The Old Course at St Andrews is set for a facelift.
An extra 132 yards will be added to the iconic course ahead of the 155th staging of The Open, which St Andrews will host in 2027 for a record-extending 31st time.
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The R&A’s Chief Governance Officer Grant Moir explained the decision to alter the course was made to ‘adapt to the way the modern game is played.’
The logic behind the Old Course’s revamp
“Principally, when we had The Open here in 2022, the course played very well,” Moir said.
“It was very firm and very fast and that created a challenge, but certainly there had been an increase in the number of par-4s that were reachable and both par-5s were reachable most days.
“We wanted to reintroduce some of the strategic challenge of the course, but in addition to that there was a desire to restore some of the features that had been altered over the years. So that’s the rationale behind our desire to make these changes.
“We’re acutely aware of the sensitivities of making changes to the Old Course, but as anybody who has flicked through Scott MacPherson’s excellent book on the evolution of the Old Course will know, there have been regular and substantial over the years.
“We are being very sensitive to the history of the course with these changes, but we do feel that it’s appropriate to make these changes at this time to adapt to the way the modern game is played.”
Which holes at the Old Course are being changed?
Six holes – the 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th and 16th – at the Old Course will be lengthened.
However, the par-four 12th hole is set to be shortened.
Once those seven holes have been altered, the total length of the Old Course will sit at 7,445 yards, a reasonable increase on the 7,313 yard-distance at The Open in 2022.
The 5th, 6th, 7th and 10th holes will also receive new championship tees.
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The Old Course at St Andrews has been around since 1552…Credit: Getty
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And it remains a mecca for golf players and enthusiasts amid several facelifts over the yearsCredit: Getty
Australia’s Cameron Smith was the last man to win The Open at St Andrews.
Smith, who plies his trade in LIV Golf, claimed the Claret Jug in 2022 with a final score of 20-under in what marked his first and only major to date.
The Australian, who sports an iconic mullet, finished one stroke ahead of Cameron Young and two in front of Rory McIlroy, who at the time was in the midst of an eight-year major drought.
McIlroy’s wait for a major would extend to 11 years as he ended it at this year’s Masters to complete the career Grand Slam.
The Northern Irishman will no doubt be keen to add a second Claret Jug to his trophy cabinet when 2027 rolls around.
Why Woods loves the Old Course
However, he has work to do to if he is to catch up to golf superstar Tiger Woods, who has won the Open three times.
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Two of Woods’ three Open triumphs came at the Old CourseCredit: Getty
Woods was in the field the last time St Andrews hosted the major and many suspected it would be the American hero’s final time crossing the Swilcan Bridge.
The 49-year-old fuelled that sentiment when he became visibly emotional while on the course but chose not to replicate Jack Nicklaus’ act of stopping on the bridge and waving as he continued to walk on, indicating he wasn’t ready to bid farewell just yet.
To have simply made the event in 2022 an achievement in itself given Woods was involved in a near-fatal car accident just months before, as the golf great expressed his delight at being in his happy place.
“It is my favourite [golf course],” Woods said prior to the tournament.
“I don’t know how many Open Championships I have left here at St Andrews, but I wanted this one.
“It started here for me in 1995, and if it ends here in 2022, it does.”