The relatively dry weather has allowed the greenkeepers at St Andrews to make good progress on the programme of winter work.

Work on the Old Course includes preparation for the 2005 Open Championship. Several bunkers on the course are being rebuilt, including well known signature bunkers, Hell, Shell and Cottage. Progress is also being made on new championship tees at the 2nd, 9th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes.

The six links courses at the Home of Golf are covered in a blanket of frost this morning, following a night of sub-zero temperatures. Not ideal golfing conditions, but picturesque all the same.

The first Caddie Connect training course of the winter is currently under way at the Links. Nine students have been taking part in this unique programme, working towards the first accredited qualification in caddying, the St Andrews Standard.

The Rules of Golf are reviewed every four years by golf's governing bodies, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and The United States Golf Association. The latest edition comes into effect on 1 January 2004 and copies will be given to golfers on the Links by the starter.
Among the extensive changes is that the etiquette section of the book has been amended and expanded, offering golfers broader guidance on the issue and to clarify that a Committee may disqualify a player for a serious breach of etiquette.

Slow play on the golf course is recognised as an issue facing golf course managers worldwide. A unique three day workshop has been developed at St Andrews Links to look at practical ways of improving the pace of play on the golf course.

St Andrews Links has won the Scottish final of the British and International Golf Greenkeepers Association (BIGGA) annual environmental competition for the first time.

The award is in recognition of the good environmental management practices now in place on the Links. It specifically includes areas such as turf maintenance, use of herbicides and pesticides, waste disposal and wildlife friendly practices.

Earlier this year the Trust showed its committment to upholding environmentally-friendly practices across the Links by producing an Environmental Statement.

To encourage young golfers to appreciate the environment in which they play there will be a litter pick on the Links on Thursday 23 October.

Yesterday was National Poetry Day and, to mark the occassion, here is a poem which appeared on the Letters to the Editor section of the website Worldgolf.com.

The Old Course was voted the best course in Scotland in a recent readers' survey carried out by American magazine,Travel & Leisure Golf. The New Course was voted ninth best and second most underrated course.

Daniel Sommerville, winner of the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association's Order of Merit 2003, will be playing amongst an international field of professional golfers and celebrities in the Dunhill Links Championship this week. The 16-year-old plays off a handicap of 6 and will be partnering tour professional, Kevin Na, at Kingsbarns tomorrow, Carnoustie on Friday and on the Old Course on Saturday.

Daniel may well be inspired by his playing partner. Na, who turned 20 this month, started playing golf at nine when his family moved to the US from Korea. He went on to become the top-ranked junior in America, winning more than 100 titles before turning pro at 17. In 2002 he became the youngest winner on the Asian PGA Tour, at just 19.

ST ANDREWS, September 22, 2003 - The leading golfers on the European Tour join a field with a strong international flavour and some of the most enthusiastic amateurs in the world at St Andrews, the home of golf, this week for the 2003 dunhill links championship.

Great golfers like World No 2 Ernie Els, winner of six tournaments this year, Vijay Singh, leading money-winner on the US Tour, and Darren Clarke, winner of the $1million NEC Invitational last month, are joined by high class amateurs in a unique celebration of links golf.

After a second successful season St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association held its final competition at St Andrews Bay on Sunday 14 September.

The St Andrews Bay Junior Open winners were:
Boys Net - David Thom
Girls Net - Sarah Watters
Best scratch for the Boys - Stuart Matheson
Best scratch for the girls - Becky Copland
Under 12 winner - Alan Tulleth

· Former Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle in the field
· Forsyth, Coltart, Gallacher among Scottish entries
· Play over Old Course at St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns
· Championship dates: Thursday, Sept 25 - Sunday, Sept 28, 2003
· Top golf stars playing for US$5 million prize fund

Top Scottish golfers Colin Montgomerie and Paul Lawrie will be back on home soil later this month when they compete in the 2003 dunhill links championship from September 25-28.

Paul Lawrie, one of the strongest performers in tournaments played in Scotland, won The Open championship at Carnoustie in 1999 and was winner of the dunhill links championship in 2001.

While Colin Montgomerie, star of the 2002 Ryder Cup and winner of the European Order of Merit seven times, will be determined to show he is back to full fitness after having to pull out of The Open at Royal St.George’s in July because of injury.

