Family Fun
We are working on an array of fun things for the family to do during festival week both in town and around the Links Trust putting green
From putting and golf simulators through to book signings and arts activities, there are lots of fun family elements to the festival. Register below to receive updates about the festival and the family activities.
St Andrews is a great place for the family to visit all year round. Please have a look at our things to do section to give you some ideas. Shark watching anyone?
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Exclusive unveiling of Official Ryder Cup 2012 Print by Graeme Baxter
Daily. 28th March to 1st April 2012. St Andrews Golf Hotel.We are very privileged to have an exclusive unveiling of a new piece of work by the world renowned artist Graeme Baxter. The painting of Official 2012 Ryder Cup at the Medinah Country Club, will be the first viewing of the official print.
Graeme will also be exhibiting the Artist Proof of his
Seve painting. This beautiful piece of artwork was a special commission from the PGA for the Olé Seve! event in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation supporting Cancer Research held on 23rd May 2011. The grand total raised by the event was £625,189, a staggering amount that goes to show the respect and admiration for Seve Ballesteros.Visitors to the festival will have the unique opportunity to bid for the exclusive framed prints. All funds raised will go to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation.
About Graeme Baxter
The golf paintings of Graeme Baxter are considered unsurpassed in depth, quality and detailed knowledge of the subject.
Graeme continues to be the Official Artist to more golf events than any other artist. Tournaments such as the Open, The Ryder Cup, The Presidents Cup, Kraft Nabisco Championship as well as the PGA and European Tour and most recently the US PGA.
His originals, Giclees and lithographs are displayed in famous clubhouses around the world including St Andrews Old Course, Augusta, Turnberry, Pebble Beach, Dubai Creek, Mission Hills , Pine Valley China and Carnoustie to name a few.
Contact
For more information on Graeme’s work, please contact Martin and Judi Williams at
W: www.cachetuk.com/acatalog/Graeme_Baxter.html
T: 00 44 845 2600 380
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St Andrews Golf Festival Awards 2012 presented by Golf Illustrated
Free entry. Doors open at 6.30pm. Saturday 31st March 2012. Younger Hall, St Andrews.The very first St Andrews Golf Festival Awards 2012 presented by Golf Illustrated is a fun evening celebrating the very best of golf heritage. It is a night for anyone who is keen on their golfing history, books, magazines, memorabilia and who has a sheer passion for the game.
Awards on the evening are for:
Literati of the Links Award for Golf Literature
Babe Zaharias Award for Outstanding Contribution to Ladies Golf
St Andrews Golf Festival Award for Honour and Integrity
Keepers of the Green for Courage
St Andrews Golf Art Award
Golf Surveys Ltd Award for lifetime achievement in golf course architecture
Lawrence Levy Award for Golf Photography
St Andrews Golf Festival Award for Golf Humour
Planet Golf Award for Excellence in Golf Course Architecture
St Andrews Golf Festival Award for Golf Innovation
Golf Illustrated Spirit of St Andrews
The final award of the night will be the Golf Illustrated Readers Vote Award for the Spirit of St Andrews. Nominees are Seve, Old Tom, Bobby Jones, Babe Zaharias, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. The vote will be carried out across the social media sites of Golf World, Today’s Golfer and tonight’s sponsors Golf Illustrated.
An Audience With Old Tom Morris
Old Tom will be interviewed on stage by the evening’s MC, Mrs Pat Norton from On Course Strategies. Pat is a former Director of Communications for the LPGA and Chair of the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association. It will be the first time Old Tom has shared the stage with a lady!
The evening is open to all. Free entry.
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Weird and Wonderful World of Golf exhibition
10am – 5pm. 28 March to 1st April 2012. Macdonald Rusacks Hotel.See some of most eccentric and fun photos in golf dating from the early 20th century.
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Come to see some of the greatest new golf inventions at this free exhibitions at the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in the Joe Austen gallery.
Companies displaying include www.shortgamegolfcourses.com, www.puttingalley.com, www.nexbelt.com, www.sabona.co.uk, www.ropeit.com, www.transferstudio.com and www.theturfkey.com.
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We are delighted to showcase one of France's finest sculptors. In homage to the 2018 Ryder Cup, Hubert has created a golfing themed statue of the Eiffel Tower.
For more information on his work, please go to http://www.hubert-prive.com/
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St Andrews Golf Co Hickory Golf Display
10am - 5pm. 28th March to 1st April 2012. St Andrews Golf HotelWatch how hickory clubs were made in the 1800's. This exhibition really brings the work and life style of the hickory golf club makers to life.
