st and 18th fairways went from 320 feet in
1836 to 429 feet by 1879. Over time it would grow even
larger. This land reclamation also explains why the 1st
hole is flat like a billiard table and the 18th undulating
links. Also around this time a large bunker known as
Halket’s bunker, located where the 1st and 18th fairways
are today was filled in.
The next real change to the course we recognise today
arose when Old Da Anderson was in charge. Da was the
ragamuffin looking seller of ginger beer (and perhaps
something stronger) on the 4th hole, but he was a far
more influential figure than that. He had his own shop
from 1873-1882 next door to the right of Old Tom’s
where he sold golf clubs with his son and three times
Open champion Jamie. It was only when this business
ceased to trade that Da took a cart out to the 4th,
where he would operate selling ginger beer, cakes and
balls for the last twenty years of his life.
Many people also do not know that Da looked after
the Links from 1851-55. Unlike Tom, who was a
consummate and gifted diplomat, Da could not take the
constant complaints about the state of the course.
Everyone had an opinion and Da did not want to hear it
day in and day out. Before he left in 1855, Da put a
second pin on the 7th green, as per the Green
Committee’s directive in May that year. Not the 5th as
commonly reported. Thus one of the course’s first
double greens was formed.
In 1856 and 57, Playfair’s influence reappeared
when as captain of the R&A he instructed Allan
Robertson to increase the greens sizes for more double
pins. Given that there was limited ground with the Eden
estuary at the foremost boundary, the greens were
largely expanded at the sides to give them a lozenge
shape. In the Spring Meeting that year they played to
white flags going out and red flags coming home,
another St Andrews benchmark much replicated around
the golfing world.
The Links were constantly evolving, expanding, moving
and growing. As characters such as Da moved on the
game of golf began to change, its popularity soaring.
One of its biggest rising stars was St Andrews own Tom
Morris, who returned in 1864, having built Prestwick to
much acclaim.
Old Tom was employed by the R&A as a full time
Keeper of the Green. Whereas previous incumbents in
the role were paid £6 a year, Tom was given an
unprecedented £50 a year. He had created a fine
reputation for himself and St Andrews Links needed an
expert, who better than the man who had been lauded
and applauded for creating and tending the superb
Prestwick course over some twelve years. Old Tom was
also the reigning Open champion. His terms of
employment with the R&A were that he was to have full
charge of the Links.
The impact of Old Tom on the Links was seismic. By
1866, he was filling in divots with sand and top dressing
the Links. Initially the locals complained about the sand
on the surfaces, but when the course started to improve,
they quickly supported his efforts.
Immediately outside Tom’s shop was the location for
what was known as the ‘short holes’. These are the
putting holes as we would know them. Caddies had
made these outside Tom’s shop as a means to while away
their time waiting for a gentleman’s bag. They were
unfortunately victims of their own success, as the ladies
started to play the holes too. Playfair increased the size to
create a proper short holes green. This created a lot of
tension, mostly with the caddies as they would be very
reluctant to sound off against the wife of a could-be
1 Greenkeepers,local residents and
volunteers carryout work on thefamous Links –
spreading sand in1934
2 Old Tom Morrissits proudly
outside his shop,overlooking the
18th green whereit still stands
today3 The Old Course
has seen a numberof activitiesbeyond golf,
including artillerypractice in 1900
4 Workers atForgan golf clubmanufacturerstake a break towatch a tense
match on the 18thgreen in 1890
5 Andrew Kirkaldyand Willie Park
Junior take part inan exhibition
match typical ofthe era on the
Links in 1895. Thehigh stakes gamesattracted the best
players fromacross the country
and sizeablecrowds.
6 With its coastallocation the OldCourse is exposed toScotland’s oftenharsh climate withrunning repairs allpart of the day-to-day activities, in1934 the Linksgreenkeeping staffcleared the SwilcanBurn of debris after aheavy storm6
2
This early black and white map dates back to 1821.Its notes detail where the proposed trainline would run in1847 and 1851. There is no New, Jubilee or Eden Coursesand the maps limited course details hark back to an era
when the Links would have been played in reverse
1
4
3
5
COURSE MANAGEMENT WITH...
employer on the Links, so would be forced to bite their
own wind chapped lips.
In 1866, it was decided that the ladies should have
their own putting green. The land to the right of today’s
first green was decided as the best place for it. After
clearing of the whin by Tom and preparing the ground,
the green was duly opened. In time it would be known as
the Himalayas.
