A St Andrews charity dedicated to providing educational, cultural and sporting opportunities to young people has hosted a week long series of events featuring junior golfers from California and their counterparts from Fife.
New Links St Andrews, together with partners Youth on Course based in Monterey, overcame three successive years of restrictions on travel and assembly to host the event at the Home of Golf.
New Links co-founder Kenny Wood was delighted by the success of the week after the enforced hiatus.
Deep roots in St Andrews
“We were thrilled to be able to pick up where we left off in 2019,” he said, “and that is thanks to the deep roots we have developed in the St Andrews community since we started this in 2006 and our strong and abiding friendship with our colleagues at Youth on Course, who we first worked with in 2009”.
The itinerary featured a specially tailored talk on the many opportunities to study and do research at the University of St Andrews.
It also featured extensive access to the town itself, and lots of golfing landscapes ancient and new, including the Old, Strathtyrum and Eden courses at St Andrews Links, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, and Kingarrock Hickory Golf Course.
Four college-bound Americans and five locals of school and university age spent time together throughout the week, with 16-year-old Adam Duncan joining up for a second time, having made his debut four years ago.
The group had the privilege of hearing from golf industry specialists Garry Forrester at Kingsbarns and David Scott at Dumbarnie, where they also met the designer of this contemporary classic, Clive Clark.
There were tours of the R&A World Golf Museum and the hi-tech testing centre at Allan Robertson House.
Participants stayed at David Russell Apartments, each enjoying their own en suite room.
What did participants think?
With gusts of 30-40 mph during the week, it was a challenging but exhilarating time to be on the links.
“It’s fun meeting new people and talking a little trash, and if you want to extend the trip by another week I wouldn’t mind!” said Mahamed Ibrahim from Culver City.
“St Andrews in the wind – that’s a real Scottish experience – there’s a big difference between par golf and links golf.
“The wind hits you – the full force of it – but it was a change I like and I now know how to hit those lower shots.
“My favourite was the Old Course: the history, my man Tiger winning there twice…”
Looking back on her week in Scotland, Alyssa Carter of Los Angeles said: “At first I was nervous about being here, but travelling abroad has extended my perspective and world view.
“I’ve developed some really meaningful bonds that will continue after this trip.
“I was submerged in an entirely new culture, got to slow down and take everything in, and really enjoy it. It was a great time”.
Malia Loo is a +1.2 player who showed high-class ball striking abilities throughout the week, including a chip in from 120 yards on the second hole of the Eden Course.
She had a full appreciation of what being in St Andrews had to offer.
“To play where golf originated, that opportunity to stand on the Swilcan Bridge and play the Old Course – you feel history just standing on the grass,” she said.
Thanks to all involved
The first venue of the week was Kingarrock, outside Cupar, where the game is played with century-seasoned wooden shafted clubs and which is an ideal place to start any Scottish golfing expedition.
The group’s high standard of play was all the more praiseworthy since their personal clubs were not delivered from Edinburgh airport for several days, and in one case not at all, and they mostly used hire clubs.
Kenny Wood thanked all those who helped make the New Links-Youth on Course 2023 event such a success.