First time on Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns
Micheel to be joined by father Buck Micheel in tournament
Strong field includes Els, Clarke, Singh, Price, Montgomerie, Harrington
Top golf stars playing for US$5 million prize fund
Championship dates: Thursday, September 25 - Sunday, September 28, 2003

840-strong team assembled to make tournament the best ever
24 Scottish golf clubs provide volunteers at the three courses

An army of volunteers from 24 leading Scottish golf clubs is once again on the march to ensure the smooth running of this year's prestigious dunhill links championship.

This year a record number of 840 local club golfers have come forward determined to show that the Home of Golf is also the best at staging successful golf championships.

The final of the PGA Wee Wonders Open Golf Championship 2003 is being held on the Balgove Course, St Andrews Links on Sunday 21 September. A total of 72 youngsters aged 5-12 from around Great Britain and Ireland will gather in St Andrews for the final, which is the culmination of 6 months of qualifying rounds and nine regional finals.

Frank McAveety, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, visited the Home of Golf as part of a whistlestop tour on Friday.

After a short tour of the Links Clubhouse, the minister, a non-golfer, was offered some free tuition from Rachel Myles, a member of the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA). It seemed to do the trick as he proceeded to hit his first shot over 150 yards off the tee.

On Sunday 24 and Sunday 31 August, the 1st and 18th holes of the Old Course will be the location for a major film production.

The film charts the life of golfing legend Bobby Jones, winner of the Open Championship at St Andrews in 1927 (pictured right) and the Amateur Championship in 1930 - the year of his Grand Slam.

John Kemp (John O'Gaunt GC) retained his title as the British Mid-Amateur Champion on Sunday 17 August, beating Roger Roper (Catterick) 4 and 3 on the Jubilee Course.

It's the third time the Englishman has lifted the trophy, having won the event at Walton Heath in 1999 and then last year at Formby. He was also runner-up in 2000 when the Championship visited Royal Troon.

The only St Andrews player to make it past the first round was Gary Sharp (St Andrews GC), who was eventually knocked out at the quarter final stage by another past champion, Stephen East (Moortown), who won the 2001 event at Seaton Carew.

The qualifying rounds are over and today the first round of the 2003 British Mid-Amateur Championship gets under way.

Neil Steven, Brian Heggie, Gary Sharp and Kevin Hastie, all members of the St Andrews Golf Club, made the cut for the matchplay event after their qualifying rounds on the Eden and Jubilee Courses. Hastie carded a combined score of 145, just one shot behind Bryan Norton (USA) who led the field with 144.

Heggie will have his work cut out for him this morning as he tees up against last year's winner, John Kemp (John O'Gaunt).

Brian Heggie (St Andrews GC) gave reigning champion, John Kemp (John O'Gaunt) a run for his money in the first round of the 2003 British Mid-Amateur, but was beaten at the 18th hole after a very close match.

The only St Andrews player to make it to the second round was Gary Sharp who won at the 19th hole against Michael McCormick of West Middlesex.

Still in the running is another past champion, Stephen East (Moortown), who won the 2001 event at Seaton Carew.

The winner of the 2003 St Andrews Boys' Championship was Richard Gurney, a member at King's Norton, with a convincing 3 and 2 victory over Rob Gardiner (Piltdown GC) on the Old Course.

England's Rachel Bell (Ganton GC) repeated her success of last year winning the 2003 St Andrews Junior Ladies Championship. Playing against Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park), 21-year-old Bell won the Golf Monthly Salver with a 4 and 3 victory in the final on the Old Course.

(From left) Boys' Champion, Richard Gurney, Fiona De Vries (St Andrews Links Trustee) and Junior Ladies' Champion, Rachel Bell.

Local golfer and current club champion at St Andrews Golf Club, Kenny Stirling, was defeated in the final of the Eden Tournament on the Old Course by James Corfield from Bearwood Lakes Golf Club in Berkshire.
Previous winner and twice a beaten finalist, Karen Marshall (Baberton) won the Strathtyrum Tournament defeating local golfer, Fiona de Vries (St Rule), 4 and 3 in the final on the Eden Course last Friday.


