Eden course, St Andrews, Scotland

www.standrews.com/play/courses/eden-course

White tees par 70, SSS 71, 6250 yards
Red tees par 73, SSS 72, 5450 yards

The Eden course is another of the links courses in the Mecca of golf, St Andrews.  It lies in a triangle of land between the Old Course, Strathtyrum (10/10/15) and the Eden estuary.  Designed originally in 1914 by Harry Colt the first green fee was 3d (the equivalent of 1.25p today) per round.   The front nine is all Colt originals whilst all but three holes of the back nine are Donald Steel designs from a redesign in the 1980s to allow the creation of the Golf Practice Centre.  It is a traditional links course defended by its pot bunkers, rough, gorse and the wind apart from the 14th and 15th where there is a pond which is out of character for a links course. 

The first green is two tiered with tricky slopes

We played with Lynn and David Lawson in an easterly wind which is the opposite of the prevailing wind.  Features of the course are its sloping greens which cause it to play harder than it appears on the scorecard and the stone walls behind some of the greens.  At the first hole the player is lulled into a false sense of security by a short par 4 only to be faced by a green with two tiers and difficult slopes requiring accurate putting.  The course then heads out alongside the Old Course towards the Eden estuary and turns parallel to the estuary at the short par 4 4th with the water intimidating on the right side and a typical Holt sloping green.  The par 3 5th and 8th lie side by side and are strong holes with challenging greens.  The ninth is a par 5 which is usually downwind and returns to the shepherd's cottage beside the first green.  The finishing stretch is tough - a par 5 16th with its rolling fairway and subtle slopes on the green and the long par 4 17th reminiscent of the 16th at the Old Course with out of bounds running down the right side, thick rough and bunkers on the left and a green shaped like an hour glass.

The Eden is less challenging than the Jubilee but is a very enjoyable links course.

Worth playing? Yes to complete the St Andrews experience.