Two Weeks in St Andrews

After reading George Peper’s book Two Years in St Andrews, I decided this year to extend my annual trip to Scotland to three weeks. I would spend a little more time exploring and getting to know the town better for my clients and to cure some of my fascination with this historic place. 
 
I wasn’t lucky enough to have as much time as Mr. Peper, so I title this article Two Weeks in St Andrews. Trust me, I could have easily spent two years there, and I look forward to returning in 2018 for more.

I started off by seeing my friends at the Visit Scotland Expo, and then was ready to explore on my own in the Auld Grey Toon. I wanted to learn as much as I could about one of the most important golf towns in the world, bonnie ol’ St. Andrews. I did golf quite a bit, playing 11 courses in 14 days, and had the chance to experience a truly unique lunch at the R&A Clubhouse, but more on that in my upcoming newsletters.
 
Settling into my new town for two weeks, I rented a quaint little flat off of South Street, situated on one of the three main streets in town. The flat was the perfect pied a terre for my upcoming adventures, located down a small cobble-stoned close. I read signs stating that adjacent buildings were “restored in 1755”.  My cosy home was in the perfect location, and played host to two of my closest friends who made their way over from Canada for their first Scottish golf experience.

During my stay, I visited the best pubs, restaurants and cafes, learned where to park, and not to park (hint, although convenient and free, parking on The Links, adjacent to the 18th hole of the Old Course, is a recipe for disaster, as well as annoying rental car insurance claims for golf-ball sized dents or smashed windshields!), and more importantly, learned how to have the best access to the Old Course.  My daily routine included tea and a croissant at Taste, and I enjoyed some incredible meals at other restaurants and pubs, but more on that in future newsletters.

Living in St Andrews for this short but magical time was everything I had hoped for and more. The town is small enough to walk everywhere, and I certainly did my share of walking. I averaged over 18,000 steps and 10 km a day according to my handy, likely not-so-accurate iPhone Health app, but I’ll take it.  
 
Although most golfers visiting St Andrews fill their days with golf and pubs (and who can blame them), this historic town offers much more for those who save some time to explore. Local attractions like the beautiful grounds of St Andrews University, the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, and of course the fascinating 13th century St Andrews Castle are all places to put on your to do list.

The St Andrews Links Trust recently altered their process with respect to handing out the allotment of Old Course tee times, and as a result, it will become easier and hopefully less expensive to secure a guaranteed tee time.  If you are interested in getting on to the Old Course in 2018, be sure to contact us sooner than later as times are already available to us at Golf Away Tours and we will be the first to know about these exciting changes.
 
I will be sharing more of my experiences in future articles, so be sure to look out for them. In the meantime, if you’re wanting to plan your next St Andrews experience, or just want to talk about golf and the Auld Grey Toon, give me a ring.
 
Happy Golfing!
 
T.J.
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