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Home Scottish Links Golf The Basics Detailed information AFSD - how to determine the real length of a golf course Helpful Websites Aberdeen & Grampian Highlands Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay... Ayrshire Royal Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick... Just east of Edinburgh Scotland's Golf Coast Gullane, Muirfield, North Berwick... Northern Highlands Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn... St. Andrews area Carnoustie Charleton Crail - Balcomie Crail - Craighead Drumoig Duke's Course Elie Fairmont St Andrews Kingsbarns Ladybank Leven Lundin Scotscraig St. Andrews Old Course St. Andrews New Course St. Andrews Jubilee Course St Andrews Castle Course St Andrews Eden Course St Andrews Strathtyrum & Balgove Courses St. Michaels Other golf courses Machrihanish, Pitlochry... Links Lite Great links golf for everyone Donate What others say |
St. Andrews Eden Course © It's not as long or as torturous as The Old Course, which runs directly next to it and shares the same spit of coastline, but at 6,200 yards it's no pushover. The Eden course is a whole lot of fun at a great price. So if you find yourself with some extra time or if you want to play a second golf course for the day, The Eden is worth a play. It has gorse-lined fairways, punishing bunkers, some terrific holes and difficult to read greens, and will give even a skilled golfer a good workout.
The Old Course, the Jubilee, and the New Course are all first-class championship Scottish links layouts capable of challenging even the most accomplished golfer. The Eden Course is not in their league and you wouldn't want to give up a play on one of those to play the Eden. But that doesn't mean it's not a good golf course. It is. And it's useful as an adjunct to those fine golf courses on the days when you just want to go out and have some fun and not be challenged to be your absolute best on each hole, or on the days when you play one of them but haven't quite had your fill of golf. And it's a perfect choice if you want to play a round with someone not quite up to your skill level.
The fairways are wide but with an amazing amount of gorse lining them, so although accuracy is not a premium for playing The Eden, anything off these wide fairways can be difficult to find and impossible to hit. And if you happen to stray into one of the bunkers, it will definitely cost you a stroke--if you're lucky.
Hints on playing St Andrews Eden course
Although there are not many bunkers on the
golf course, those that exist are doozies
and there may be times when your ball will
end up close to the steep wall that so many
of the bunkers have.
In such a situation it's virtually impossible
to get out in one stroke and, if you try,
your ball may hit the wall and drop right
down and end up unplayable again and again
(a' la David Duval in the 2000 Open when he persisted
in trying to get out of the Road Hole bunker
again and again and again and still had to
hit out sideways and succeeded only in hitting
himself out of contention). If you find yourself facing such a shot,
take advantage of Rule 28 which states:The player may deem his ball unplayable at
any place on the course except when
the ball
is in a water hazard. The player is
the sole
judge as to whether his ball is unplayable.
Of course it will cost you a stroke but you
can either drop within two club-lengths of
the spot or ...you can drop a ball directly behind the
point where the ball lay, keeping the point
directly between the hole and the spot on
which the ball is dropped. There is no limit
to how far behind that point the ball may
be dropped. Keep in mind that in either event, you'll have to drop it in the bunker. Dropping it in a playable lie of your choosing
is a tremendous advantage and gives you a
chance for a sand save and a bogey rather
than a possible double or triple or worse.
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| The 18th green is well protected by thick gorse bushes. If you do get on the green, however, you have a welcomed flat surface on which to putt. |
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| Note the proximity to the Old Course and also the four holes that run directly next to the water. When the gorse is in bloom (especially in May), the course is beautiful. |