The removal of the short holes from this area by Old
Tom’s shop, opened the way for a new and much larger
18th green, which Tom started work on in 1869. During
construction the workmen found a burial pit of human
bones in the far right hand corner of the green. Given
that at the time the fear of witchcraft was rife, the local
labourers were a superstitious lot but Tom insisted that if
they wanted to be paid, they would have to continue to
dig. They duly finished the job.
The green was Tom’s pride and Joy. He often said that
it was the best thing that he had ever done and certainly
many of those giving statements in the road war
precognitions say how much the green had improved
thanks to Old Tom. From early images it appears that Old
Tom’s 18th green is largely where it is today, only much
smaller and concentrating on the left hand side of today’s
green. According to Malcolm and Crabtree, the infamous
Valley of Sin was a gully that ran from Old Tom’s shop
right across to the R&A clubhouse. During the land
reclamation, this was probably filled in, leaving what we
have today by the green.
Next Old Tom built a new first green and opened the
course to a new routing including a massive plan of
clearing away whin and widening fairways and greens
further, including the 7th / 11th green. When he re-
turfed the 7th green, the hole kept increasing in size due
to the soft sandy soil, so he got a local blacksmith to
create an iron rim. This kept the hole in good shape and
it is said this is how tin cups in holes today originated.
Tom’s reputation as a bold, brave, innovator was at its
zenith and before long he was rotating the direction of
play of the course to spread the wear and tear on the
Links. During this period he also moved the teeing area
further away from the greens, a staple project on almost
every course the world over in the low season these days.
As he cleared whins from the Links it was said that Tom
placed new bunkers in their place but all maps from that
time show only two bunkers on the front nine on the 2nd
and 6th holes between 1879 and 1898. However in
1899, according to historian Peter Lewis, a committee
was rected the set up by the R&A consisting of some of
the great names of the era including Freddie Tait and HSC
Everard along with a representative of the St Andrews
Golf Club. Together they designated the position for
seventeen new bunkers from the 2nd to the 5th. In 1905,
after Tom had retired a further sixteen bunkers were
added between the 2nd and 6th holes alone.
After Tom passed away, the course continued to
evolve and change. Over the next 100 years, greens
would change shape, bunkers filled in or added and
golfers would invariably praise and criticise the changes.
Tom Morris considered himself a Custodian of the
Links. No one could be said to be more proud or
protective of the course than Tom Morris. However, he
did not stop reflecting on the Links and looking for places
where it could be improved. He certainly did not think
that it should not be added to whenever there was an
opportunity to challenge the golfers a little more.
Tom and the many who went before them were brave
and innovative, their legacy lives on with talented and
passionate custodians like Gordon ensuring improvements
continue, for at the Old, this is nothing new.
This map of the Linksdates back to 1898and shows the OldCourse in its nowfamed 18 hole layoutwith Hell Bunkerclear for all to see.The old railway lineand station servicingSt Andrews are alsopresent.
Top Right: ToroProCore® 648 highcapacity greensaerator providesconsistent holedepth, ensuring a topquality puttingsurface
Right: ToroGreensmaster®Flex21 greens mowerdelivers a consistenthigh quality of cut onevery green for trueball roll
7COURSE MANAGEMENT WITH...
In the 21st Century the modern day Links comes tolife in the wee small hours of every morning, withthe hum and buzz of greenkeeping equipment – asign of the golfing day to come.
But before a ball is struck in
earnest, the Old Course and
every one of St Andrews Links'
seven courses undergoe a rapid
round of intense, expert work from the Links experienced
and talented team of greenkeepers.
Aided by the fleet of cutting-edge machinery from Toro
the Home of Golf is presented in perhaps the best
condition it has ever been.
Gone are the days of animals grazing on the fairways or
manual labour with rudimentary shears, even the earliest
forms of petrol-fuelled mowers, large, cumbersome and
awkward to manoeuvre. Instead today’s greenkeepers at
the Links rely on precision and science in the latest
mowers, sprayers, utility vehicles and irrigation systems –
all at their disposal thanks to Toro.
A common value shared by the Links and
Toro is a rich history of innovation and quality.
Toro dates back to 1914 when it was first
established, subsequently entering its core
business of golf in 1919. Back then their first
golf client was Minikahda Club in Minneapolis
when five reel mowers were attached to a Toro
tractor to cut the fairways.
