The show reel ranges from laughs with Nick Faldo and Prince William, the 18th on the Old Course in the snow, seeing John Gallagher hit the ball cack-handed, enjoying trick shot specialist David Edwards, to hearing great stories from local Old Course caddy John Boyne on the famous Road Hole.

It also includes tips on playing Kingsbarns, to helicopter footage of the courses at St Andrews. In addition Andy profiles the famous 19th hole in St Andrews, namely the Dunvegan Hotel, and takes time to understand how playable hickory clubs are made at the St AndrewsGolf Company.

The show reel also features Musselburgh Old Links, the oldest course in the world, and spends some time with Karl Morris, the mind coach to Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke. Andy also talks to Ross Biddiscombe, author of Golf On The Edge 2.

If you a restaurant, retail shop, professional or service provider who wants to describe your own story on location in a documentary interview style, I can definitely help by producing a custom crafted 1 minute video especially for your web site. For those of you far away I can a professional voice over record a custom script, that is then laid over a 30 second photo montage to produce a great video about your business.

To visit the Open Championship this year you can pre order tickets at http://tickets.randa.org/. If you would like to play the Old Course and the other 6 courses at St Andrews please visit the new Links Trust web site at Standrews.org.uk

I also filmed scenes from the glorious West Sands adjacent to the famous 1st and 18th holes.

The introduction and ending were filmed at Tentsmuir Sands about 8 miles from St Andrews.

Finally, the Question of the Day:

With all the bad weather how much golf have you been able to play so far this year? Please leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!

Sunningdale Old Course is arguably one of the best designed heathland courses in the UK. It is located approximately 10 miles from Heathrow Airport and just 25 miles from the centre of London.

Amongst its many accolades Sunningdale’s Old Course has been ranked by Golf Digest Magazine #12 amongst courses outside the United States in 2009. It was also ranked in the most recent Top 100 Golf Courses of the World poll in 2009 as #2 in England, #10 in the UK and #19 in the world.

History of the course

Sunningdale has two stunning golf courses, the Old Course and the New Course. The Old Course, which opened in 1901, was designed by Willie Park Jnr and it has changed very little since then. Sunningdale is also lucky enough to boast a second course, called the New Course, which opened in 1923 and was designed by Harry Shapland Colt

Hosting the Senior Open Championship

Sunningdale Old Course has served as the site of some of the most important and momentous tournaments in Britain. Bobby Jones famously said of this course “I wish I could take this course home with me” after he successfully scored 66-68 over it during qualifying for the 1926 British Open. His round, which consisted of 33 full strokes and 33 putts, with every hole played in either 3 or 4; has often been described as the perfect round of golf. Events held at Sunningdale over the last decade have includes the qualifying competitions for the British Open, multiple Women’s British Opens and in 1987 the Walker Cup was played here for the first time ever on an inland course in the UK.

For 22 years The British Senior Open has been played at links courses around the UK so it was a bold move by the R&A this year to move the competition inland for the first time. It is a decision which has the backing of many of the best golfers in the world class field which includes Watson, Faldo, Norman, Funk, Torrance and Woosnam as it presented them with the perfect inland challenge.

During this episode I also met up with David Edwards who featured in episode 6 at the London Golf Show. He was invited by the European Tour to perform his golf trick shots routine during the Seniors at Sunningdale. During our chat David told me he was enjoying attending the Seniors not only as a performer but also it gave him the opportunity to watch some of the great players he used to play alongside.

The Old Course

Sunningdale’s Old Course boasts being home to some of the best springy golfing turf in the world of golf. Beneath it is ideal sandy subsoil, which is a feature of heathland golf courses. This course was amongst the first successful golf courses to be located away from the seaside, as many people thought that turf wouldn’t grow well in such an inland region. Sunningdale’s glorious fairways are set amidst trees, mostly pine and silver birch, and beautiful blooming heather which is everywhere in the rough.

Every hole at Sunningdale Old Course provides golfers with a combination of fantastic greens, fast-running fairways and stunning views. The standout holes which I feature in this episode are the 5th and 10th holes.

5th Hole

The 5th hole is a superb 419-yard par 4. With its elevated tee, which gives you a fantastic view of the fairway, this is one of the best driving holes I’ve ever seen – I’m not surprised this hole is named in The 500 World’s Greatest Golf Holes.

10th Hole

The 10th hole is a 475-yards par 4. This is another great driving hole with an elevated tee providing fantastic views. It is the longest of the par 4 holes on the back 9, it has bunkers lining the right hand side and the best part is you get an opportunity to enjoy a well-earned drink and sausage sandwich at the half-way hut after you’ve putted in!

If you get a chance I thoroughly recommend you pay a visit to Sunningdale, one of Europe’s top golf courses.

