As the impressive edifice looms into view, a feeling of elation washes over me. I’ve just arrived at the Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa in St Andrews, Fife – the home of golf – and the sense of sporting history is palpable.
As an avid but frustratingly untalented golfer, the chance to see the venue where legends of the game such as Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus have won the Open Championship and held aloft the famous Claret Jug is a genuine thrill.
On my way to reception I pass by a member of the concierge team in full kilt and tam o’shanter and breathe in the old world glamour and charm. At the time of my visit in mid-September, mask wearing was still mandatory in the public areas of the hotel, but the mild discomfort is soon forgotten as I enjoy a smooth check-in and make my way along seemingly endless corridors to my room.
The hotel occupies an unrivalled position overlooking the famous 17th hole of the Old Course, known as the Road Hole due to the thoroughfare that hugs the side of the fairway as it winds its way towards St Andrews.
I stay in one of the Old Course rooms, which benefit from that amazing view, as well as vistas of the Scottish coastline beyond, with skies that seem to change colour at every glance, from brilliant blues and stormy greys in the daytime to bruised purple and blood-red hues at sunset.
Passion project
For a place seemingly steeped in history, the hotel building itself is relatively modern, constructed in 1968 by British Transport Hotels, thanks to its location next to St Andrews railway station, which then closed just a year later.
Now part of the portfolio of US company Kohler’s Resort and Golf Destinations, the hotel has undergone a multimillion-pound refurbishment and expansion project, including the addition of 31 guest rooms as well as a penthouse on the fourth floor with an internal lift, fire pit and balcony overlooking the Old Course.
My guide around this labyrinthine leviathan is the hotel’s senior marketing manager Ella Robbins, who explains that pre-Covid, the vast majority of the hotel’s business came through golfers, but that the last 18 months have given the hotel time to reassess its target audience and diversify. The impressive Hall of Champions, a venue that can cater for up to 500 guests, is targeting the lucrative wedding market, while the huge property’s portfolio also contains six other events spaces – ranging from intimate private dining and meeting rooms to the 200-person capacity ballroom with its stunning crystal chandeliers.
Letting off steam
After my whistle-stop tour, I feel in need of a spot of R&R, and what better way to unwind than at the hotel’s spa? It’s another location that’s seen significant refurbishment (with the introduction of a new fitness centre and swimming pool in 2018) and fits perfectly with the luxury ethos of the venue. Kohler is known as a leader in high-end bathrooms, so it’s little surprise the wellbeing elements are top notch.
I’m led through this temple of serenity to my massage, and after 30 minutes of vigorous manipulation I continue through to the pool and hydrotherapy area, where a quick swim and a soak in the bubbling waters releases any residual tension. Chatting to my fellow spa enthusiasts, it becomes apparent that it’s a place enjoyed as much by locals as by hotel guests, and is another example of how the hotel is being embraced by the community it serves.
And that sense of community and togetherness has been important over the last 18 months as the hotel endured two periods of enforced closure during the pandemic. Some people were furloughed but a rota of staff lived at the hotel for a week at a time to keep essential services running and satisfy insurance obligations.
You see that team spirit and attention to customer service shine through everywhere you go at the hotel, and it’s obvious there’s a great bond and camaraderie among the staff. I recall my chat with Laura from the concierge team who ferried me from Edinburgh airport – she’s been in hospitality “for more years than she can remember” but says this is “the best team she’s ever worked with”.
The buzz is back
I remember those words as I head to the fourth floor for dinner at the Road Hole restaurant where I feast on more great views, this time the twinkling lights of the hotel’s sister property, The Hamilton Grand, and the headquarters of British golf’s ruling body, The R&A, in the distance. The hotel uses locally sourced, sustainable produce where possible, and my hot salmon salad followed by a beautifully tender Scotch fillet steak are great examples. Indeed, even the breakfast menu includes local delights such as mini haggis and potato scones.
After the travails of lockdown, it’s a delight to experience an exciting buzz in a packed restaurant, and I pick out plenty of American accents in the hubbub, a trend that’s likely to continue apace given recent positive news around relaxation of travel restrictions on both sides of the pond.
Alas, I’m just a couple of weeks too early to see the last of the scheduled refurbishments to the hotel, an 80-cover restaurant situated next to the Road Hole restaurant, which Robbins says will offer a lighter “champagne and oysters” style of dining in a bid to attract more non-residents, and perhaps a slightly younger demographic.
