Superb golf courses have always been synonymous with St Andrews but the two recent additions at St. Andrews Bay have added an extra dimension to golfing in the region. Combining a luxurious modern hotel with two excellent golf courses in the Devlin Course and Torrance Course, St Andrews Bay perches on a breathtaking cliff-top location, just minutes from the town of St. Andrews. And though neither course is a links in the truest sense of the term, both golf courses are of links style layout and offer dramatic views of the historic St. Andrews skyline and of the North Sea. As to which of the two championship layouts is better, well that's purely a matter of personal opinion but the Torrance Course is probably just the easier of the two to negotiate.
Representing Sam Torrance's first foray into golf course design, the Torrance Course opened for play in October 2001. Sweeping around the hotel, the Torrance Course offers spectacular views across the sea to Carnoustie and boasts a typical links style layout, incorporating vast undulating fairways and rolling greens. Designed more for the walking golfer (as opposed to the Devlin Course, where buggies would be recommended), the Torrance offers a solid test throughout but the real strength of the course lies in its superb stretch of finishing holes. One of the major attractions of the course is that though it's links in style, it offers a very different experience than the more traditional links courses of St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and the likes.
Measuring just over 7,000 yards from the championship tees and with a more usual yardage of almost 6,700 from the medal tees, the main challenges of the opening holes on the Torrance Course lie in the bunker positioning, undulating greens and the occasional meandering stream. As the course advances, it works its way around the imposing structure of the hotel before bursting open to reveal a cross section of the remaining 12 holes down towards the cliff edge and all the while framed by the powerful canvass of the St. Andrews skyline.
The homeward journey is deceptive and is particularly testing from the 14th hole, which plays directly towards the North Sea to a green precariously perched on the top of the cliff. The 15th is a tricky short hole of 183-yards, which is bordered by the sea on the left and plays to an angled green, surrounded by a protective dry stone wall. The signature hole on the Torrance Course, however, is the beautiful 452-yard par four, 17th, where out of bounds runs alongside the entire right hand side. After playing your way down to the rugged cliff edge, the hole meanders back to the bay. And with out of bounds on the right and a menacing bunker on the left, your final approach to the green must be played across a gaping ravine. An exhilarating experience!
ONLINE GOLF TRAVEL RATING
An attractive golf course, the Torrance Course is not as difficult as its sister Devlin Course layout and it offers a superb alternative to the demands of the more usual links game. If you were to play just one of the two, it would probably be the Devlin.
Situated approximately two miles southeast of the town of St. Andrews on the A917 route to Kingsbarns and Crail.
NEARBY RESTAURANTS:
Rufflets Garden Restaurant, Strathkinness Low Road, St Andrews KY16 9TX
Tel: + 44 1334 472594. Email: reservations@rufflets.co.uk.
This elegant restaurant overlooks the formal gardens. The daily-changing menu offers four courses and Modern Scottish cooking majors on stunning, cutting-edge presentation.
The Grill, Old Course Hotel, St Andrews KY16 9SP
Tel: + 44 1334 474371. Email: info@oldcoursehotel.co.uk.
Enjoy some fine dining at this traditional grill serving elegant British combinations from an open plan kitchen. The beautiful views over the golf course and bay add to the occasion.
The Inn at Lathones, Largoward, St Andrews KY9 1JE
Tel: + 44 1334 840494. Email: lathones@theinn.co.uk.
Full of character, this cosy restaurant boasts a pleasantly relaxed atmosphere. Diners can select from one of three menus, all of which offer modern Scottish and European cuisine.
The Peat Inn, Peat Inn, Cupar, KY15 5LH
Tel: + 44 1334 840206. Email: reception@thepeatinn.co.uk.
In a restaurant, which would not be out of place in a French village, the menu reflects the best of local Scottish produce at any given time. The wine-list, by the way, is a real treat.
Superb golf courses have always been synonymous with St Andrews but the two recent additions at St. Andrews Bay have added an extra dimension to golfing in the region. Combining a luxurious modern hotel with two excellent golf courses in the Devlin Course and Torrance Course, St Andrews Bay perches on a breathtaking cliff-top location, just minutes from the town of St. Andrews. And though neither course is a links in the truest sense of the term, both golf courses are of links style layout and offer dramatic views of the historic St. Andrews skyline and of the North Sea. As to which of the two championship layouts is better, well that's purely a matter of personal opinion but the Torrance Course is probably just the easier of the two to negotiate.
