Road Hole lengthened 25 yards
One of the most famous holes in golf is being lengthened in time for next year's Open Championship at St. Andrews.
The 17th hole at the Old Course, called the "Road Hole'' but just as well-known for its treacherous bunker beside the green, has played to the same 465 yards for more than 100 years.
But the Royal and Ancient announced Friday that it will add 25 yards to the par-4 hole -- increasing the distance to 490 yards -- by building a new tee box across a railway line on what is now a practice range.
The hole, which will remain a par-4, is a dogleg to the right with an old railway shed in the line of sight. The Old Course hotel sits just inside the dogleg, and more than a few wayward drives have made their way onto the property.
Among the hole's other unique features is the road that sits just behind the green -- and is in play -- and fronts a stone wall. And then there is the cavernous greenside bunker with a green that slopes toward it.
The R&A in its announcement noted that former Open champion Henry Cotton had suggested as far back as 1964 that the hole be lengthened and a new tee built. (Back then, the 17th played as a par-5.)
"The 17th was played at the same yardage in 1900 as it was in 2005 and this fueled our belief that the formidable challenge of this iconic hole should be returned for the Open Championship,'' said Peter Dawson, chief executive of the R&A. "Over the years we have seen the threat from the road behind the green, and to a lesser extent the Road Bunker, diminished as players have been hitting shorter irons for their approach shots, allowing them to avoid these hazards more easily. This change will ensure that the hole plays as it was originally intended.''
Nobody is quite sure, however, how any of the holes were really intended to be played. The Old Course dates to the 1500s and for a time it had 12 holes, 10 of which were played both out and in, making for a total of 22 holes.
The course is known for its double greens, and it was in the 1860s that Old Tom Morris (a four-time Open champion and longtime greenskeeper) had the first and 17th greens separated, which produced the current 18-hole layout with seven double greens.
For years, the course was played clockwise (as opposed to the current counter-clockwise rotation) in alternate weeks to allow the grass to recover more easily. (It is still played backward one week a year.)
During the recent Dunhill Links Championship, where two rounds were played over the Old Course, Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy needed just a 7-iron to reach the green in two shots, setting up one birdie.
There are no other significant changes planned for the course, where Tiger Woods won the past two Opens played at the venue, in 2000 and 2005.
Bob Harig covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.