For more information on one of the most historic golf club maker companies in the world, please go to www.standrewsgolfco.com
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Book Signing by - David Purdie & Hugh Dodd
2pm. Sunday 1st April 2012. BEST WESTERN Scores Hotel, St Andrews.We are delighted to have David give a talk at the Festival. David is not only one of the finest and funniest golf writers, he is also a speech writer for some of the biggest names in golf including part Ryder Cup captains.
The book ' The Greatest Game' is a lovely satirical take on the noble game of golf. Their talk will be set to the back drop of the cartoon artwork of Hugh Dodd.
This will be a nice Sunday afternoon treat for golfers and non-golfers alike.
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Jo McCusker produced and directed the emotive BBC documentary on Seve.
We will be showing the film on the large screen at the Scores Hotel, beside the Seve exhibition. This will be a unique setting to watch one of the greatest stars in golf from the highest moment in his career winning in St Andrews in 1984 through to his battle against his illness.
A unique afternoon for Seve fans.
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The personal collection of the Grand Old Man of Scottish Golf himself it includes some of the rarest and most valuable golfing photographs ever seen. Dating back to the birth of the professional game in the 1850s, this historic archive offers a fascinating glimpse back in time.
Apart from Old Tom it features legendary players like First Open winner Willie Park, feather ball maker Allan Robertson, Andrew Strath and the Dunn brothers. It also includes rare snapshots of perhaps the greatest of them all – “Young” Tom Morris.
Lost for over half a century they were discovered gathering dust in a Scottish garden shed back in the 1990’s by two prominent golf collectors. Restored to their former glory over the next decade, some images are well-known, while others are simply unique.
Considered the finest collection of early golfing photographs still in private hands, this is the first time any of them have ever gone on public display.
For more information on the collection, go to www.oldgolfimages.com
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Weird & Wonderful Game of Golf
Daily. 10am to late. 28th March to 1st April 2012. Macdonald Rusacks Hotel.Dale Concannon is one of the greatest collectors of historic golf photgraphy. In this fun exhibition, we see some of funniest and most eccentric golf photography from his website www.oldgolfimages.com.
For more information on the full collection of golf photography, including rare images of Bobby Jones, Old Tom and the Ryder Cup, please go to www.oldgolfimages.com
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Ivan Morris is the author of 'Golf As A Way of Life’ and many other golf books. Respected as one of the best golf journalists, Ivan has many, many stories to tell.
Ivan has been a single-digit, category one golfer for over fifty years. Voted Golf Nut of the Year by the Golf Nut Society of America in 2002 (the first non-American to receive the dubious accolade), on the strength of his first book - Only Golf Spoken Here (2001), Ivan is also the author of The Life of O’Reilly (2002) and The Doonbeg Ghosts (2006). Morris also co-authored Larry Lambrecht’s magnificent photographic coffee table book on Irish seaside golf, Emerald Gems (2003) and has been a contibuting editor to Golf Digest Ireland since 2003 as well as having articles published in Great Britain, the USA, Denmark and Sweden.
As the final talk of the Festival, we are delighted to be finishing on a hugely entertaining note and with a Morris too!
For legal reasons, we should make it clear that Ivan is not related to Old Tom.
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Talk by Kyle Phillips - Golf Course Architect of Kingsbarns Golf Club
1pm. Sunday 1st of April 2012. The Best Western Scores Hotel, St Andrews.Kyle Phillips is one of the most respected golf course architects in the world. His designs, including The Grove in Hertfordshire, have won countless awards and plaudits.
His work at Kingsbarns is simply breathtaking. The course is consistently rated in Top 20 courses in the world.
We are very fortunate to have Kyle come to the Festival to talk about how he came to create one of the finest courses in the world.
www.kylephillips.com
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Richard Chorley Art Exhibition
Wednesday 28th March to Sunday 1st of Apirl 2012. The Best Western Scores Hotel, St Andrews.Since turning professional at the beginning of 1997, Richard has been painting some of the most prestigious and famous courses in the world as well as private commissions. A journey which has taken him from Pebble Beach to Augusta. His evocative and detailed images of the great courses in Scotland, Ireland the United States and Europe have won him acclaim and admiration. His modesty, charm and warm personality have endeared him to those who know him and his talent speaks for itself.