(From left) Strathtyrum Tournament winner, Karen Marshall, Jim White (Chairman of Links Management Committee) and Eden trophy winner, James Corfield.

2003 marks the 9th year of the British Mid-Amateur Championship and for the first time the event has come to St Andrews Links. A field of nearly 200 entries from the UK and Ireland, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, the Dominican Republic and 78 from the USA are competing for the title.

The event, which is organised by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, is open to golfers over the age of 25 with a handicap of 2 or under. The competition is usually played over a single course, however, a larger that expected entry for the St Andrews event means that it is being played primarily over the Jubilee Course, with qualifying rounds tomorrow and Thursday over both the Jubilee and Eden Courses.

Karen Marshall (Baberton GC) took current title holder, Lynda Brabender (Greenock GC), out of the running in this year's Stathtyrum Tournament, beating her 4 and 3 in yesterday's quarter final round. Marshall now plays Jenny Tootell (Blackpool North Shore) for a chance to play in the final this afternoon.

Kenneth Stirling, currently club champion at the St Andrews Golf Club, is playing James Corfield (Bearwood Lakes) in the final of the Eden Trophy this afternoon. Stirling finished 1up against Keith Leahy (Millride) in their semi final match, and Corfield beat James Sharpe (Woolaton Park GC) 4 and 3 to earn his place in the final.
Fiona De Vries, a member of the St Rule Club and a Trustee with St Andrews Links Trust, beat Laura Archer (Market Drayton) 3 and 1 to reach the final of the Strathtyrum trophy. She plays Karen Marshall (Baberton GC) at 1.30pm today.

The Eden and Stathtyrum tournaments reach the quarter final stages this afternoon.

The Eden and Strathtyrum Tournaments are under way this week with the finals on Friday. Well done to Chris Green from Shotts for a hole in one on the 5th of the New Course in the first round.

The semi-final matches in the St Andrews Boys' and Junior Ladies' Opens are being played on the Old Course this morning. The finalists in both the scratch and handicap events will head out again this afternoon.

Rachel Bell (Ganton), winner of the 2002 St Andrews Junior Ladies' Open, is playing to retain her title on the Old Course this afternoon. Sophie Walker (Kenwick Park) will be doing her best to claim this year's title, having triumphed over Faye Sanderson (Heworth) 4 and 3 in the semi-final. Richard Gurney (Kings Norton) and Rob Gardiner (Piltdown) are competing for the St Andrews Boys' Open title, also on the Old Course.

Play moves to the Old Course today for the quarter finals of the St Andrews Boys' and Junior Ladies' Open competitions.

The St Andrews Boys' and Junior Ladies' Open competitions are being played over the Eden and Old Courses this week. Sixteen ladies, with scratch scores of between 66 and 79, made the cut for the scratch matchplay event after yesterday's qualifying round, with last year's winner, Rachel Bell (Ganton) leading the field.

Greg Paterson (Drumoig), a member of St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association, leads a field of 32 going into todays boys' event, after scoring an impressive 3-under-par 67 in yesterday's qualifying round on the Eden.

It has been suggested that we should set up an affinity group for golf enthusiasts with a special interest in St Andrews Links providing them with a 'link to the Links' and helping to preserve the game's traditions and integrity.

St Andrews Links Trust is to mount a public exhibition in the Eden Clubhouse of its plans for its seventh course later this month as part of a major consultation exercise.

A special three day deal for golfers is being offered this winter (2003/04). It includes three rounds of golf on the Links with one guaranteed round on the Old Course.

For the third year in succession golfers will be given the opportunity to play the Old Course backwards in April 2004.

The Golf Practice Centre opened its doors for business ten years ago today, the same day that the 18-hole Strathtyrum Course came into play.

A 9 hole evening competition for teams of adults and children is taking place on the Strathtyrum Course on Tuesday 1 July to mark the 10th anniversary of the course. There will be a shotgun start at 5.30pm followed by an evening barbecue and ‘Snag’Golf at the Eden Clubhouse.

Tuesday 1 July marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Strathtyrum Course and the Golf Practice Centre at St Andrews Links.

