On Monday and Tuesday this week, representatives from St Andrews organisations, and the media, played on the cliff-top course, two miles from the town.

The format was best net score from one member of each team at every hole. The winning score on Monday was 58.

The successful golfers were enthusiastic after their first round.

Said Graeme Sandeman: 'The Castle Course is a fabulous test of golf.
There were no bad lies on the fairways and the turf has grown in really well. Putting was great fun and the greens look great from the fairways.

``You have to aim away from the flags on some of the holes and let the contours bring the ball in. Playing the course was very enjoyable.''

The Castle Course is "a great addition to St Andrews" according to Craig Sandeman, who has been golfing at the Links for 25 years.

"I'll be coming back here a lot over the summer," he promised.

Designed by David McLay Kidd, the exposed course will be open until the end of October this year and will not open again until April 1, 2009.

A spokesman for St Andrews Links Trust, which manages the course along with the six publicly-owned links in St Andrews, said that for the forseeable future The Castle Course would close over the winter to make sure it wasn't overplayed.

Each hole on the 18-hole, par 71 course — which will be playable between about 5300-7200 yards — has a choice of five tees. Views of St Andrews and the sea are spectacular.

Monday's sunny breezy weather saw 96 players teeing off in groups of four, from 10 a.m. And, despite the doom merchants, there were some very creditable 'best net' scores.

Monday was also the first day the new clubhouse was open for business and players were treated to a reception and refreshments there before a prizegiving at the end of the day.

A further two preview days were held this week, one on Tuesday for representatives from Fife golf clubs and one yesterday (Thursday) for representatives of the tourist trade.

The Castle Course has been promoted across the globe, however, the Links Trust insists there's plenty of capacity for the local golfers, for whom it was created in the first place.

Press spokesman, Mike Woodcock, told the Citizen that booking a round would be very similar to the system in use for booking on the Jubilee Course.

Although the Castle Course is not a links course, the Links Trust says it has been designed with the Scottish links tradition very much in mind.

Approaches to the green are similar to the greens themselves, so that running shots will be playable as well as pitches.

The grasses being cultivated there are traditional to Scottish links. The fact that some of the greens have been established for two years and had time to grow, means there is good coverage, to the surprise of some of those who played the course this week.

Online bookings for The Castle Course from now until October 31can now be made. For more information, or to make a booking, call 01334 466666, or email reservations@standrews.
org.uk