Fairmont St Andrews (The Kittocks)

Travelling to St Andrews is much more than a visit - it's a reverent pilgrimage. It's a joy to see an entire town given up to golf, but there is inevitably an air of expectation when a new course is built so close to the "home of golf". All eyes were on Bruce Devlin the headline designer, former Australian Open champion and himself an Aussie. Assisting Devlin on a consultancy basis was “the Squire”, the legendary late Gene Sarazen, but the true architect behind the design was Denis Griffiths. In the summer of 2002, the Devlin course at St Andrews opened for play to a rapturous standing ovation.

You'll find the five star Fairmont St Andrews resort a couple of miles outside the “auld grey toon”, en route to Kingsbarns. It's an amazing location with the resort's flagship Kittocks course sited on elevated ground next to the cliff-tops. The views across the River Tay estuary with the famous medieval town in the background are simply breathtaking. The design is dramatic too, with the natural features of the land being used to great effect, most notably a deep ravine called Kittock's Den, which cuts frivolously through the course. Undoubtedly, the most striking holes are those that border the rugged North Sea shoreline, a number of which will remain etched permanently in the mind.

Bruce Devlin's design goal was “to build great golf courses within the contours of the natural surroundings which challenge the best golfers and yet can be equally enjoyed by the novice”. We think he and Denis Griffiths have achieved the target with four distinctly different teeing areas. You'll need to be either an exceptionally good player or a masochist to play this par 72 from the back tees (7,049 yards) but with four areas to choose from, there's a tee for all abilities (5,195 yards from the forward tees).

The Kittocks course (previously known as the Devlin) has been constructed in an American-style with two man-made lakes, but the layout honours the tradition of golf at St Andrews with two double greens, numerous deep pot bunkers and, of course, the most important ingredient, the feeling.

After a fairly gentle start, the Kittocks goes wild when the par five 5th stretches along the edge of Kittock's Den. The vista opens up and the land begins to pitch and roll. From here on in, there's no looking back... from the par four 7th, which is squeezed up against the rugged coastline with its green perched on a promontory to the awe-inspiring signature hole, the long par four 15th which doglegs towards the hanging cliff-edge green. The 17th and 18th from the original Torrance course now form the closing two holes on the Kittocks (with the 3rd and 4th from the old Devlin now played on the Torrance) and these two strong par fours round off the new Kittocks course in great style.

The Kittocks is a valuable addition to the St Andrews experience. It's a course to be savoured and should be included on any serious golfer's must-play list.