When these new facilities opened in 1993 along with the redesigned 9-hole Balgove Course a few days earlier, they marked the first major steps forward in the decade-long programme of improvements on the Links. Also, in raising the number of golf holes available to 99, the position of St Andrews Links as the largest public golf complex in the world was confirmed.

Coastal defences along the Eden Estuary installed by St Andrews
Links Trust are succeeding beyond expectation according to a recent report.
Put in place in 2001, the protection measures are being monitored monthly by St Andrews University using a global positioning survey system (GPS). The results show a significant reduction in the alarming rate of erosion of the dunes, which was bringing the tides dangerously close to the historic Links golf courses.

Aspiring caddies around the world can now learn how to be a caddie from home using a unique CD-Rom developed at St Andrews, the Home of Golf.

The CD-Rom is an e-learning version of Caddie Connect, the unique caddie training programme developed by the caddie manager at St Andrews Links, Rick Mackenzie, and Elmwood College, the Scottish centre of excellence for golf-related studies.

The St Rule Trophy was won by Swede Karin Borjeskog by two strokes. Played over the Old and New Courses, Borjeskog's 10 under par aggregate of 217 included a ladies' course record on the New Course of 68, seven under par. She admitted that her two rounds on the Old Course (74 and 75) were not as impressive and included a double bogey at the 15th in the final round. Her closest contenders, Scot, Anne Laing, and Martina Gillen from Ireland, were unable to catch up despite an excellent six under par first round on the Old Course by Laing. They both finished on 219, two behind the winning score.

It's not the first time a hole in one has been scored during the St Andrews Links Trophy, but three must surely be a new record.

Keith Hamilton (Whitecraigs) carded the first of the three aces on Friday during the opening round of the tournament. He used a 5-iron to clear the 225yd, Par 3 9th hole of the New Course.On Saturday it was the turn of Eric Ramsay (Carnoustie), who holed his shot with a seven-iron on the 172 yd, 11th hole of the Old Course, another Par 3.

The same hole proved lucky for Stuart Wilson (Forfar) 24 hours later. His chosen weapon was also a 7-iron and the ace contributed to him finishing fourth equal with a four-round total of 285.

Richard Finch (Hull) kept his form on the Old Course in the final stages of the 2003 St Andrews Links Trophy on Sunday. Adding a 69 and 70 to his 36-hole best qualifying score of 137, Finch finished a comfortable 5 shots ahead of silver medallist, Lee Corfield (Burnham & Berrow). Corfield looked like a strong contender from the start of the tournament, scoring an impressive 67 on the New Course in round one, setting a course record.

Having played the New Course yesterday and the Old Course today, Richard Finch (Hull) and Stuart Wilson (Forfar) share the best qualifying score of 137 in the 2003 St Andrews Links Trophy.

She last held in 1996 when she won the Centenary title with a 4 and 3 victory over Claire Hargan in the 18-hole final over the Old Course, St Andrews today (Friday).

Anne, a 28-year-old Vale of Leven member and lecturer at Elmwood College, Cupar, was three under par in beating her 26-year-old opponent, an Edinburgh-based trainee actuary and member at Prestonfield.she last held in 1996 when she won the Centenary title with a 4 and 3 victory over Claire Hargan in the 18-hole final over the Old Course, St Andrews today (Friday).

Lee Corfield of Burnham and Berrow led a world-class field of golfers on the New Course today with a score of 67 after the first round of the 2003 St Andrews Links Trophy.

Two past winners of the Scottish Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship earned their place in the first round of this year's matchplay event after sharing the best qualifying score of 146 after two rounds on the Old Course. Anne Laing (Vale of Leven) took the title in 1996 at Royal Dornoch and Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling) won at Machrihanish in 2000. A field of 32 qualifying golfers will be whittled down to eight by the end of today, after two rounds of matchplay on the Old Course.

Anne Laing, a +2 handicapper from Vale of Leven, was at the head of the pack yesterday after the first qualifying round of the Scottish Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship, which is being played on the Old Course this week. Her 4 under par score of 72 was closely followed by Lynn Kenny (University of Stirling) on 73 and Jenna Wilson (Strathaven) on 74. The three ladies head out with 129 other hopefuls for the second qualifying round today.

