Torrance (Fairmont St Andrews)
The name says it all, although Sam Torrance didn’t
do it alone… being ably assisted by Denis Griffiths
and Gene Sarazen. The course opened in the
1990s and has been designed to resemble a links.
You get a wonderful flavour for the Torrance as
you drive passed the hotel and see several of the
holes spread across the resort’s 520 acres. It’s a strong appetiser and
while the opening holes are on the higher slopes, near the hotel,
the back nine stretches away towards St Andrews and down to the
clifftops. Fairmont’s two courses bear similarities (conditioning and
the golden grasses, most notably), but some deep revetted bunkers
and slippery greens make the Torrance a tougher proposition than
the Kittocks. The Torrance is long (par 72, 7,320 yards) although the
mortal tees for men are 6,600 and 6,051 yards, with the ladies at
5,400, so picking the correct tee will be crucial to your enjoyment.
Smart routing makes the back nine an interesting affair, especially
when you play the downhill par four 16th. The green sits well below
you with the sea stretching beyond. Pause for a moment and look
towards St Andrews – it’s an impressive sight. There are plenty of
stone walls on the Torrance, too, and they frame the par three 17th
in such a way that this will be the favourite hole of many.
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