The first 18 at St. Andrews Bay, a walking-only, links-style
layout, was designed by Sam Torrance, current captain of the
European Ryder Cup team, and opened last summer. It is wide open
and will thrill golfers of all abilities. Detailed stone-arched
bridges and adjacent fairways are separated by thick stands of
rough. It is the prototypical Scottish course and looks as if it
has been there forever.
The second course, designed by former Senior PGA player Bruce
Devlin with input from American legend Gene Sarazen, opens this
summer. A more difficult layout, it will permit carts. With greater
elevation changes and more dramatic coastal holes, it allows better
players to attempt heroic shots and is as visually stunning as
Kingsbarns.
Both resort courses sit just outside the hotel, with a gorgeous new
clubhouse between their 18th greens. While
golf resorts with
multiple layouts are commonplace in the States, they are virtually
unheard of in the
British Isles, and St. Andrews Bay joins the
likes of The Westin Turnberry Resort, Gleneagles, and Carnoustie
among the handful of such properties. But while these venerable
resorts stand alone in the countryside, St. Andrews Bay is in St.
Andrews, and regularly scheduled shuttle buses whisk guests on the
five-minute trip into downtown. For hardier souls, a rugged coastal
walking path runs along the cliffs, linking the resort with town,
which it enters dramatically behind St. Andrews Castle. Its
proximity to downtown offers guests the opportunity to sample the
many eateries, shops, and pubs of charming St. Andrews.
These recent arrivals are not just any new golf courses: Kingsbarns
and the Torrance and Devlin layouts at St. Andrews Bay are
top-notch oceanfront designs, any of which would be worth a trip
across the Atlantic to play. But all three sit within minutes of
one another, and within minutes of The Old Course, arguably the
most coveted tee time in the world.
IF YOU REBUILD IT, THEY WILL COME