150th Open Championship: Hole-by-hole guide to the Old Course at St Andrews

St Andrews is known as the Home of Golf and here is a guide to the 18 holes of the Old Course, which will stage the 150th Open Championship this week.

Where to watch the Open

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 6.30am on Thursday

St Andrews course guide

Hole 1 - Burn - 375 yards, par 4

Players are greeted by one of the widest fairways in the game and the out of bounds on either side should not come into play. The burn at the front of the green prohibits an attempt to drive the green but players are likely to give themselves a short pitch. Not starting with a birdie will be seen as a disappointment.

Hole 2 - Dyke - 452 yards, par 4

From the tee, the thick gorse will have to be avoided on the right and just to the right of the bunker on the left is an excellent line. The double green, which is shared with the 16th, is guarded by a ridge and there are two bunkers to the right of the putting surface.

Hole 3 - Cartgate (Out) - 398 yards, par 4

The big bunker at the front of the green, which is shared with the 15th, has to be avoided. The best way to do this would be to drive to the right of the fairway but the undulating green will be difficult to negotiate.

Hole 4 - Ginger Beer - 480 yards, par 4

A drive down the right will present a simpler second shot but the quality of the lie would be in the lap of the gods, so many may elect to go on the other side and then attempt to clear the large mound just short of the green. Bunkers lie in wait on both sides of the green to punish inaccurate approaches.

Hole 5 - Hole O’Cross (Out) - 570 yards, par 5

There are only two par-fives on the Old Course and the first of those provide a great chance for picking up shots, especially if players can find the fairway off the tee. From there they should be able to find the huge green even though a swale will have to be avoided if players are tempted to get close to a front pin. This is a good chance for a birdie or even an eagle.

Hole 6 - Heathery (Out) - 414 yards, par 4

A blind tee shot will have to be spot on to avoid the famous coffin bunkers and six traps on the right will also have to be missed. If drives do not fall foul of these potential pitfalls then the hole suddenly becomes an excellent birdie opportunity.

Hole 7 - High (Out) - 371 yards, par 4

Plenty of players may elect to take an iron from this tee and the flag for the 11th, which is also positioned on this green, could be considered an excellent line. Those who fancy attacking the hole with a longer club will need to avoid the shell bunkers that lie in wait just over 300 yards from the tee. Tactics may be dictated by which way the wind is blowing and where the pin is located.

Hole 8 - Short - 187 yards, par 3

It could prove difficult to hold the green on the first of the two par-threes if the hole is playing downwind. Distance will also be difficult to assess if the pin is placed at the front. The tricky-to-read green is shared with the tenth.

Hole 9 - End - 352 yards, par 4

The final hole of the outward half presents another good birdie opportunity. The bunkers that are found between 260 and 290 yards provide the biggest headache and players should have nothing to do with the gorse bushes on the left, but this should be a straightforward assignment.

Hole 10 - Bobby Jones - 386 yards, par 4

The wind direction should now be in reverse and players have a dilemma here. They can either lay up and take the safe option or they can be tempted by the narrow strip of fairway in front of the green. It could even be drivable in favourable conditions but the green slopes significantly from front to back so it's not all plain sailing.

Hole 11 - High (In) - 174 yards, par 3

Although relatively short, this final par-three test is exactly that, especially if the wind picks up. The Hill and Strath bunkers have to be avoided but overclubbing can lead to falling off the back of the green, so a three is a decent score.

Hole 12 - Heathery (In) - 351 yards, par 4

A short but tricky par-four. Five bunkers that are distributed around the middle of the fairway and gorse to the left and right also lies in wait. Long hitters could take on the green, particularly in the dry conditions, but there are problems for those without the necessary muscle.

Hole 13 - Hole O’Cross (In) - 465 yards, par 4

Players should head down the left but may elect to go with a three wood as the fairway runs out at the 300-yard mark. Coffin bunkers have to be missed and they are likely to face a blind approach over a mound as they aim for a double green. Many would happily settle for a four on the tee.

Hole 14 - Long - 614 yards, par 5

The longest hole on the course and bunkers will have to be avoided either to the left or the right. Some may even elect to use the fifth fairway to the left as there is out of bounds on the right. The wind will be a key factor as the Hell Bunker will have to be considered upon approach and there are other traps around the green too.

Hole 15 - Cartgate (In) - 455 yards, par 4

Players will have to be accurate here and leaving the driver in the bag may be the way to go as the fairway narrows about 150 yards from the front of the green, which can seen deceptively near. A pot bunker on the left is the principal hazard.

Hole 16 - Corner of the Dyke - 418 yards, par 4

Aggression off the tee can be rewarded three holes from home because playing safe can make the approach more difficult. Falling into the Principal's Nose bunkers would be a disaster as chipping out is the only available course of action. If players can avoid the bunkers down the right then a birdie chance presents itself.

Hole 17 - Road - 495 yards, par 4

Probably one of the most famous par-fours in the game and the beginning of the fun is driving over the corner of the Old Course Hotel and avoiding the out of bounds to the right. The green is the shallowest on the course and players are presented with the task of avoiding the bunker on the left and the wall on the right that presents all sorts of issues. And then there is the trickiest of greens that can ensure plenty of closing drama.

Hole 18 - Tom Morris - 356 yards, par 4

There should be no issues finding the huge fairway, so out of bounds to the right should be redundant. If approach shots are short, they can gather in the Valley of Sin to the left of the green and the large undulating green can present plenty of issues.

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