What Is The Valley Of Sin?

The Old Course at St Andrews is one of the world's most difficult courses, partly due to its frequent and deep pot bunkers, but lurking on the 18th is another potential pitfall waiting for you as you finish your round.

The Grand Old Lady’s 18th hole can seem a benign enough looking 356-yard par 4. After all, the fairway is vast, so even wayward tee shots have a good chance of finding it. But, after your tee shot and a walk over the Swilcan Bridge, your next shot is likely to leave you facing the Valley of Sin.

If that sounds nasty, it’s because it is – a yawning eight-foot depression standing between your ball and the green. At this point, you have two options – attempt to chip the ball over the dip onto the relative safety of an undulating green, or play a low chip and run to get your ball over the other side and towards the hole.

Of course, there is always a chance your ball will land in the dip, either from a misjudged tee shot or a fluffed approach. But, despite its fearsome reputation, it’s not impossible to redeem yourself from this unenviable position. Costantino Rocca famously did just that in the 1995 Open. He forced a playoff against John Daly with his incredible 65-foot putt, inspiring one of the best Open celebrations. But, alas, it wasn’t enough as Daly went on to win, condemning the Italian to a career without a Major victory.   

Two decades later, in 2015, history seemed poised to repeat itself. Jordan Spieth’s approach shot landed on the front of the green but then, agonisingly, ran back into the valley. Spieth would need to match Rocca's feat to force a four-way playoff with Zach Johnson, Marc Leishmann and Louis Oosthuizen. He almost holed the chip for birdie, but he had to settle for par. Oosthuizen went on to claim the Claret Jug in the ensuing playoff.

The person responsible for the Valley of Sin? That's Old Tom Morris, the legendary former Open champion who designed the hole and after whom it is named. Until the late-1860s, the green had been 30 to 40 yards in front of the current putting surface. However, Morris had other ideas, relocated the green beyond the Valley of Sin, and one of golf’s great legends was created.