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IF YOU are a golfer making your maiden pilgrimage to St Andrews the tingle factor will come into play as you cross the Forth bridge that links Edinburgh with The Kingdom of Fife, wherein lies the Home of Golf.
You scan the countryside for a golf course and the prickling mounts when the first comes into view. Now you know how Columbus felt when he spotted America.
It's about an hour's drive from the bridge to St Andrews but that only serves to heighten the exquisite agony of anticipation. By the time you reach the old grey town the hairs on the back of your neck are rising as ecstasy assumes total control of your senses.
The trio of awe-struck hackers with you are already reaching for their spikes. Quick as you can, you park the car and walk the few yards to the broad expanse of green visible at the end of the street. You turn the corner and stop in your tracks.
There it is. You're looking at the stage on which six centuries of golfing history have been played out. There's the Valley of Sin gnawing at that vast green, the Swilcan Bridge straddling the burn near the first green, the fluttering flag at the Road Hole just visible in the distance.
Dappled evening sunlight pours shadows into the undulations that dimple the expanse of fairways and greens. You contemplate the fact that Old Tom and Young Tom won their great championships here; so did Vardon, Braid and Taylor; Bobby Jones and Bobby Locke; Nicklaus, Player, Watson, Faldo and Ballesteros.
The ambience is awe-inspiring, ethereal. It is almost a spiritual experience, akin to standing in the vastness of a great cathedral. You wonder how on earth you'll ever get the ball off the first tee, let alone over the burn and onto the green. When your turn comes you hope, as with death, to face it with dignity and courage.
St Andrews affects all first-timers this way; for many it never loses its romance. The old place has been involved in more love affairs that all the great hotels of Paris and London combined. It occupies a very special place in sporting history, one that will draw you back again and again.
The game is everywhere here, where it all began back in the 15th Century. Golf features in the names of shops, restaurants, bars, hotels and streets. And not including a nine hole course that's ideal for beginners, there are now five 18 hole courses with a swathe of others nearby, some equally venerable and romantic: Crail, Elie, Leven and Scotscraig spring to mind.
You'll want to play them, no doubt, but your priority is St Andrews, Golf's Mecca, the cradle of the game and the fount of much of its history. Be assured you'll have your hands full, but don't rush things, eh? You must savour the time as well as the place.
You'll probably be surprised to learn that the Old Course is only one of five, two of them fairly recent in origin. They are the Strathtyrum and the Balgove. There's also a modern practice centre, a new public clubhouse, a museum of golf and various innovations to cater for the vast number of visitors drawn to the resort.
The 21st Century arrived early at St Andrews but the changes haven't been allowed to over-ride the historic ambience that permeates the town and its surroundings. The tingle factor remains unchanged for first timers, and for veteran visitors too, upon reflection.
In order of technical challenge here's a pen picture of the courses to be found at the modern St Andrews. For beginners and youngsters there is the Balgove, a nine holer with a par of 31.
Then comes the Strathtyrum, another Donald Steel design built in 1993, an 18 holes of 5,200 yards, par-69. This is a holiday course with built-in undulations for variety and perspective. It's a fair challenge but not unduly taxing.
The Eden, opened in 1914 to a design by Harry Colt, has been up-graded in severity of challenge, again by Donald Steel. Now it's a severe test, a course of considerable prestige, with small greens guarded by deflecting hummocks, some devilish bunkering and several areas out of bounds. The emphasis here is on accurate iron play. It measures 6,112 yards to a par of 70.
The Jubilee course, opened in 1897 to a design by Old Tom Morris, was up-graded some years ago to meet the need for a second championship course. It's a whisker over 6,800 yards with a par of 72 and a mark of its quality is that it has been the venue for the Scottish Strokeplay Championships, among other notable events.
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