Fairways and Factions: Bridging the Divide in Strong Opinions About The Old Course

In a golf Whatsapp group the other week, an age-old debate surfaced.

Is the Old Course at St Andrews actually any good?

I've witnessed the debate in person, over text and in books and it seems to generate two core opinions which are remarkably consistent.

Either:

1. It is the greatest golf course in the world; or
2. It is the most overrated golf course in the world.

If you have been fortunate enough to play the Old Course, or spectate at an Open there, perhaps you hold one of these opinions?

I held one of these views for several years, but starting GolfLists.com made me question everything I thought I knew.

Perhaps this article will make you question yourself too.

The Old Course Disciples

The disciples believe the Old Course at St Andrews is the holy grail of golf course architecture. In this camp you have the likes of Dr Alister Mackenzie, Harry Shapland Colt, Tom Doak and Tiger Woods amongst many others.

The Old Course's position in the most prominent world rankings are:

• Golf World (public access only) - 1
• Golf magazine - 3
• UK Golf Guy (Ultimate List) - 6
• Top100golfcourses - 7

In the Confidential Guide to Golf Courses, Doak et al, rated the Old Course a 10/10 - the only perfect score in Great Britain & Ireland. Doak himself writes an impassioned essay on this debate in the book. He argues vehemently that the Old Course, is about the course and not the experience.

The Old Course Detractors

The detractors tend to be less well known, but that is not meant to denigrate them.

Anyone working publicly in the golf industry is smart enough to avoid panning the Old Course.

This could be due to the power wielded by the Royal & Ancient (R&A) or the fact that there would be little to gain from such a public statement.

It could also be as simple as their relative lack of knowledge or expertise in golf course architecture, as it tends to be visiting amateur golfers who hold this opinion.

In my experience, the detractors' comments are generally similar, "it's more about the experience than the course", "it's only actually got two good holes", "it's a bit of a field really!" etc.

The Common Ground

You rarely hear an opinion taking the middle ground on the course, but both camps tend to share some common ground. The experience of playing the Old Course is the best one available to the public at large. Even if it is just "two good holes", those holes are worth the admission alone.

My Experience

I played the Old Course once in 2016. I played with my best golfing buddy, Will, and two jovial American fellows, in calm conditions and blue skies.

I was so nervous on the first tee, that my arms felt like jelly on the downswing. I "shanked" my drive so far left that it was only a yard inside the fence on the right of the 18th fairway. That meant I had an audience for both the tee shot and the approach shot, and promptly ended up in the Swilican Burn.

My Tee Shot on the First Hole

It didn't stop me smiling though, it was exhilarating and I could feel the history on my shoulders. The round flew by and despite the traffic on the course, my golf wasn't wholly disastrous and I finished the round by two putting the 18th for a birdie.

However, I must admit, I didn't 'get' the course.

Later in the week, Will and I would play Turnberry Ailsa. There is no question that we both thought Turnberry was the superior course. It had views, undulation, drama and was so obviously good; that we immediately ranked it our number 1. To be honest the Old Course as a golf course, looked a bit drab in comparison.

Since then I've played many links courses that I preferred as golf courses on 'first play'. Prestwick, Kingsbarns, Royal Cinque Ports, Royal Dornoch and Trump International were all more interesting to me; and certainly more visually attractive.

Discovering My Ignorance

In the run up to starting GolfLists.com, I started doing a lot more reading and listening around the subject of golf course architecture.

A number of courses rated highly by 'experts', I had found underwhelming, including the likes of Woodhall Spa and Walton Heath (Old) to name a couple.

Before GolfLists, I would have simply labelled the experts "wrong". Insane. Overly valuing strategic subtleties invisible to 90% of golfers. But because I wanted the rankings and opinion pieces on GolfLists to be useful for others, it triggered me to challenge my opinions and consider whether I actually had enough knowledge to pass an educated opinion.

In other words, I began exploring my ignorance...

Tom Simpson, architect of Muirfield, Cruden Bay, Porthcawl and Ballybunion Old noted:

Almost ninety percent of criticisms made by members are due to Invincible Ignorance.

Now that amused me.