For full details on how to play please visit their website.

Sunningdale Golf Club

Ridgemount Road

Sunningdale

Berkshire

SL5 9RR

Telephone Number +44 (0)1344 620128

Fax Number +44 (0)1344 624154

Website: Sunningdale-GolfClub.co.uk and SunningdaleGolf.co.uk

Email: Contact here

Finally, the Question of the Day:

How old are you and do you see yourself playing golf forever and ever? Leave your comment below and we’ll have fun reading them!

Episode 9 was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust. Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.

More on Old Course caddy John Boyne

Website: CaddieGolfTours.com

Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/

Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally

Please click here to watch parts one, two and three.

You can watch the full version here

This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust. Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.

Life as an Old Course Caddie

John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.

The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.

I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.

John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.

Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.

After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com. He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.

If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.

John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.

The Road Hole

Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.

So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.

The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.

This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.

Teeing Off

John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.

Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.

The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.

John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line – play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 – 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!

If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 – 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!

John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!

John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.

One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!

I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones’ account of a Walker Cup match in 1926

Approach Shots

John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.

Hitting Off The Road!

Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.

Bunkers

John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.

The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval’s Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.

On The Green

The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.

As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.

Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.

More on Old Course caddy John Boyne

Website: CaddieGolfTours.com

Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/

Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally

Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)

Finally, the Question of the Day:

What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!

Please click here to watch parts one, two and three.

You can watch the full version here

This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust. Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.

Life as an Old Course Caddie

John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.

The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.

I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.

John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.

Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.

After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com. He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.

If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.

John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.

The Road Hole

Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.

So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.

The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.

This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.

Teeing Off

John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.

Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.

The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.

John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line – play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 – 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!

If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 – 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!

John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!

John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.

One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!

I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones’ account of a Walker Cup match in 1926

Approach Shots

John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.

Hitting Off The Road!

Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.

Bunkers

John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.

The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval’s Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.

On The Green

The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.

As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.

Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.

More on Old Course caddy John Boyne

Website: CaddieGolfTours.com

Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/

Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally

Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)

Finally, the Question of the Day:

What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!

Please click here to watch parts one, two and three.

You can watch the full version here

This video was made possible by the kind assistance of Mike Woodcock at The Links Trust. Visit StAndrewslinks.Allianz.com to see Mike in the Working at the Home of Golf section under Community.

Life as an Old Course Caddie

John is in his 8th season as an Old Course caddie, having started purely by accident back in 2002. He explained to me how his wife encouraged him to join a caddie program she saw advertised in a golf magazine, which was organized by the Caddie Master at the Old Course. John signed up, completed a 4 day training course and 8 years on he is enjoying caddying on the Old Course for up to 160 rounds a year.

The Old Course caddies’ season begins properly in mid-May, which is when I shot this episode. From May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. John told me that as well as himself, the St Andrews Links Trust has 132 caddies who are working for them this year on the Old Course as well as caddying on the other six St Andrews Links courses which are also open to the public. Caddies are all self-employed and some of them work 11 rounds a week. When winter descends on St Andrews and the Old Course becomes less busy many of these caddies jet off to Naples in Florida or Las Vegas to caddie for 5 months.

I followed John down to the Caddie Pavilion on the Old Course, which is a second home to the caddies. They spend the first part of their day there until they are booked to go out caddying. In the high season the first tee time on the Old Course is 6.30am and thus caddies are often seen arriving an hour beforehand.

John explained to me that he feels very privileged to work as a caddie on the Old Course. Besides helping him stay in good physical condition, it also has other perks. Every day he gets the chance to meet lots of different people from all over the world who come to play the most famous golf course in Scotland. The stories which John shared with me during the filming of this episode about people he has caddied for are both amusing and give an invaluable insight into life as an Old Course caddie.

Some golfers John has caddied for come back on repeat visits to play the Old Course. During the 4.5 hours out on those hallowed grounds it’s easy to see how friendships are forged and John told me that that many golfers keep in contact with him throughout the year. He believes that when you visit Scotland life and golf are inextricably linked together.

After years of being asked by golfers for his recommendations on where to stay and where to play golf in St Andrews John started up his own golf tour company at CaddieGolfTours.com. He offers straightforward honest advice, for a very reasonable fee, about accommodation to suit your budget and his tips on how to get onto St Andrews’ golf courses as quickly as possible. John also offers information on booking golf vacations in other parts of Scotland too.

If you ever visit St Andrews to play the Old Course I highly recommend hiring a caddie before setting foot onto that infamous first tee. A knowledgeable caddie like John can help you to take at least five shots off your game with his reads, club selection, target strategies and lines off the tees on this championship course. A caddie can also assist in protecting your score by helping you deal with the legendary windy weather which many experience on this course.

