St. Andrews Links - Eden Course

Description

The Eden Course at St. Andrews is a local favorite and dates back to 1914 with the design of Harry S. Colt, a pioneering architect who helped turn golf course design into a skilled profession. The greens have dramatic contouring and make up the most undulating at St. Andrews.

The course was recently extended to 6,195 yards and the views from the third and fourth holes across Eden Estuary toward the Leuchers Air Base are dramatic. The Eden course is sheltered from the sea by the Old course. The fairways are generous, but crossing winds still make hitting them difficult, and out of bounds threatens most tee shots.

Colt incorporated the partially buried field boundary dykes into the routing of the course and the result is a natural, flowing layout. Fairways are generous, but crossing winds, high fescue and out of bounds threatens constantly.

No. 3 juts right up to the Old Course and wayward shots can end up in the one of its fairways. The 14th, a 350-yard par 4, and the 15th, a 170-yard par 3, feature the only inland water hazard on all of the links.

Added in 1985, this devilish pond was not at all popular with the locals, who said it seems out of place. The Eden Tournament, a top British Amateur event, has been hosted at this course since 1919.