On Monday the Scottish Ladies' (Close) Amateur Championship will return to the Old Course, where the event was first played in 1903.

The Scottish children's charity, Children 1st, received a cheque for £340 from the staff and caddies at St Andrews Links following their annual golf tournament on 27 April. The event, which took place over the Strathtyrum Course, resulted in a 6-6 draw. The last time there was a draw was in 1993 when it was first played. Since then each team has won four times.

A fleet of electric buggies is now operating on the Links following a new contract with Yamaha. The electric buggies are being used by the on course player's assistants on the Links and virtually noiseless. At night the batteries are recharged in the storage sheds. The bigger vehicles such as the shuttle buggy between the Links Clubhouse and the first tee are still on petrol because of their workload.

An international field of 132 golfers will be competing for this year's Links Trophy played over the Old and New Courses from 23-25 May.

Europe's top amateur stroke play event has attracted entries from 16 countries, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Italy, France, Russia, Germany and, for the first time, an entry from Portugal. Players required a handicap of +1.4 or better to avoid being balloted out and the top handicapper is Glenn Campbell from Blairgowrie with +4.8.

News of a hole-in-one scored on 6 November 2001 has been making headlines recently. Fergus Muir, who has played golf on the Links since he moved to St Andrews in 1972, scored his first ever ace on the 5th hole of the Eden - the remarkable thing is that he used his putter to do it!

Witnessed by fellow New Club members, Peter Gillespie Snr and George Fullerton, the 375ft shot has just entered the Guinness Book of Records as the longest putt on record.

Well done Fergus.

Friday 4 April saw the arrival of a Links Shuttle Bus operating between the Links Clubhouse, the Golf Practice Centre and the Eden Clubhouse. The purpose in providing the service is to enable golfers, and others, to travel from one side of the Links to the other without having to take the car. This applies particularly to golfers who wish to use the Golf Practice Centre before their round on the Old, New or Jubilee courses, or who wish to play a second round on a course on the other side of the Links.

The Scottish Ladies' Amateur Championship is coming to St Andrews in May. First played on the Old Course in 1903, it seems appropriate that the tournament should return to the Links for its centenary year.

A field of 132 ladies will play two qualifying strokeplay rounds over the Old Course, with the best 32 going on to compete for the matchplay title. The final is on Friday 23 May. The last time the event came to St Andrews was in 1986 when Belle Robertson (Dunaverty Golf Club) took the title.

St Andrews Links Trust has passed its reassessment for Investors in People (IiP) with flying colours for the third time.

St Andrews Links Trust has started to prepare a detailed assessment of the potential environmental effects of its proposal to build a seventh course at the Home of Golf.

St Andrews Links, the First 600 Years, the definitive history of the world famous Links by St Andrews author, Tom Jarrett, has been reprinted and updated to include the changes and events of the last decade.

St Andrews Links Trust, the organisation responsible for the management of the six public golf courses in St Andrews, has concluded the purchase agreement for land for its 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 is a cliff-top location, but does not include the cliffs, the braes or the coastal footpath.

Fiona de Vries (47) has been appointed as a Trustee of St Andrews Links Trust, the body responsible for running the six courses at St Andrews Links including the Old Course.

Mrs de Vries was nominated by Fife Council to take up the place vacated by Mrs Nicola Davidson who came to the end of her term of office on 31 December 2002. Mrs de Vries will serve for an initial three year term.

Enjoy a banquet with an eastern influence on Saturday 8 February. Or for an evening with a more European flavour, why not take a culinary Trip Round France on Saturday 8 March.

One of the world's leading amateur stroke play tournaments, the St Andrews Links Trophy, is being extended from two to three days. It will be played over the Old and New Courses at St Andrews on Friday 23, Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May. The first two rounds will be played on the New Course on the Friday and the Old Course on the Saturday, with the final two rounds being played on the Old Course on the Sunday.

Nearly 200 golfers from as far afield as Japan, Australia and North America were quick enough off the mark this morning to snap up last minute tee times on the Old Course within two hours. The Old Course is now fully booked for 2003.

Wintry weather has resulted in late opening of the courses in the holidays and one day of closure - Friday 3rd January. The Old Course only was also closed on Saturday 4th January.