Beginning July 10, 2022, the 150th Open Championship returns to the “Home of Golf,” The Old Course at St. Andrew’s in Scotland.
Sometimes referred to as the “British Open,” it was first held on October 17, 1860, making it the oldest golf tournament in the world.
The history of golf goes back much further than 1860, however, with the original rights to play on the links being granted to the townspeople of St. Andrew’s by Archbishop John Hamilton in 1552!
To this day, the St. Andrew’s Links, which encompasses seven golf courses, remains in a public trust owned by local authorities.
The courses are open to the public for golf seven days a week, with the exception of the Old Course, which gets a day of rest each Sunday. On those days it is not uncommon to see locals walking their dogs on the course. Can you imagine someone walking their dog at Augusta National or Pebble Beach?!
For more information about the history of St. Andrew’s, we encourage you to click these links:
Old Course
Wikipedia Page
The History of Golf
By Dennis Napier
Scots' Charitable Society 