📍 St Andrews FULL COURSE GUIDE | AIG Women's Open

hole one burn the old course begins with one of the most iconic shots in golf players have the luxury of targeting one of the widest barries in golf although there isn't out of bounds left and right to punish the most wward strokes and the snaking swil and burn comes into play off the tea in varying wind and ground conditions depending on how aggressive a player is finding a fairway that is shared with the 18th is certainly no guarantee as many have discovered over the years however a good t-shock could leave competitors with a relatively short pitch over the sworen burn and the opportunity to begin with a birdie 3 hole two Dyke the Fairway is certainly not as wide on the second where menacing gor threatens to pick up any t-shots flayed to the right a good line in is just to the right of the bunker on the left side of the Fairway the subsequent approach roach is aimed at the first of several huge shared greens this one also serving as the potting surface for the 16th two small bunkers lur to the right while a diagonal Ridge runs up to the front of the green and will cause trouble for anything Landing short at this par 4 Hall three cartgate out it's not hard to spot the biggest Danger on the third the huge cartgate bunker guarding the front of the green that is shared with the 15th staying to the left is generally the safest bet of the tea all throughout the old course but doing so on this Par Four will bring the most significant sand trap into play a bold drive down the right half of the FY leaves a much simpler approach to the green shared with the 15th which again is vast in size and has subtle undulations and brakes hole four ginger bear arguably the toughest test on the old course's outward nine ginger beer provides a similar challenge to the third from the te with the riskier line down the right half of the Fairway opening up an easier second those choosing to play safer up the left may have stance and lie issues and will have to carry a large Mound just short of the green with their approach a deep bunker to the left of the green must also be avoided and the hidden bunker to the right can be equally problematic hole five hole across expect to see birdies of Plenty at the fifth the first of only two par fivs on the old course those who find the Fairway of the tea will fancy their chances of firing a second shot over the spectacles bunker and finding a putting surface that is an astonishing 100 yd long a deep Swale guards the green and makes a front pin position particularly tricky to access ESS but the world's best will be confident of picking up at least one shot here all four days hole six Heather out the t-shot is not simple at the par 46 play Blind to the Fairway that is studded with the infamous coffin bunkers a further SI sand traps lur to the right of the short grass making accuracy vital yet another double green the fifth in succession is somewhat simpler to find should a player's opening strike find the Fairway an excellent birdie chance should the Fairway be [Music] found ho seven High out the green on this PA 4 is shared with the 11th and the flag on the latter hole is generally considered a good line from the 7th t with just an iron likely required the putting surface winds its way from left to right and is often the case on the old course pin placement and wind direction are key factors in the approach hole eight short short represents the first time you played towards the old gray tune of St Andrews and the eigh is one of only two par 3es on the old course downwind it it can be difficult to hold the putting surface due to the perfectly positioned short hole bunker but the job isn't done yet when finding the putting surface along with the shared tenth the eighth is one of the trickiest to read Around the old course whole nine end one of several short path fours around the turn the ninth presents one of the best birdie opportunities of the round but it's not without its dangers a host of bunkers including two in the right half of the Fairway are in play for those looking to take on the Green from the tea while gor bushes lurk to the left good lag putting on this hole particularly downwind is often crucial to securing a three hole 10 Bobby Jones named after the champion golfer of 1927 an amateur champion of 1930 at St Andrews Bobby Jones presents two distinct options off the tea those seeking to play it safe on this PA 4 can lay up and have plenty of room for error but there is also the option of taking a boulder line with a driver taking aim at a narrowing undulating strip of Fairway that runs up to the green this putting surface is shared with the A and again is tricky sloping from front to back and offering subtle mulations hole 11 high in amusingly referred to by many locals at the shortest par F and golf the 11th actually a par three is certainly a challenging test the Fearsome Hill and Strath bunkers short of the green must be avoided although that can be easier said than done when the wind blows a devish steep runoff area Waits over the green and can present at times just as difficult a shot as the bunkers ho 12 heathery in the t-shot at the 12 hole is key if you avoid the five and bunkers scattered around the center of the Fairway and the gors to the left and right a great birdy chance awaits particularly for the longer hitters who can take on the green hole 13 hole across in the difficult path for 13 starts the run for home playing back towards the now visible town in the distance the ferry comes to an end at approximately 300 ydd and playing up the left is again an advantage coffin bunkers are the main threat from the tea while it can be tough to pick the right line with a semiblind approach played over a large mound to yet another double green a Swale and bunker just to the right of the green also presents problems anyone making four here in all four rounds will surely be happy with their work poll 14 long the 14th is a half par five that begins with a demanding t-shot where players can choose to go right or left of a group of bunkers known as the beardies with an out of bounds wall further to the right many will likely choose the fifth Fairway to the left as the option the second shot can then be fired over the large hell bunker or along the fifth Fairway again on the left more sand surrounds the green and all the bunkers on long will be in play depending on wind direction making this one of the trickier long holes played at the AIG Women's [Music] Open hole 15 cartgate in Club selection is vital at the par 450 a hall that demands accuracy off the te a deceptively deep green shared with the third a is closer than it actually is and is guarded by a devilish pot bunker to the front left and a difficult to read putting [Music] surface hole 16 corner of the Dyke the par 4 16th is a classic risk reward hole with boldness of the tea required to leave an easier approach with out of bounds very much in play to the right the safe play is a drive down the left side of the Fairway shared with the third hole but will leave a demanding second shot over two bunkers and with a worse angle into the green drives down the center can bring the principal nose collection of bunkers into play and will result in a chip out playing down the ride and taking the out of bounds is much riskier but can result in a golden birdie opportunity if navigated SU successfully hole 17 Road the Road Hole is undoubtedly the old course's most demanding test and regarded by many as the toughest Par Four in golf the t-shot needs to be fired bravely over the corner of the old course hotel to find the Fairway although many will opt left without out of bounds lurking to the right an even trickier challenge awaits with an approach to the shallowest of greens protected by the famous Road hle bunker the putting Surface 2 is arguably the hardest on the old course and even after playing two excellent shots avoiding a three is a difficult [Music] task whole 18 Tom Morris the sight of so many dramatic moments over the years the par 4 18th is quite simply iconic it should be no problem to find the huge Fairway that also served as a target for the opening shot of the round so long as the out of bounds to the right is avoided players can then Savor a walk over the swilken bridge as they make it back into the town where they started the valley of sin short of the putting surface is a common collection Point while three putts are common on a large undulating green