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Great Golf? St. Andrews, of Course.

A one hour's drive north up the coast from Edinburgh lies the Scottish town best known as the ancestral home of golf.

Today, St. Andrews not only remains the headquarters to one of the world's oldest golf clubs (the venerable Royal and Ancient), but represents one of the planet's most challenging courses.

Mother Nature - in the form of offshore winds from nearby West Sands beach - coupled with a cleverly designed man-made course, makes St. Andrews the ultimate "holy grail" for modern golfers, and not only for weekend warriors. The likes of Tiger Woods and other golf pros are all put the test during frequent bouts here at the British Open.

The historic 18th green on the Old Course at St. Andrews.

During a brief visit, don't miss the entrance to the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club, offering casual tourists a chance to spot a favorite golf celebrity, or Hollywood star, who might arrive to test the Old Course for themselves.

Ambling away from the beach front course, be sure to take in the rest of this very walkable town for visits to see the medieval castle, or to inspect what remains of St. Andrews cathedral, now lying in glorious ruin.

The university that grew up out of the cathedral in 1410 still remains, and this now world-famous school was frequently in the news when Prince William attended here from 2001-2005.

In fact, St. Andrews links to royalty go back centuries with appearances by Mary, Queen of Scots, who made several visits to play golf here in the 16th century.

Later, King George VI, would have fond memories of being captain of the The Royal and Ancient Golf Club when he held the title of Duke of York in 1930. Today Prince Andrew, an avid golfer and former captain of the R&A, is a regular visitor.

Getting to St. Andrews

By car from Edinburgh: Take the A90 over the Forth bridge to M90. Continue north until junction 7 and take the A91 following the signs to St Andrews.

From Glasgow: Take the M8 towards Edinburgh, and turn onto the A80. Continue on the M80 over the Kincardine Bridge leading to the M90. Head north on the M90 until junction 7. Take the A91 and follow signs to St Andrews.

By train: Get off at Leuchars station and take a 10 minute bus or taxi ride into St. Andrews.

More about St. Andrews around the Web:

• St. Andrews Links - the official site featuring a virtual tour, online course booking, as well as other town attractions for non-golfers.

• The R&A Homepage - the official site of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club with a download of the entire golf rule book in PDF format, golf etiquette videos, recent news and club history.

also see in Scotland Tourist Attractions -> Loch Ness | Scottish Castles

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