This weekend will see a final push when we will have around 45 St Andrews Links greenkeepers working on Sunday preparing for an exciting but busy week ahead.

Dunhill preparations

It hardly seems a year since the last Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the Old Course, but it’s that time again and next week sees the event make a welcome return after I’m sure what will be a fantastic Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.

We’re also lucky enough to have world number one, Rory McIlroy gracing our hallowed turf. He will no doubt have one eye on an early practice round ahead of defending his Open Championship title here at the Home of Golf in 2015.

We are already seeing some of the tournament infrastructure being erected around the Old Course with tents going up for hospitality on the Bruce Embankment and behind the 17th green. The only spectator stand for the event is also well underway behind the 18th green.

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How are course preparations going?

On the course, things are going according to plan. We continue to cut all playing surfaces regularly to fine tune playing conditions. Earlier this week we had STRI here collating information for our Autumn report and things look to be shaping up nicely.

Over the coming days we will up the maintenance and commence final preparations with the players arriving early next week for practice. We have been monitoring the green speed daily and we’re happy to report that things are on schedule. This weekend will see a final push when we will have around 45 St Andrews Links greenkeepers working on Sunday preparing for an exciting but busy week ahead.

As well as the aforementioned Rory McIlroy, this year’s professional field includes US Open champion Martin Kaymer, European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel.

The professional field will be joined by stars from the world of sport and entertainment including footballing legends Bobby Charlton, Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit as well as the likes of Don Felder, Huey Lewis and Hugh Grant.

Here’s hoping the weather is kind to us here in St Andrews.

 

Words by Gordon McKie, Course Manager – Old Course

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