The Old Course in St. Andrews - Hole O' Cross
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Hole O' Cross
The front nine's only par 5, "Hole O' Cross" features a collection of bunkers on the right side of the fairway. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Heathery
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Heathery
No. 12 is a par-4 named "Heathery" and is famous for it's collection of blind fairway bunkers Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Jigger Inn
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Jigger Inn
Now a favorite 19th hole next to the Old Course Hotel and 17th fairway, the Jigger Inn is a former station master's lodge, dating back to the 1850s. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Links Trust Clubhouse
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Links Trust Clubhouse
The new Links Trust clubhouse sits next to the second fairway of the Old Course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - No. 18
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - No. 18
The Old Course's 18th hole can vary greatly depending on the wind. It can be drivable, or the Granny Clark's Wynd can come into play. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Swilcan Burn
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Swilcan Burn
The Swilcan Burn guards the first green of the Old Course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - R & A
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - R & A
The R&A Clubhouse sits right behind the first tee box on the Old Course. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Tom Morris
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Tom Morris
No. 1, "Burn" and 18, "Tom Morris," play next to each other on the Old Course in the heart of St. Andrews, Scotland. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Road Hole
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Road Hole
No. 17 on the Old Course, the "Road Hole," is named after the former turnpike that sits just beyond the green. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
The Old Course in St. Andrews - Links
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The Old Course in St. Andrews - Links
The Old Course plays in a counter-clockwise direction, so that on most holes, another hole's fairway is to the left. Brandon Tucker/Golf Advisor
10 Images

The Old Course in St. Andrews

The Old Course in St. Andrews is golf's most hallowed ground. It's the most frequent host to the Open Championship (next in 2010), and is where the game of golf was born, back in the 1400s.

Throughout the years, the golf course has seen its share of additions and modifications, but its soul remains that which was plotted by "Mother Nature," considered the Old Course's official designer. Old Tom Morris and Alister Mackenzie have also added some things over the years, and the course now stretches over 7,000 yards for the Open. For the daily player, it's still one of a kind. Every bunker has a name and a story, from small ones like the "Principal's Nose" to the massive "Shell" and "Hell" bunker. To score well, of course, it might be best to apply the "Tiger" approach and try to avoid them all.

Here's a look at the Old Course in St. Andrews on one busy spring afternoon.

Brandon Tucker is the Sr. Managing Editor for GolfPass and was the founding editor of Golf Advisor in 2014, he was the managing editor for Golf Channel Digital's Courses & Travel. To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours. Follow Brandon on Twitter at @BrandonTucker and on Instagram at @btuck34.
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The Old Course in St. Andrews