A trip to St Andrews can feel like a visit to a land that time has forgotten.
But if you really want to step back in time when it comes to golf, this estate, located about ten miles from the Old Course, is a must-see.
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Kingrock is Britain’s only remaining hickory golf course – and believed to be the last of its kind in Europe.
Located in the heart of the Scottish town of Fife, the club only permits hickory clubs and balls and players are encouraged to wear Edwardian attire.
This means plus fours tucked into socks and pulled up to the knees, old fashioned golf Shoes And a proper collared shirt. No polo neck or hoodie nonsense.
A World Hickory Open It is played by enthusiasts every year, and this year it is being held at Nairn Dunbar, Moray Old, Fortrose & Rosemarkie and Brora golf courses in the Scottish Highlands.
The other major difference between hickory golf and the game we see on TV today is not in the rules, but in the equipment used.
The objective of the game, just like the Open or the Masters, is to put a small ball into the hole in the fewest shots possible. And players can use a variety of clubs to do this.
But while the modern game allows a golfer to hold up to 14 clubs in their bag, from driver to woods, irons, wedges and putter, the hickory golf bag is entirely different.
The names of these ancient clubs reflect a bygone era. Players call it a spoon, a Driving irons, a mid-mashie, a mashie nibblick, and a putter.
And most importantly, these clubs are made of hickory wood, which was the most popular material for golf clubs until the late 1930s, when they were slowly replaced by steel.
At Kingrock, players are provided with an authentic bag of clubs, which may date back as far as the 1880s, and rubber-wrapped balls that replicate those in vogue in the 1920s.
Shots won’t go as far and the clubs feel lighter than today’s titanium and graphite versions. Kingrock is a reminder of golf based on skill and ingenuity rather than power and technological advancement.
The facility is located within the Hill of Tarvit Mansion and Gardens estate, which is operated by National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and led by Dave Allen,
it Dates Back in 1924, it turned 100 years old. However, during World War II the course was abandoned and almost forgotten forever.
It was first opened by jute magnate Frederick Sharpe and his son Hugh, who Royal Ancient land in St Andrews came into use Farming And in the 1990s it was converted back into a golf course.
NTS staff found a map of the course, as well as Frederick Sharp’s golfing bag, and Trust members David and Michelle Anderson began work to restore the Old Course to its former glory.
Of course, some adjustments had to be made to make it suitable – and safe – for modern standards. This included rerouting some of the holes because they crossed each other (which led to a lot of FORES!)
Meet the Open wags cheering on golfers in Troon – from an influencer to a caddieAfter lying dormant for 70 years, the course finally reopened in June 2008 with a par of 34 and a length of 2,022 yards.
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Allen said the pros have tested themselves on the nine-hole parkland layout since it opened – and to date, the par has never lived up to it. broken (Although US Open winners and golfers of the year champions have tried it too).
And no matter what the score, a glass of ginger ale beer And the plate of shortbread served at the end is reminiscent of another Fife tradition.
He said: “I look after the golf course here at Kingrock. I have worked for the National Trust for Scotland for the last six years.”
“It’s the only club of its kind in the whole of Europe. They’re playing with clubs from the 1880s to the 1930s, so they’re playing with real, authentic items.
“Kingarock is a full nine-hole course with a par five. It’s a par 34, and we’ve had a lot of tour professionals come here and the par has never been broken. It’s been leveled, but it’s never been broken.
“So if someone is of a high level and wants to go for that course recordPlease feel free to come and enjoy.
“If you succeed, your name will be recorded inside the cottage. And even if you don’t succeed, you will still get ginger beer and shortbread upon completing your task.
“It’s a great challenge to play and it’s a fantastic day.”
One golfer said in a course review: “Kingarock is proud to be the only hickory club in the U.K. They offer today’s golfer a 1920’s experience. It’s only a 9 hole track, but this unique experience on a beautiful and historic property in Fife is of a one of a kind quality.”
Another said: “A fantastic short 9 hole course, reminiscent of the way golf was played a century ago, authentic clubs and balls provided with a very warm welcome by the pro who makes you feel very comfortable before playing with the hickory clubs. A very pleasant and picturesque course in a beautiful location, a bit up and down but that adds to its charm. A great day out for any level of golfer.”
NTS also pays close attention to the security of Kingrock Environment – while the same methods were being used as a century earlier.
Greens are cut by hand and fairways and tee boxes are maintained using 1920s-style gang mowers.
There is no fertiliser or artificial irrigation used anywhere along this trail, giving it a more natural, less cultivated feel than most other trails – you can even see sheep grazing from time to time.
The NTS says: “We have impressive levels of biodiversity here, with wild flowers such as marsh orchid, lady’s bedstraw, cuckooflower and ox-eye daisy scattered across the course and attracting huge numbers of bumblebees.
Read more at The Scottish Sun
“The tussocky grass attracts field voles and tawny owls, while the gorse on the course attracts yellowhammers who take refuge from the swooping sparrows. You’ll also see many tree sparrows, which nest in some of the tree boxes we have provided.”
“We have also started planting trees, such as sessile oak, pedunculate oak, European beech, Horse Chestnut, copper beech and sweet chestnut, some of which haven’t been here for a century.”
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