Some of his most notable achievements are as follows:Winner of the inaugural ‘Art of Golf Festival’ held in Pinehurst – sponsored by Golf Digest. Founding member of the ‘Academy of Golf Art.’ Official artist for the Jack Nicklaus Memorial Tournament.Official artist for the last Ryder Cup held at Oakland Hills Golf and Country Club.Since turning professional at the beginning of 1997, Richard has been painting some of the most prestigious and famous courses in the world as well as private commissions. A journey which has taken him from Pebble Beach to Augusta. His evocative and detailed images of the great courses in Scotland, Ireland the United States and Europe have won him acclaim and admiration. His modesty, charm and warm personality have endeared him to those who know him and his talent speaks for itself.
Some of his most notable achievements are as follows:
Winner of the inaugural ‘Art of Golf Festival’ held in Pinehurst – sponsored by Golf Digest. Founding member of the ‘Academy of Golf Art.’ Official artist for the Jack Nicklaus Memorial Tournament.
Official artist for the Ryder Cup held at Oakland Hills Golf and Country Club.
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Talk by Dr Steven Reid on Bobby Jones
2pm. Saturday 31st March 2012. BEST WESTERN Scores Hotel, St AndsrewsDr Steven Reid is a former captain of Royal Lytham Golf Club and is an expert and author on the life of Bobby Jones.
Dr Reid will be giving us an insight to the life of Jones and how he inspired millions but ultimately paid a high price for his success .
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One of the most knowledgeable and reputable golf historians has kindly agreed to give a guided walk around the top golf spots in St Andrews.
This is a very rare treat and not to be missed.
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History of Golf in St Andrews exhibition
10am to 5pm. 28 March to 1 April 2012. The Golf Hotel, St Andrews.Golf in St Andrews Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. The course that Old Tom played however is very different to the manicured links we have today. Old Tom would be have been playing through tighter fairways and lies that most modern players would deem unplayable. They even played in the snow. The Old Course undoubtedly has a magical aura and the backdrop to the first tee where many of the greats have stood, has remained largely unchanged in 150 years. If you see the pictures of Bobby Jones receiving his Open Championship trophy, you will notice very little in the town has changed. The ability to step back into history is just one of the charms of the town.
In 1754 the Society of St Andrews Golfers was formed. This was a local golf club playing at the St Andrews Links. In 1834, King William IV became its patron and the club became known under its present name, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews. In 1897, the Society set out the rules of golf and over the next 30 years was invited to take control of the running of golf tournaments at other courses. The R&A is the ruling authority of golf everywhere (mainly the British Isles) except the United States and Mexico, where this responsibility rests with the United States Golf Association (USGA). Their presence in St Andrews adds to the allure of the town. In addition to working on the development and sustainability of the game, the R&A most recent success was in their work to make golf an Olympic sport.
St Andrews now has seven courses that are all open and accessible for all golfers. Old Tom's design for the New Course is a local's favourite. The greens are hailed by many to be the best in Scotland.
St Andrews has more Open and major champions than any other place in the world including Old Tom, Young Tom, Tom Kidd, Willie Auchterlonie, Bob Martin, Jamie Anderson, Willie Fernie, Hugh Kirkaldy and Andrew Strath.
The town is rich with stories of great rivalries, closely fought matches and massive galleries who would follow the players side by side, even on to the greens. It is largely thanks to the great enthusiasm that St Andrews created for the sport and some key individuals such as Allan Robertson and Old Tom, that we are able to enjoy the game we love today.
Image credit: www.joeausten.com
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Ladies Golf Exhibition
10am to 5pm. 28 March to 1 April 2012. BEST WESTERN Scores Hotel, St Andrews.Ladies have been playing golf for many centuries. History books tell of Mary Queen of Scots' love of the game. She played in St Andrews and in her trial it was actually used against her. It was claimed that she was playing golf only two days after her husband, Lord Darnley's death.
Katherine of Aragon, first wife of Henry the VIII, is the first noted woman to play the game. In the 1700's the fishwives of Musselburgh had an established flourishing club.
In 1867, the ladies started to play over the putting green at St Andrews and by 1893 there were over 50 Ladies clubs in the UK. Ladies golf has a rich and fine history. Throughout the years there have been golfing legends with inspirational stories. From the 18 year old, Lady Margaret Scott's Ladies Open Championship win in 1893 through to the outstanding record of Laura Davies who has won 81 titles, four majors and the Ladies European Tour order of merit seven times.
Image at top of page credits: www.kaiameans.com
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Created by local historian, artist, guest speaker, playwright and author David Joy, the artwork is simply wonderful and a must see for any golf enthusiast.
The Dunvegan Hotel is one of the most popular bars in St Andrews for golfers. This all year round exhibition gallery has portraits of every Open Champion dating back to 1860. From Willie Park Snr to Darren Clark, they are all here.
For more information on David's work and his new projects, please visit http://www.golfhistorian.co.uk.
