The most famous hazard in golf, the Road Hole Bunker, is rebuilt every two years as part of routine maintenance, and this year's work is receiving more attention than usual although the work is not yet complete.

St Andrews Links Trust has selected a young Scot, David McLay Kidd, to design its additional public golf course at St Andrews, which is being created to meet rising demand at the Home of Golf.

Following its annual review of season tickets, the Links Management Committee has agreed new season ticket prices to come into effect on 1 April 2003.

St Andrews Links Trust, the organisation responsible for the management of the six public golf courses in St Andrews, is close to concluding the purchase of land for a seventh golf course.

The land in question is over 200 acres of farmland to the south-east of St Andrews, around one mile from the town centre. It lies between Kinkell Braes Caravan Park and St Andrews Bay Hotel. It will be used for the creation of a high quality golf course, in keeping with the standards expected at St Andrews.

Two of the courses at the Home of Golf have improved their standing in the UK's top 100 courses as ranked in Golf World magazine's bi-annual assessment. The 80 judges in the ranking panel moved the Old Course closer to the number one position, ranking it the 4th best course in the country (up from 8th) and the New Course 38th, up a massive 9 places.

St Andrews Links Trust has won a prestigious award in the tourism industry's Scottish Thistle Awards, which are seen as the benchmark for excellence in tourism.

The Links Trust was one of three finalists in the Skills For Success category which was open to companies with over 20 staff. The judges assessed how effectively a company ensures its staff has the necessary skills to deliver a high level of customer satisfaction.

St Andrews Links Trust held a tree planting ceremony to commemorate the victories of two St Andreans on both sides of the Atlantic on 23 October.

Colin Montgomerie set a new course record of 63 for the Old Course in the last round of the Dunhill Links Championship on Sunday 6 October. Fresh from the Ryder Cup victory, Montgomerie, who was eight shots behind the leaders at the start of the windless day, put in an outstanding performance on the Old Course.

There was a dramatic climax to the Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course this evening with Padraig Harrington clinching victory over Eduardo Romero in a play off over two extra holes.

Played in teams of two, comprising of one professional and one amateur, the competitors will play each of the three courses, the Old Course at St Andrews Links, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, in rotation over the first three days with the final round being played over the Old Course at St Andrews. After three rounds the field will be reduced to the Top-60 Professionals and those tieing for 60th place and the leading 20 teams.

Two events for St Andrews Links Junior Golfers this week are the opening of the new children's gallery in the British Golf Museum on Wednesday 2 October by Ernie Els, and the presentation of prizes by Paul Lawrie on Saturday 5 October at St Andrews Links Clubhouse.

The Dunhill Links Championship is taking place 3-6 October on the Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie. Playing will be most of the victorious European Ryder Cup team plus defending champion, Paul Lawrie and Open Champion, Ernie Els alongside sports stars including Sir Steven Redgrave, Boris Becker and Ian Botham.

Flags across the Links are flying at half mast today and a framed collection of mementoes from 9/11 are on display in the Links Clubhouse. They were donated to the Trust by Victor Egg, a recently retired firefighter who was closely involved in last year's events in New York. He visited St Andrews in August and had a round on the Old Course which was a retirement gift from his colleagues.

Following its annual review of green fees, the Links Management Committee has set the visitor green fees for the 2003/2004 season. The new fees come into effect on 1 April 2003.

The visitor green fee for the Old Course will be £105 in 2003. The New Course will be £50 and the Jubilee will be £45. Prices are being frozen on the three remaining courses, with the Eden staying at £30, the Strathtyrum, £20, and Balgove, £10.

A chance to play golf in the Dunhill Links Championship - an amateur playing spot in the Dunhill (October 3-6 2002) is being auctioned on line for charity now. The money raised will go to St Andrews Pilgrim Foundation which raises funds to restore the towns historic buildings.

After taking part several times and reaching the semi finals twice before, Greenock member, Lynda Brabender won the Strathtyrum Tournament. In the final over the Eden Course, Brabender was two down at the turn playing against Fifer Jo Carthew (Ladybank). She fought back to win by 2 and 1.

The winner of the Strathtyrum Salver for the matchplay handicap event was Mary Plunkett (Howth). Former winner, Pam Williamson (Baberton) won the Strathtyrum Quaich for the lowest scratch score in the qualifying rounds. Karen Lobb (Northants County) won the Speir Salver for the lowest net score (handicap) in the qualifying rounds.

Two teenagers dominated this year's Eden Tournament with local youngster, 14-year-old Niall Finlay, reaching the semi-finals, and the trophy going to 19-year-old Steven Tiley from England.

St Andrews Boys' Open
Merchants Cup - Allan Rowe (Alnmouth)
(beat Evan Bryceland (Prestonfield) 4 and 3.)
Murray Mitchell Cup - Scott Hunter (Hilton Park) (beat Mark Evans (Flixton) 2 holes.)
David Ayton Cup - Jonathon Smart (Hallamshire) 39 points (better inward half).

St Andrews Junior Ladies' Open.
Golf Monthly Trophy - Rachel Bell (Ganton) (beat Marie Allen (Moor Park) at the 20th).
Ladies' Open Quaich - Emily Linn (Bermuda) (beat Carly Booth (Comrie) 5 and 3.)
Links Trust Quaich - Claire McNeil (Milngavie) 40 points.

Co-operation between The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A) and St Andrews Links Trust brought the Home of Golf to the attention of millions of American television viewers during the recent Open Championship at Muirfield.

The finals of the St Andrews Boys Open and St Andrews Junior Ladies Open are being played on the Old Course today. The finalists are Evan Brycefield (Prestonfield) and Allan Rowe (Alnmouth) and in the Ladies' event Marie Allen (Moor Park) and Rachel Bell (Ganton).

