The 19th
BY MURRAY BOTHWELL
6 MINS READ
Although there are some golf courses that physically have a 19th hole, the perennial image is of a warm, welcoming, beverage-filled bar of cotton-wool textures which soaks away memories of your lost balls and missed putts with ease; where sarcasm and humility are dealt in equal measure, and where a united golfing family find themselves smiling at the end of every round.
Options abound: St Andrews offers a multitude of cosy corners, but at either end of the town’s golfing history timeline there are two which stand out for visitors to sample. The Jigger Inn, a white-painted standalone cottage from the 1850s that’s now integrated into the luxury Old Course Hotel, used to be the stationmaster’s lodge when the terminus for trainloads of holidaymakers was located nearby. Nowadays visitors, and golfers, flock here to sit within putting distance of the Road hole: a short one-metre-high wall is all that separates them. There’s a crackling, open-hearth fire, green carpets and golfing history adorns the walls: signed players caps hang around. The compact, homely bar serves drinks to the shadowy nooks and crannies. Sipping a pint of the pub’s own Jigger Ale while watching fellow golfers tackle this iconic hole is one of golf's greatest off-course pleasures. Ranking close, though, is the Jigger’s place in history as home to the “pint-per-stroke” challenge, a tough game amongst the toughest out there. It’s very simple: once you've finished the 17th, you pop into the bar. You order a pint. And another, and another. As many as you wish ... because your goal is to finish your round at the 18th at St. Andrews by taking fewer strokes than the pints you've just consumed. Marvellous. And if you have enough room left after you “walk” off the 18th, the Jigger’s hearty menu is a blend of pub classics and Scottish flavours to either celebrate or commiserate your score.
Just a couple of hybrids from the Jigger is the famous Rusacks Hotel, which sits on The Links and receives as many unintentional visits off the 18th tee as the Jigger does off the 17th fairway. Recently refurbished, this stunning 1880s hotel features a new destination rooftop bar and restaurant with jaw-dropping views over the R&A, the 18th and 1st holes and the West Sands. The bar at 18 at Rusacks offers a broad range of bespoke and classic cocktails, fine wines and specialty beers that golfers can enjoy whilst relaxing in its deep, comfortable settees, or when swapping stories at the bar on the substantial turned wood and leather stools. Moving through to the restaurant, the views through the full height windows might distract you from your meal although with the Executive Chef being Derek Johnstone, who won the inaugural BBC Masterchef: The Professionals in 2008, aged 24, your conversation will soon return to the fantastic presentation of the other course in front of you. And if you have enough time after your meal, and the weather permits, you can try out your putting on their mini-putting green which overlooks the 18th from the roof terrace.
One under bar - Rusacks
Putting is a favourite pastime at another legendary 19th hole, this time the couthy Bar at Ducks Inn in Aberlady, a stone’s throw from the historic Kilspindie Golf Club and close to 20 other fantastic courses within 15 minutes’ drive. Crammed with golfing memorabilia on all four walls and the ceiling, it’s a traditional Scottish pub in a warm and friendly hotel serving real ales, a great collection of almost 100 malt whiskies, a good selection of wines or cocktails and Cuban cigars from the five-foot-high humidor. A time comes in the evening when everyone from locals to Ryder Cup captains are invited to take to the bar stool, attempting to add their names to the wall by putting from on high to the floor and running the ball up the back of the long, wooden duck which is placed about 10 feet from your perch. Balance vies with the desire to be accurate... the bar stool shows the scuffing of years of practice, and the putter remains the same. Cosy corners, brass coat hooks, copious bar stools and an engaging host make this a great golfing location to be based at.
Ducks Inn
The old coaching house of The Red Lion Inn sits proudly at the entrance to Prestwick, Birthplace of The Open and across the road from the house where Tom Morris lived when employed as Keeper of the Green at Prestwick Golf Club. Owned by the brother of Charlie Hunter, laterally Professional of Prestwick GC and long-time friend of Old Tom, The Red Lion is one of the earliest 19th holes that still exists today and was where the 57 gentlemen golfers of Prestwick founded their Club in July 1851. It was also where the 28 inaugural members of Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club founded theirs, and both Clubs would regularly meet to discuss their monthly medals and latest developments in both golf and the town. For lovers of golfing history, the building is not so different in layout from the old coaching inn, although the stables were removed in the recent past to make way for the generous car park at its rear. With excellent food, a great range of drinks and a chance to relax in history, this is the closest bar to Prestwick Golf Club and should not be missed.
Arriving at the first tee in Royal Dornoch puts a world-famous 19th hole within pitching distance of the golfer: the Tom Morris Bar Lounge of the Royal Golf Hotel has been welcoming visitors to this golfing haven for many years. Settling into its soft leather chairs, gathered around its roaring log fireplace, stories of sunrises and sunsets over these northern links have been swapped by champions and amateurs alike. Its pine floors, protected by Persian carpets, echo to the sound of repeated bar visits and whilst guests ponder their choice of whisky from a glazed wall of various malts, perhaps choosing the nearby Glenmorangie, they contemplate the framed detail of the precisely hand-drawn 18 holes of the course outside which adorn the bar wall beside them. A large (empty) cask of Glenmorangie sits nearby, a small table for those who prefer the cosiness of the immediate bar area and its dark wood. As the day passes by outside, another evening stretches out amongst friends, old and new. All is good with the world.
Dormy House - Gleneagles
Travelling south on the A9 brings us finally to the Dormy Clubhouse of the Gleneagles Hotel. Overlooking the 18th greens of both the King’s and Queen’s courses and the rolling Perthshire countryside beyond, the Dormy House was opened by Gary Player in 1984 and has recently been refurbished. Its new interior evokes a sense of nostalgia for the clubhouse, harking back to the 1920s when Gleneagles and its golfing heritage was born. Moulded timber doors open up during the day to serve golfers, whilst the mix of lighting in the new Auchterarder 70 restaurant casts just the right amount of evening downward light. Drawing inspiration from Gleneagles’ train station and its carriage seating, the Hotel has painstakingly-sourced furniture to create character, charm and warmth which is just what you need when looking to meticulously dissect each and every shot your four-ball has just played after leaving the course. An extensive menu is married by a broad range of drinks, and as views and relaxation go, it’s definitely “dormy” and cannot be beaten.