Thursday, Jun. 18, 2009
The Old Course
St. Andrews, Scotland
Religious pilgrims first came to St. Andrews in the 10th century to visit the relics of the town's eponymous saint. In more recent times, golfing pilgrims have flocked to pay homage to a stretch of weather-beaten land on the edge of the North Sea where the game was invented 600 years ago. The hallowed Old Course lies on public ground, but there's no other place a golfer feels more privileged to play. The course isn't the most technically challenging — but teeing off in front of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club is as nerve-racking as it gets.