John offers more useful information about playing at St Andrews on his web site here.

The Road Hole

Having caddied on the Old Course so regularly John is definitely experienced enough to be able to point out to myself, and my viewers, how we can avoid the many traps on the Old Course which have ruined the scores of many golfers in their first encounter with it.

So in this episode John concentrated on the challenging 17th hole, the most famous par 4 in the world, and talked me through the best strategy for playing it.

The Road Hole, so called because of the old turnpike road which forms a boundary on the right side, is arguably one of the toughest holes in golf and it’s seen by many as the most difficult hole on the Old Course. At 461 yards it is listed as a par 4 on the scorecard but it is actually only 14 yards short of par 5 distance. John told me that during previous Opens Nick Faldo consistently played this hole as a par 5, as do many local golfers.

This hole has witnessed a lot of dramas during the 27 Open Championships which have been played here at the Old Course.

Teeing Off

John says that there is always great excitement amongst players on the 17th tee, and that for every different foursome he is caddying for, something dramatic always happens on this hole.

Most players are thinking about their strategy for the 17th hole as they are walking down the 2nd fairway because as they get to the 2nd green they can see the 17th tee, which is adjacent. John told me that many players are worrying that in 3.5 hrs they are going to be playing the 17th, one of the most famous golf holes in the world. He explained that by the time a player gets to the 17th tee he has found that mentally they are pretty screwed up, especially for those not used to links golf courses.

The old railway tram shed (which has been rebuilt since its original installation) has remained over the years as a perfect aiming point for driving off of the 17th tee on the Old Course. A sign with the words “OLD COURSE HOTEL” is fixed to the side of the shed (which houses offices belonging to the Old Course Hotel). The Old Course Hotel and The Jigger Inn both run alongside the 17th hole fairway.

John’s advice for teeing off is to play an aggressive line – play outside the word “HOTEL” on the sign, going quite close to the face of the hotel. He told me that it’s a 200 – 220 yard carry to get onto the fairway from there, so he has to be pretty confident about the ability of the golfer he is caddying before he recommends this to them. It is aggressive but it pays off. You definitely have to trust your swing here because you can’t see the landing area. As John says it’s a shot of blind faith!

If he is with a confident golfer John takes them over the “L” of “HOTEL” on the sign and maybe even another 2 or 3 yards to the right of that. He explains it’s a very tight shot but professionals are going to hit the ball 280 – 290 yards consistently so will be on the fairway and will be in perfect position for the approach shot to the green. They go over the green sheds and garden, over the conservatory of the Old Course Hotel and then into landing area opposite the Jigger Inn. He says the braver you are the tighter you can go to the hotel. It is a big carry but the rewards are extraordinary for the entrance into the green. It’s definitely a shot that needs a bit of courage!

John told me that he always enjoys a fade as a shot on this tee but that he has also seen a lot of golfers play a draw. A draw takes you to the left rough. The fade takes you into the fairway, going round from the left, trying to land centre and right of centre on the fairway will give you a good shot into the green. If like 70% of the golfers John has caddied for you have a fade, John says this hole was made for you!

John also reminisced with me about back in the 70s when he remembered Jack Nicklaus hitting his ball across the roofs of the train sheds during the Open. The Old Course Hotel and sheds were constructioned in the late 1960s early 70s and not in the mid 80s as mentioned in the video.

One of John’s fun stories he shared with me about this hole was when he asked a Japanese golfer he was caddying for to play over the word “HOTEL” on the sign. Somehow his words got lost in translation and the golfer hit the ball right over the roof of the Old Course Hotel into the car park!!!

I highly recommend reading this article on the 17th hole by John and in particular R.T. Jones’ account of a Walker Cup match in 1926

Approach Shots

John also showed me the more realistic landing area where the majority of players hit their tee shot to. Typically they end up on the left side of the fairway in the rough which is thick and tangled, which makes it tough. John explained that it’s extremely difficult from this position to get onto the green. He told me that even professionals will leave their 2nd shot short, on purpose, to have a option to play a chip and run onto the green or a long putt.

Hitting Off The Road!

Hopefully if you have followed John’s tips up to this stage you can avoid your ball landing on the path, road or rock wall which are to the right hand side of the 17th fairway and green. If not you might just have to hit your ball off of tarmac! The ball must be played as it lies on this hole. John took me onto the road of this hole and offered advice for players from this position. He recommends a 4 or 5 iron to be hit quite hard to get up the bank from this position to get onto the 17th green. John told me that in the early 80s during the Open Tom Watson overcooked his 2 iron and landed 6 or 7 inches from the rock wall so he had no shot. Thus he turned around, hit the ball against the wall and luckily it careered and bounced up onto the green. He says that during his time on the Old Course he has seen this shot done many times and it does work.