Image credit: David Joy
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A chance to meet the Ryder Cup and award winning artist.
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Book Signing - John Peter Hagen
Midday. Saturday 31st March 2012. BEST WESTERN Scores Hotel, St Andrews.John Hagen wrote the hugely entertaining book 'Play Away Please' about his experience buying the Old Course's starter's tee box - one of golf's greatest icons.
He is a founder of the Friends of St Andrews which was established by the St Andrews Links Trust to assist in the preservation and maintenance of the historic golf courses at St Andrews, including the Old Course.In addition to "Play Away Please", he has also written "Pebble Beach–the Novel" and a memoir "Chance Encounters."He is a founder of the Friends of St Andrews which was established by the St Andrews Links Trust to assist in the preservation and maintenance of the historic golf courses at St Andrews, including the Old Course.
In addition to 'Play Away Please', he has also written 'Pebble Beach–the Novel' and a memoir 'Chance Encounters.'
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Joe Austen is one of the world's most renowned painters. All year round his work adorns the walls of the Macdonald Rusacks Hotel.
For more examples of Joe's work, please visit www.joeausten.com
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David's meticulous drawings of Open Champions adorns the walls of The Dunvegan all year round.
Tonight will be a chance to meet David and to hear his stories about his unique work.
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Guided Walk - Historic St Andrews
28th March - 1st April at 11am, 2pm and 4pm (1st April, 2pm and 4pm only). St Andrews Golf HotelShena Porteous, a professionally qualified Blue Badge tourist guide,is offering visitor/family friendly tours of St Andrews. See where Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake; find out where Robert the Bruce was in 1318; where Wills and Kate studied and met for coffee and much, much more......
Tours from 28th March - 1st April at 11am, 2pm and 4pm (1st April, 2pm and 4pm only). Meet outside R&A Clubhouse. Cost £5 per person. Family rates available.I can also offer private individual tours by car throughout Scotland. If you have time either before or after the Golf Festival then why not get in touch? I look forward to sharing my love of Scotland with you. Advance booking essential for car tours.Contact - shenaporteous@hotmail.commobile - 07765 417537tel - 01334 653561Shena Porteous, a professionally qualified Blue Badge tourist guide,is offering visitor/family friendly tours of St Andrews. See where Protestant martyrs were burned at the stake; find out where Robert the Bruce was in 1318; where Wills and Kate studied and met for coffee and much, much more.
Meet at St Andrews Golf Hotel.
Cost £5 per person. Family rates available.
Shena can also offer private individual tours by car throughout Scotland. If you have time either before or after the Golf Festival then why not get in touch? Shena looks forward to sharing her love of Scotland with you.
Advance booking essential for car tours.
Contact
E: shenaporteous@hotmail.com
M: 07765 417537 T: 01334 653561
(Image courtesy of www.visitscotland.com)
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John Letters is one of the most celebrated club makers in the world. Their tour players have lifted practically every major title and includes the like of Lee Trevino, Gary Player, Cathy Panton and Sam Torrance.
Their gallery in St Andrews shows the legends of John Letters, highlighting their rich heritage.
For more information on John Letters and the new custom fit store in St Andrews, please visit www.johnletters.com
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Based in St Andrews, Scotland, The Openview Gallery offers a collection of golf photography, canvas art, moving photographic images and unique marquetry pieces made in wood by two times Major winner and four time Ryder Cup Captain Tony Jacklin.
Their collection of historic golf photography dates back to the 18th century celebrating the beauty and emotion of a game steeped in history. Each photograph is carefully developed by hand in a dark room from the original negative by skilled craftsmen.
In addition, Openview Gallery offers a superb array of exquisite jewellery, stocking exclusive ranges in diamond, solid silver and costume jewellery and our in house jeweller makes a range of unique pieces each stamped with the exclusive St Andrews Makers Mark and offers a bespoke jewellery making service.
Openview Gallery also works with Golf Clubs and Resorts by offering an interior design service and making bespoke cufflinks,trophies and other silver pieces.
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St Andrews Museum, Kinburn Park, St Andrews
The story of St Andrews is beautifully told in this glorious Victorian mansion that also has a great homemade food café. There are also art exhibitions upstairs throughout the year and delightful gardens to enjoy.
St Andrews Preservation Trust, 12-16 North Street, St Andrews
The St Andrews Preservation Trust Museum is a small, independent museum situated in a lovely 17th century house in the heart of the town’s old fisher quarter, a stone’s throw from both the Castle and the Cathedral.
http://www.standrewspreservationtrust.org.uk/museum.html
Image credit: David Joy
