St Andrews Duke's Course

The Duke's Course was designed by five times Open Champion Peter Thompson and is unique among the courses at St Andrews. The heathland layout plays a par 72 6749 yards so you're long game will need to be in good nick for a day out on the Duke's.

The course is a departure from the others at St Andrews with large American-style bunkers guarding the fairways and greens. The opening hole is a case in point. You'll greeted with an opening tee-shot that needs to evade a huge bunker that lies next to the fairway. The Duke's is set up on hills overlooking the famous town, so it is an undulating track. A buggy is good idea as the walks between tees and greens are quite lengthy.

The very well-equiped clubhouse looks out over the course and town where you'll be able to enjoy a tastey club sandwich as you watch others take on the course. Lap up the breath-taking views and get stuck in to a cold beer would be our advice.

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In July 2023, Neil became just the 9th editor in Golf Monthly's 112-year history. Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he went on to become a feature writer interviewing many of the biggest names in the game including Tiger Woods, Seve Ballesteros, Rory McIlroy and Arnold Palmer.

A 5-handicap golfer, Neil is a club member who takes a keen interest in the health of the game at grassroots level. You’ll often now find him writing about club-related issues such as WHS, membership retention and how best to bridge the gap between the range and the course.