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Leven Links Golf Course
The
championship course at Leven was used once again at the
Millennium as one of the four final pre-qualifying courses
when the Open Championship is played at St Andrews. As
well as boasting the 11th oldest golf club in the world,
The Leven Golfing Society, the STANDARD LIFE ASSURANCE
COMPANY'S AMATEUR CHAMPION MEDAL, gifted by the company in
1870 lays claim to the title of "The Oldest Open Amateur
Strokeplay Championship In The World". A true sea-side
course - the editor of Golf Monthly described the older
part of the Leven Links as 'being one of the best stands
of Bent and Fescues in Scotland'. Originally Leven was a 9
hole course, maintained by the players themselves and
their families.
The extension to 18 holes took place in 1868. The
inaugural competition over 36 holes played on Oct 2nd,
1868 was won by "Young Tom" Morris with a score of 170.
It retained its layout until 1909 when pressure of players
forced a division at the Mile Dyke. Lundin Links G. C.
extending the eastern section and the Leven clubs taking
over the football ground north of the bowling green,
decanting the playing ladies to a new ladies course and
renting further ground north of the then railway line.
As Ian Keenleyside wrote - The strength of Leven Links is
in its succession of 'less easy' holes and the fact that
one turns at the 13th into the prevailing west wind with a
lot of work still to be done. At the end is the Home
Green, prior to 1893 being small and square, but now a
large putting surface fronted by demonic Scoonie burn.
This wide natural water hazard described in the past as
'yellow as Pactolus or as black as Styx, or again, with
the colour of Ketchup, the density of pea soup and the
smell of Gaol fever'. Not quite as bad today but it will
still take two superlatively struck shots to reach the
putting surface in regulation. The 18th hole is reckoned
to be one of the finest finishing holes in golf.
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