From that early beginning Toro built its name
and following by providing innovative solutions to
customers’ agricultural and turf care needs. Today, this
rich legacy continues as Toro strives every day to develop
exciting new products and services that deliver the
ultimate in performance, productivity and convenience –
such as customers have come to expect from Toro.
St Andrews Links is no different, high-quality products
and a legacy of trusted relationships make Toro a trusted
Helping St AndrewsLinks to build on600 years of history
9
been at the forefront of those
changes," he says.
“There is so much technology
utilised these days, from ride-on
mowers to GPS devices mapping out
the areas we cut, to in-ground
sensors measuring the amount of
moisture we have in the soil.
“We are very fortunate to have developed a fantastic
working relationship with Toro which benefits us in so
many different ways, from our day-to-day work tending
to the courses, and looking to the future and the Toro
design engineers working with us here on the ground at
St Andrews.
“Our relationship with Toro enables us to road test the
latest equipment to see how it works. It’s not just about
aesthetics – it has to have a practical purpose and having
the opportunity to give feedback to Toro at this stage is a
great part of our relationship and ensures we can
continue to deliver memorable experiences for every
golfer at St Andrews.”
Left: ToroReelmaster® 3100-Dmachines helpmaintain the teesand bunkersurrounds whilegreens are cut by theprecision mowing ofthe Greensmaster®3250-D (Right)
The first tee on theOld Course beingcut and manicuredwith a ToroGreensmaster 1000
partner at the Home of Golf. The world’s most famous
Links fairways are adorned with ride-on Reelmasters,
giant double greens are cut and rolled with precision
engineered Greenmasters while Workman and Utility
Vehicles ferry greenkeepers across the sprawling Links, all
playing their part in keeping the Home of Golf in the best
possible condition.
All this is delivered with the help, assistance and
expertise of Toro. Old Course Manager Gordon McKie
knows that, in Toro, the Links has found the perfect
partner, one which believes in innovation, feedback,
communicating, and above all else, quality.
“The whole ethos and ideology of greenkeeping has
changed dramatically over the last 20 years and Toro has
THE TEAM of expert greenkeeperstending to St Andrews Links todayutilise technology, science and skill topresent the world’s most famous Linksin the best possible condition.
Computerised irrigation systems,greens rollers and fairway mowerscapable of cutting to exactingspecifications and all armed withanalytical data are key components inthe 21st Century Links.
It is a far cry from theirpredecessors centuries before, whoshared their passion and love for theland but faced differing demands andutilised a different set of tools.
Prior to the18th Centuryhistory suggeststhe Links wouldnot have beenmaintained by agreenkeeper assuch, instead grazinganimals tended to the grassfor a sport seldom played inthe summer because grass grewtoo quickly!
The first major advances ingreenkeeping in St Andrews came withthe return of Tom Morris fromPrestwick to become Keeper of theGreen in 1865, a post he held until1903. Back then the equipmentavailable to him was minimal –a barrow, a spade, a shovel, a rake, ascythe and a heuk were his most likelytools of the trade.
Aided by some additional labour notonly did Tom maintain the Old Coursebut cleared whin bushes covering theright-hand side of the Links, locatedand designed many of the bunkersfound today, created the first and lastgreens and used large amounts of sandto create smooth greens and teeinggrounds, a practice which continuesmore than 100 years after his passing.But as time wore on golfers began toexpect more of the greens andfairways, especially with the inventionof lawn mowers. Their arrival allowedthe Links greens to be cut shorter andmore often, thereby beginning the
quest for theperfect puttingsurface whichcontinues withgolfers of allabilities today.In the 21st
Century deliveringmemorable experiences
for every golfer at St Andrews is adaily commitment, especially withsome 230,000 rounds of golf takingplace across all seven of the Linkscourses in a calendar year.
In order to help achieve thatambition and deliver the legacy of theirforefathers the Links greenkeepingteams have maintained thatcommitment to excellence andinnovation, utilising cutting edgetechnology, science and experience topreserve and protect the Links.
The Links equipment sheds housethe latest technology, provided byLinks partners Toro, which help thegreenkeepers not just cut and treatgrass but move greenkeepers, sandand soil across almost 300 hectares ofland 365 days of the year.
Times have changed on the Linkswith today’s greenkeepers employingmore science, cutting-edge technologyand manpower than ever before. Butwhile modern day techniques and newattitudes to greenkeeping haveemerged what remains constant is theknowledge, commitment and love forthe world’s most famous Links.
managed by man and beast –sheep and machines at work tokeep the course open