Congratulations to Derek Young from Glasgow, winner of the prize draw held by the Links Trust at the Open Championship. He won a reproduction hickory putter.

Recent excessively wet weather has had a noticeable effect on the numbers of rounds of golf being played at St Andrews Links. After last year's record of 215,000 rounds, this year seemed to be following the same path - until June. With 50% more rain than usual for June, the number of rounds played at St Andrews in June was down by 7% on last year, with the decrease affecting both local and visiting golfers.

The 27th time it has been held here. As well as being a favourite Open venue, St Andrews Links are public courses - you can play here too. A recent visitor from Canada managed 50 rounds on the Links in five weeks.

St Andrews Links junior golf tournaments have attracted an impressive entry of young hopefuls from across the world. Held on 5-8 August on the Eden and Old Courses, the events are open to boys under 18 and girls under 23. The events have a new sponsor this year, Ben Hogan, which is already a major supporter of junior golf in St Andrews, having donated 100 sets of junior golf clubs to the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association.

Young golfers in St Andrews were recently given the opportunity to watch from one of the rising Australian pros on the world golf circuit, Adam Scott.

Scott spent an hour at the Golf Practice Centre with members of St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association talking through various aspects of his game such as grip, swing and stance. There were gasps of admiration as the awestruck youngsters - and adults - watched Scott hit balls over 300 yards using his favourite club, a driver, and seemingly with the minimum of effort.

Mike Watson, MSP Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, called into the Golf Practice Centre in St Andrews recently to find more about the development of junior golf and St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association.

Following the success of opening the Old Course for play in reverse on 1 April earlier this year, the Links Management Committee has agreed to repeat the event next year, but for three days rather than one.

The Ladies' Golf Union has announced that the Curtis Cup will be played for a first time over the Old Course, St Andrews from 7th to 8th June 2008.

The return to Scotland, 24 years after the match at Muirfield, will come three years after the Old Course hosts the 134th Open Championship, the 27th time that golf's oldest championship will have been played at St Andrews.

Euan Grant has been appointed Head Greenkeeper on the 107-year-old New Course at St Andrews Links Trust. He was selected from around 50 applicants. In his new position, he will be responsible for a team of seven greenkeepers who maintain the New Course, which in 2001 was rated among the top 50 golf courses in the UK by Golf World.

At the recent Scottish Public Relations Awards, the online sale of the Old Course Starter's Box put the Links Trust in the winner's spot for the Best Use of New Media category.

West Linton's Simon Mackenzie won the Links Trophy with a score of 289 after 72 holes. The silver medal went to Farren Keenan of Royal Mid Surrey and the bronze medal, Stuart Manley of Mountain Ash, Wales. Both had an aggregate of 293 but Keenan's final round of 73 pushed him into second place over Manley's final round of 75.

Jack Doherty was awarded the Ian Forbes Memorial Cup for the best aggregate qualifying score on Saturday - 144 made up of 70 on the Jubilee Course setting a new record, and 74 on the Old Course.

The condition of the courses on St Andrews Links has been highly commended in a recent report by the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI), the independent national agronomy advisory service which carries out inspections of the Links twice a year.

A record number of rounds were played on the six St Andrews Links courses in 2001, despite the impacts of foot and mouth disease and the 11 September tragedy. The new record of 215,000 is over 7,000 rounds more than the previous highest total, set in 1997. Rounds played by local golfers increased to 123,500 while visitor rounds rose to 91,500.

Former Open champion and current Alfred Dunhill Links Champion Paul Lawrie today (6/5/02) launched a pilot golf coaching programme for children aimed at improving future golfing standards across the country.

Paul Lawrie MBE to launch a major new golf coaching programme for juniors in St Andrews.

St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association is a pilot scheme for Scotland and its first comprehensive golf coaching programme for juniors. It currently has 450 members aged 5-18 years and almost 100 volunteer coaches.

Five of South Africa's future golf stars have entered for the St Andrews Links Trophy, to be played over the Old and Jubilee courses on 25th and 26th May.

Australia's top three amateur golfers are the latest entrants to the St Andrews Links Trophy which will be played over the Old Course and Jubilee Course on 25th and 26th May.

If you see some confused golfers on the Links on Monday 1 April, it is because history is being recreated for one day on the 600-year-old Old Course which is opening for play - backwards.

Golfers are playing the course as it was played over 100 years ago in the days of Old Tom Morris. Golfers will start on the 1st tee and play to the 17th green, and continue round the course in a clockwise direction, playing from the 18th tee to the 16th green and so on.

Choice of tees - at its meeting on 20 February, the St Andrews Links Management Committee re-considered the issue of the introduction for a trial period of a choice of tees on all courses.

Following detailed discussions concerning the impact that the change would have on pace of play, along with further information from pace of play specialist Bill Yates, the Committee agreed that the trial should not proceed and the current situation would be retained.

The opportunity to guarantee a round on the Old Course in reverse on Monday 1 April is being made available to local golfers through a special early ballot.

Names for the ballot have to be submitted to the Links Trust on or after Monday 18 February and the draw will take place after 2pm on Monday 25 February. The results will be posted on the website and at local golf clubs that afternoon.

The Links Management Committee (LMC) of St Andrews Links Trust elected a new chairman, Jim White, at its first meeting of the year. Mr White takes over from Mr Alistair Nicoll who retired after three years in the chair and eight years on the LMC.

At their first meeting of the year the Trustees of St Andrews Links Trust re-elected Dr Duncan Lawrie as chairman for a second year. They also welcomed a new Trustee, Alastair Dempster.

It has been confirmed by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club that the Open Championship will be held at St Andrews in 2005.