** Special £99 FourBall Offer **

You can book a tee time for 4 players on either The Torrance or Kittocks course until 31st March 2010 for just £99 by calling +44 (0)1334 837023. Further details can be found here.

Cleveland Golf And Srixon Scottish Senior Open

Neil told me that preparing the Torrance Course for the Scottish Senior Open had been challenging for him and his team, involving long days (on course from 4.30am to 9.30pm), unpredictable Scottish weather to contend with and of course lots of hard work. From what I could see Neil and his team’s efforts had definitely paid off. Their attention to detail showed in the condition of the course – it looked fantastic.

The Torrance Course

The Torrance Course was designed by the late Gene Sarazen and winning Ryder Cup Captain, Sam Torrance in 2001, with recent renovations by architect Gary Stephenson. It’s an excellent par 72, 7037 yard course with a beautiful backdrop of the coastal edge and beach, with breathtaking views towards the historic university town of St Andrews.

Neil told me that although the Torrance is marketed as a championship golf course it really does cater for golfers of all abilities. For instance the seniors were playing off 6846 yards, where as the front tees play to 5200 yards. Just 3 miles from St Andrews, the award winning The Fairmont Resort (18th Best Golf Resort in the World by Conde Nast Traveler), offers golfers a luxurious retreat with world class golf. The two courses and 209 room hotel are set in a 520 acre estate, with unique coastal views to the Angus coast and Carnoustie.

Torrance Course Redesign

I’ve played the Torrance Course before several times so I was eager to find out from Neil what changes I could expect to see from the newly designed course. The redesign works included extensive state of the art fairway drainage, all new tees and newly revetted bunkers. Neil also talked me through some of the green and hole modifications which had taken place. The layout has been changed on 8 of the Torrance’s holes, 2 of its’ greens have been moved. The turf from the original 12th hole was moved 50 yards to form what is now hole 14. The 18th green has moved 100 yards south, to create a more uphill and demanding hole with 6 new bunkers. Neil also told me that all of the 4 par 3 holes at the Torrance are very strong. The 11th hole has splendid views of St Andrews in the distance and the 17th features an intimidating 8 foot deep bunker!

Course Conditions

The new Torrance layout offers golfers plenty of variety and challenges with many holes playing in a variety of directions. The first 5 holes cover every direction, north south east and west, and with each one the wind changes will require players to use just about every shot in their bag!

The winds, which are fairly constant at the Torrance, set golfers a bit of a challenge, as do the devilish bunkers, and undulating fairways. As with most courses in St Andrews, when you play the Torrance you will need to master the winds as club selection can make a real difference to your score card here. Neil explained how most golfers, including Sam Torrance, had to adapt their game plan to master the course.

Hosting Golf Events

Since opening in June 2001 the Torrance Course has played host to the Vagliano Trophy, the Red Bull Masterclass, International Pairs, The Partypoker.com International Open and of course the Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open. During this episode I also discussed with Neil what an honor it is for the Torrance Course to be nominated by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club as a local Open qualifying course for the 2010 Open in St Andrews. He told me that a lot of thought which went into the redesign of the course was with the Open qualifying event in mind.

So if you would like to see some of the professional golfers try to earn their slot in the Open next year get yourself along to the Torrance Course!

Further contact details:

Fairmont St Andrews Golf Courses

St Andrews Bay

St Andrews

KY16 8PN

Telephone Number +44 (0)1334 837023

Fax Number +44 (0)1334 471115

Website: Fairmont.com

Email: Contact here

Finally, the Question of the Day:

When you’re booking a golf holiday what is the most important thing to you. Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!

This week I visited St Andrews Golf Company Ltd, the last remaining Scottish golf club manufacturer, over at their new premises 6 miles south west of St Andrews at Largoward.

Hamish Steedman the managing director of this great golf company, was kind enough to show me around the show room and factory. It was fascinating for Elle and I to get a behind the scenes look at the last club maker in the world to to retain the traditional skills used to hand craft authentic period playable sets of hickory golf clubs. Not only that but this is home to 3 of Scotland’s most famous club making brands; George Nicoll, Tom Stewart, and of course St Andrews Golf Company itself. You can read a full account of the company’s history dating back to 1881 here.

Join me in this video as we step back in time and appreciate the unique skills required to make clubs for some of the game’s greats names like Bobby Jones, Gene Sarazen and Henry Cotton. It was a real pleasure and education to witness the various steps required to make a fully playable hickory club. Hamish explained how through the generations, the same materials and working methods are used to make clubs like a long nose spoon, brassie, mashie and a niblick. A full description of the club making process from start to finish is detailed here.

The company also offers a complete custom-fit service of ‘state of the art’ golf clubs. If I had had more time I would have used their advanced putter fitting system!

Clubs are sold online and at their new shop on Golf Place in Andrews. You have the choice of the Heritage Collection featuring single clubs and sets of period hickory clubs and the Modern range incorporating the George Nicoll and St Andrews Golf Company brands.

If you are ever in St Andrews I would definitely recommend a visit, you are bound to enjoy and appreciate over 125 years of golf heritage under one roof.

St Andrews Golf Company

20 St Andrews Road, Largoward, St Andrews, Fife, KY9 1HZ, Scotland

Website: StAndrewsGolfCo.com

Email: info@standrewsgolfco.com

Tel No: +44 1334 840860

Fax No: +44 1334 840862

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Finally the Question of the Day:

What is the oldest club you have ever played with? Please leave your answer in the comments section below. Thank you.