{"id":122967,"date":"2025-09-06T10:38:50","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T10:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/122967\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T10:38:50","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T10:38:50","slug":"golf-in-heaven-jim-nantz-finally-played-the-old-course-and-has-a-lot-to-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/122967\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Golf in Heaven’: Jim Nantz finally played The Old Course and has a lot to say"},"content":{"rendered":"

A summer ago, many years in the making, I finally stood on the sacred sod of St. Andrews\u2019 opening teeing ground for the first time. As usual, there were a few scattered onlookers on hand to watch the jittery tee shot I had long dreamed of performing. Tourists and townspeople around the Auld Grey Toon seemed grateful for the rare and balmy 70-degree day. Even Sheena Willoughby, the gracious \u201chostess to the world\u201d from the nearby Dunvegan Hotel, who knew a few of us in our group, made the short walk from her pub to take a photo.<\/p>\n

Like multitudes before me, St. Andrews had always been a bucket-list aspiration. It\u2019s known as the Home of Golf, but I view it more as golf\u2019s final resting place\u2014a true heaven on Earth. To know that for centuries, every legend of the game (alas, not Ben Hogan) had planted his feet on this same patch and challenged the landscape ahead is heavy stuff for an old sap like me.<\/p>\n

1 \/ 16 \"The <\/p>\n

(Photo by David Cannon\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

2 \/ 16 \"https:\/\/www.golfdigest.com\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/7\/st-andrews-old-course-dom-furore-fourth-hole.jpg\"\/ <\/p>\n

The fourth green at the Old Course.<\/p>\n

Dom Furore<\/p>\n

3 \/ 16 \"https:\/\/www.golfdigest.com\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/1\/GD0722_ADLER.jpg\"\/ 4 \/ 16 \"https:\/\/www.golfdigest.com\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2015\/07\/21\/55ada825add713143b441ce2_courses-2010-07-coar01_standrews_18.jpg\"\/ 5 \/ 16 \"1368174548\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

6 \/ 16 \"https:\/\/www.golfdigest.com\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2023\/8\/TheHoleAt_St 7 \/ 16 \"1368161678\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

8 \/ 16 \"1368161926\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

9 \/ 16 \"1368173314\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

10 \/ 16 \"117503504\"\/ <\/p>\n

AdShooter<\/p>\n

11 \/ 16 \"Dustin <\/p>\n

Dom Furore<\/p>\n

12 \/ 16 \"1408488528\"\/ <\/p>\n

Tom Shaw\/R&A<\/p>\n

13 \/ 16 \"https:\/\/www.golfdigest.com\/content\/dam\/images\/golfdigest\/fullset\/2022\/7\/st-andrews-dom-furore-14th-hole-town-background.jpg\"\/ <\/p>\n

Dom Furore<\/p>\n

14 \/ 16 \"453220078\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

15 \/ 16 \"1368174776\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

16 \/ 16 \"1368174742\"\/ <\/p>\n

David Cannon<\/p>\n

Previous Next Pause Play Save for later Public St. Andrews Links: Old St Andrews, Scotland <\/p>\n

World\u2019s 100 Greatest
\nBest in Country<\/p>\n

The Old Course at St. Andrews is ground zero for all golf architecture. Every course designed since has either been in response to one or more of its features, or in reaction against it. Architects either favor the Old Course\u2019s blind shots or detest them, either embrace St. Andrews\u2019 enormous greens or consider them a waste of turf.<\/p>\n

View Course <\/p>\n

Mercifully, I solidly launched my opening drive down the middle, allowing me to relax and settle into an exquisite day with friends. In our foursome was Tom Spencer, my dear friend and editorial consultant at CBS Sports with whom I\u2019ve worked on golf and football for more than 30 years. Tom\u2019s knowledge of sports is second to none and enormously impactful in every show we work. His golf skills are good enough to have won a club championship at San Francisco Golf Club. We were graced by arguably the greatest golf historian of our time, David Normoyle. David preserves artifacts for clubs all over the world and is truly one of the most interesting conversationalists in the game. He also happens to be married to my legendary teammate, Dottie Pepper, who spent the afternoon walking all 18 holes while resisting the urge to strike a single shot. Lastly, there was my close buddy from Los Angeles, Dave Reneker. A past club champion and bon vivant at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Dave had said for years that if he ever learned I had played St. Andrews for the first time without him, not to ever call him again. \u201cGive me 24 hours notice, and I will get there from anywhere in the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Dave had plenty of notice to plan the day for all of us. He had spent considerable time in St. Andrews, even living there for long stretches, all the while nurturing friendships with many of the caddies, including the one he procured for me, Alan Carlyle. You often hear people regaling others with tales of how their caddies in Scotland are such a vital part of the experience. It\u2019s true. Alan has looped thousands of rounds over the last five decades, so naturally I inquired about some his memorable experiences. \u201cA few years back I caddied for a fine young player who went on to become a television presenter, like you,\u201d Alan said. \u201cHis name was Brandel Chamblee, and when I worked for him at the 1995 Open Championship I learned a valuable lesson in communications. At the par-4 sixth hole in the opening round, he hit the blind tee shot way right. He looked at me and asked, \u2018How\u2019s that?\u2019 I was certain he had found the gorse and a wee bit too quickly, I responded, \u2018It\u2019s dead.\u2019 After he hit a provisional, Brandel said with fire in his eyes, \u2018Don\u2019t ever tell me it\u2019s dead again! Give me some hope!\u2019 You know, I never forgot that. Ever since, I gently break the bad news to my golfer with phrases like, \u2018We\u2019ll see about that one,\u2019 or \u2018Hopefully, we got a good bounce.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Nantz, we\u2019ve been waiting some time for you.\u201d He rummaged through his desk and found an envelope with my name on it. <\/p>\n

Under Alan\u2019s stewardship, few of my shots ended up on life support, and I managed to shoot 38 going out with a wind-stiffened 46 coming home. It added up to 84 strokes with two birdies and a par on the famed 17th\u2014The Road Hole. It was more than enough to make me happy at this stage of my life.<\/p>\n

Once the round ended, we walked into the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse for a pint. When we presented our names to the gentleman who received us, he replied, \u201cMr. Nantz, we\u2019ve been waiting some time for you.\u201d He rummaged through his desk and found an envelope with my name on it. \u201cIt\u2019s about time, sir,\u201d he said. It was my R&A membership card, dated 2004.<\/p>\n

Full disclosure, I had been to St. Andrews many times, having attended four Opens on busman\u2019s holiday and even making a few cameos on several BBC broadcasts. I had been back proudly for functions at the club and had played at surrounding courses such as North Berwick and Renaissance, but I had never played the Old Course. Who knew that there was an envelope waiting to be picked up after 20 years?<\/p>\n

The day\u2019s final act was the most meaningful part of all. Led by Alan, the caddies asked our group to join them at The St. Andrews Golf Club off the 18th. There, over another pint, we were riveted by their stories from nearly 100 years of combined service shepherding golfers around their magical office. As we left, the caddies marked the occasion by presenting a St. Andrews flag signed by the four of them. I consider it one of my greatest golf mementos in an ever-growing collection and a treasured reminder of my maiden voyage around heaven\u2019s course.<\/p>\n

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A summer ago, many years in the making, I finally stood on the sacred sod of St. Andrews\u2019…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":122968,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":["post-122967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-golf","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-golf","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122967","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122967"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/122967\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/122968"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122967"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=122967"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=122967"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}