In the past I confidently stated that these overrated courses had "strategic subtleties invisible to 90% of golfers". That tallied so well with Simpson's experience, I began to wonder, was I simply part of the 90% of ignorant golfers?

At a similar time, I started writing and rating the golf courses I had played for GolfLists. When I rate courses using the GolfLists Score, I review each hole based on the Tee Shot, the Approach Shot and the Green Site; so I am consciously breaking down the hole and trying not to miss the pros and cons. I consider the architectural nuances I have learned from recent readings, but I also try not to lose sight of how the hole made me feel.

Taking this approach, I recently replayed Walton Heath (Old) and saw the course in a totally different and much more positive light. I had educated myself, to a point where I was able to appreciate the course a lot more. I now consider it a great golf course. 'Getting' Woodhall Spa still eludes me, but I am now open to changing my initial opinion down the line.

There is a really subtle balance here, between recognising my own ignorance, but also considering that the 'experts' I was now reading may fall victim to their own form of ignorance.

After all, at top golf courses, perhaps 90% of the patrons they are trying to impress, will not appreciate subtle features, and will only visit once.

In this sense, we should not undervalue golf courses that are 'obviously' great like Turnberry or Trump International. That obviousness, is perhaps more the visual drama of the design, than the strategy of each hole. That 'obviousness' is an important point of golf architecture. Nor should I, or golf course architects, arrogantly dismiss the opinions of the average golfer as "uneducated". Their opinions are still valid and represent the majority.

In addition, the advent of probability based course management strategies like Decade, should cause every Golf Course Architect to review all their old designs and decide if the strategic options they thought they were offering; have been rendered irrelevant to the educated golfer. I discuss that topic further here.

The Philosophy and Art of Golf Course Opinions

This whole topic, occupied my mind to the extent that I wanted to explore it further. What had greater minds discovered in this space of philosophy around wisdom, opinion and knowledge?

It turns out there is a whole field of philosophical study called "Epistemic "Humility". It relates to the confidence, or lack thereof, one can have about any knowledge they hold.

Socrates said:

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Aristotle added:

The more you know, the more you realize you don't know.

Descartes said:

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.

The topic has parallels with the conventional art world. For example, unless you read this as an academic artist, can you really say you 'get' the Mona Lisa? I certainly can't appreciate why it is considered a masterpiece in the art world. But as a man who can barely write his own name legibly, it won't stop me passing an opinion on it as I walk round the Louvre.

The Struggle with Humility in Golf Course Rankings and Opinions

Where I struggle with this discipline of humility around my own golf course opinions is my home course of which I am a self-confessed zealot.

A mirror was held up to my bias recently. A guy in the Whatsapp group chat was comparing the Old Course, to his home course.

He broke down in some detail why he considered the Old Course to be its inferior. I am not saying he was right or wrong, but the passion he showed was the mirror to my own beliefs around my home course; Hollinwell.

I observed that his passion was creating a buffer zone through which a balanced view was impossible. This was a barrier to humility. Even if you can explain your preference for a course rationally, especially a course to which you are attached emotionally, it's prudent to recognise you might be blind to the bigger picture.

If someone tells me they consider another Nottinghamshire course to be in the same league as Hollinwell as a golf course, it takes all my mental strength not to verbally question their sanity. But my passion for Hollinwell means I should avoid this conversation altogether if I want to give a balanced view.

Regardless of what opinion I, or you, or an expert holds about the Old Course, or any golf course; I think it's important to recognise the possibility, that we might actually be wrong.

Conclusion

The point of this article is not to settle the debate on the greatness of the Old Course.

For the disciples, it is aimed to make you question how much of an expert you can be in any topic, let alone golf course architecture. Also to keep up to date with changes with our understanding of the game and how it is played. But primarily to encourage you not to dismiss the views of visiting amateur golfers, or detractors, as invalid or simply ignorant.

For the detractors, it is aimed to make your question and interrogate your own opinions. Perhaps after reading this, you will hold your opinions less confidently and therefore be open to appreciating golf courses you have written off in the past. Unlike the disciples, you have more to gain here. A greater enjoyment, of a larger number of courses, is available to you, with a little reading or listening on the topic.

Better, healthier debates are available to both sides if we all consider we might be wrong!

Make sure to play the Old Course yourself and make up your own mind!