Bunkers

John pointed out that the bunkers short of the green in the left rough rarely come into play. They did however in the 2007 Ladies Open when Lorena Ochoa ended up in one.

The Road Hole bunker has been known to destroy many rounds on the Old Course, including David Duval’s Open fight in 2000 (admittedly he was being agressive to close the lead) and Tommy Nakajima in 1978. John told me that some golfers he caddies for hit their shot into the bunker on the 17th deliberately because they want to take a crack at getting out of it. If you are unfortunate enough to end up in the Raod Hole Bunker John outlines some damage limitation tactics to keep your score down.

On The Green

The 17th has a thin deceptive green. On the day we filmed this episode the pin had been placed favorably but John told me that was not always the case. He pointed out too that the green has a slight tilt on the right which feeds the ball quite gently down to the pin.

As links golf has no great depth perception because it is so flat John told me it is hard to judge distances on a green like this for putting. This can be especially difficult on the 17th when you could have a really long putt. That is why John always recommends someone attending the flag on the green to give some depth perception for the player.

Overall John warned me that you have to use flexibility and imagination to play this hole and be prepared for anything to happen! Have fun.

More on Old Course caddy John Boyne

Website: CaddieGolfTours.com

Blog: http://wwwcaddiegolftours.blogspot.com/

Tour Enquiries: Click here for John to contact you personally

Email: john@caddiegolftours.com (If you enjoyed this video please email John to say so, many thanks)

Finally, the Question of the Day:

What is your favorite Open Championship Hole? Leave your comments below and we’ll have fun reading them!

He explains how in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries there were many different rules, as each Club developed had their own versions. This obviously led to difficulties and in 1897, by common agreement of the existing clubs, most of who were in Britain, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club (R&A) were asked to take control of the Rules. The first international set of Rules was then published in 1899.

The United States Golf Association (USGA) also adopted the R&A Rules and published them for American golfers in 1900. However the two golfing bodies then went their separate ways for the next 50 years.

As Barry states in the video, itt is important to stress that there aren’t two sets of Rules.

In 1952 the R&A and USGA agreed to co-operate to produce a unified set of Rules for worldwide use and this is the situation today. The two bodies meet regularly and agree on any changes to the Rules, which occur every four years, and any new or changed Decisions on the Rules, which are published every two years.

There’s just one difference between the two and to the majority of us it’s of little relevance. There is no limit to the value of prize that an amateur player may receive for a hole-in-one in the USA or Mexico, which are governed by the USGA, but for the rest of the world the R&A limits the value of prize that a player may receive for a hole-in-one to just £500.

Like many golfers I often ask myself why are there so many Rules and Decisions. On this occassion Barry reminded me that there are more than 60 million people playing golf, in almost every country in the world, in all sorts of climates and playing conditions. So the Rules have to cover everything that could possibly happen to the player and his ball on the course.

As we know it’s an impossible task for most players to learn all of the Rules. In fact Barry has spent more than ten years getting to grips with the Rules and Decisions on the Rules and still learning.

However, I’m sure that if you have watched or played any game regularly, such as soccer, pool, trivial pursuits or even poker, you’ll have witnessed arguments as to whether a particular play is valid, or not. Sooner or later players have to check, or establish, rules so that they can compete fairly against each other on a level playing field. There’s only one game of golf, with a universal set of Rules, and if that’s the game that you want to play then you have to respect and abide by all of them, so as to preserve the integrity of this wonderful game.

In conclusion I asked Barry how would recommend players get a better understanding of the Rules?

“Well, the easy answer to that question would be to recommend that every golfer should carry a book of Rules in their pocket, which they regularly take out, read and digest. But I know that’s not going to happen. Most players learn from the situations that they experience on the course. Every time something new crops up they discuss it afterwards in the bar, or the Pro Shop, until they are satisfied that they know the right answer. To assist golfers everywhere I’ve taken this to the next step and written a book containing 999 questions on the Rules of Golf with answers, references to the Rule, or Decision, number and explanations, where required. I’ve covered the myriad situations that can occur on the golf course and have included an index so that golfers can easily find the relevant Q&As for the situation that they are interested in.”

if you Google ‘999 Questions on the Rules of Golf’ you’ll find that most online booksellers will have it in stock.

You can buy from Amazon.co.uk and from Amazon.com.

Barry Rhodes

Author of “999 Questions On The Rules Of Golf”

Website: BarryRodes.com

Finally the Question of the Day:

What is your most confusing rule of golf? Please leave your answer in the comments section below and we will do our best to help explain. Thank you.