THE COURSES

Records and Holes in One: 2008

The first reported hole in one on the Links in 2008 was achieved by Heather Munro. Heather had her triumph on the penultimate hole of her two rounds on the Balgove on 19 January. Heather, who is a member of Monifieth GC, used her four iron.

The long journey from Bournemouth in Dorset paid off for Chris Horn when the five handicapper from Queen's Park GC aced the ninth hole of the Jubilee Course on 17 March. Chris was playing with his seven iron.

While coaching the Scottish Boys’ Under-16 squad, St Andrews Links Golf Academy director of instruction Steve North took one swing to slay the seventh hole of the Balgove Course. Steve used his gap wedge to draw the ball in towards the pin, letting the slope on that side funnel the ball into the hole. Following his success on 5 April, it is anticipated that Steve will been seen more frequently on the other Links courses.

On 20 April local golfer Tony Holliday also triumphed at the Home of Golf, this time on the fifth hole of the Jubilee Course. He used his seven iron to knock the ball home, with one bounce en route to the hole. Mr Holliday is a member of the New GC. A trip from Fettes College near Edinburgh to compete in the St Leonards National Golf Championship paid off for Jamie Eedle when he holed out on the eighth of the Strathtyrum Course with his five wood. His achievement came on 25 April. Four days later Irish golfer Eugene O’Connor from Blackrock required only a single shot at the thirteenth of the Jubilee. Mr O’Connor, who is a member of Delgany GC, struck the ball with his five iron.

Tom Dickson of Hamilton GC was the first of six golfers to make their mark on the Links in May when he drove the fourth of the Eden, giving him his first ever hole in one and the garland of an albatross to hang around his neck on 5 May. The following day student Daniel Direnfeld used his four iron to ace the seventeenth on the Jubilee. Daniel struck the ball home at 9.20pm in virtual darkness. Lone Star State golfer Mike McCabe left St Andrews with the glory of a hole in one at the ninth of the New Course. The Bridelwood GC member struck a five wood shot from the tee on 11 May. West Virginia’s Bill Howard of Sleepy Hollow Country Club had a four iron in his hands when he found the cup on the ninth hole of the Jubilee on 12 May. Local golfer Jim Bennie scored a hole in one on the Jubilee on 22 May when his five wood drive soared home at the thirteenth hole during a St Andrews club matchplay tie. The month ended with Anthony Moores of the New Club holing out on the fifth of the Eden using an eight iron.

June was a good month for local hot shots with four St Andreans holing out in one, three of them members of the New Golf Club. First success fell to June Dunn, who used her 24 degree rescue club to perfection on the fifth hole of the Eden Course while playing on 4 June. Two days later, it was the number three rescue club of visitor Craig Busby that did the trick on the seventeenth hole of the New Course. Mr Busby, who is a member of Quaker Hill CC in New York state, described the strike as ‘a perfect shot into the wind.’ New GC member Brian Neil had his first hole in one at the Links on 8 June. Again, it was a big club that did the job, with Mr Neil hitting a driver at the tenth hole on the Eden. His fellow New Club member had a big bar bill on 18 June, when Andrew Aitken aced the sixteenth hole of the Strathtyrum using his 9 iron. The final day of the month witnessed a triumph for Howard Stephenson, also of the New Club, who needed a single six iron shot to overcome the eighth hole on the Old Course.