Journeys: St. Andrews in the Snow

Snow in St. Andrews? What does that look like? Upon waking up to nothing but white, that’s exactly what we wanted to know. We called Gordon McKie, the superintendent, who met us in the first fairway and explained the effects of snow on the Old Course. He told us what it means to him to be the ninth caretaker of the hallowed ground since Old Tom had the job in the 1800’s. And McKie shared his story of spending time with Sheila Walker, the great-great-granddaughter of Old Tom Morris, on the day of what would’ve been Old Tom’s 200th birthday. Walker and David Fleming, the club’s professional, tell us about how and why Prestwick fits into the history of golf. Again, the crew plays the course, an original Old Tom design that hosted to first Open Championship in 1860. Old Tom, the strong favorite, finished second to Willie Park Sr. that year. But Old Tom, like his son Tommy, would go on to win four Opens. After pegging it at Prestwick, we’re back to walk Mrs. Walker to the bus station. We say our goodbyes, and before we leave town, we scurry into the St. Andrews cemetery at midnight to pay our respects to Old Tom’s gravesite and the everlasting legacy of a golfer’s life well-lived.

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