Home of Golf (and Food)
St Andrews is known as the ancestral home of golf, and as such, is a massive part of the town’s heritage. The Old Course is the most famous course in golf, and is part of the St Andrews Links, which collectively is over 600 years old. The renowned Open Championship has also been hosted at St Andrews more times than anywhere else in the world! Although I don’t play golf, I have gotten the chance to walk up and down the magnificent course that has been a landmark of St Andrews since medieval times. I have been lucky enough to see the Dunhill Links Championship played here in October of this year, and more recently got to take pictures on the historic Swilken Bridge by the 18th hole of the Old Course. Golf greats of St Andrews and beyond have played on the iconic bridge, which is a distinguishing landmark of the course. The Dunhill Links Championship featured both a professional and a pro-am competition, so it was cool to see celebrities golfing alongside seasoned professionals.
The renowned Swilken Bridge on a fall afternoon
Last weekend, I also had the chance to attend a mini food festival called Savour St Andrews, which allowed me to sample food and drink from several of the more formal establishments around town at the Old Course Hotel. An homage to the history of and great players in golf, the hotel’s Hall of Champions was host to a small tasting experience from most of the fine dining restaurants in the town and from around the links. Although there were several seafood delicacies there (since St Andrews is located by the North Sea), as a vegetarian, there were some nice dishes I got to try, including a chickpea falafel with parmesan mousse, and goat cheese (which from my experience is ubiquitous in Scotland,) tartlets. I also got to taste Scottish cordials, which are drinks made entirely out of pure fruits and are mixed with either still or sparkling water; they taste like a light fruit soda. These cordials are also apparently served at the Queen’s garden parties in summer, which is pretty cool. Enjoying a nice afternoon on the Old Course is definitely a highlight of studying here!