Fife – The Home of Golf
It’s taken six hundred years for St Andrews to become the home of golf, and if that’s not enough, it’s the home of whisky and some of the finest produce in Scotland.
There are golf courses… and then there’s St Andrews. However you look at it, with an incredible 600 years of history under its belt it is, undeniably, the home of golf. It’s the course that every golfer wants to play, the town that every golf fan wants to visit. But for St Andrews local, treading the hallowed turf of the Old Course is, almost literally, a walk in the park. First thing in the morning, while visiting golfers are waking up, steeling themselves to play the round of their dreams, to complete their pilgrimage, locals can be found walking their dogs on the Old Course. “It’s a public course, it’s public ground,” a local tells us, as we watch someone throw a ball for their pet. “And it’s closed on Sundays and becomes a park.
“Aye,” he adds, “you wouldn’t get that at Augusta, right?!” After a few hours exploring this fine Fife town, you realise how the town has evolved around the golf, and the golf has evolved around the town. Simply put, the Old Course is the spiritual – and geographical – heart of St Andrews.
That degree of informality extends to the famous “19th holes” such as the Jigger Inn, which nestles next to the Old Course Hotel, and The Dunvegan Hotel, which is just around the corner from the 18th and looks down to the Royal & Ancient. Their reputations and roles within many an Open win may suggest places that are salubrious and exclusive, with a strict dress code and flowing champagne. The truth is they’re both brilliant, accessible, friendly bars, what we Brits would call a proper little boozer, the sort of place where, if you’re a local or a famous golfer, everybody knows your name. A drink – or perhaps two – in each is probably an essential part of the St Andrews’ experience. The Jigger, famously, is decorated with caps signed by the game’s greats. Dunvegan’s celebrated golf-loving owners Jack and Sheena may have sold most of their stake a few years ago but they’re still here in spirit, particularly Sheena who appears in many of the photos that literally cover the bar area (there are even photos on the ceiling).
Golf legends, Hollywood stars, presidents and celebrities from all walks of life have, at some point, holed their final putt and strolled briefly uphill for a drink. Even so, there’s still space to remember the late Tip Anderson, local caddy and bar regular, whose preferred seat is marked, touchingly, by a brass plate. If you’re stuck for a choice of drink, we’d suggest a dram of Lindores. Because, as well as being the home of golf, Fife appears to be the home of whisky. The earliest written reference to whisky-making is in the Exchequer Roll of 1494, which mentions Brother John Cor, a Lindores monk, commissioned by King James IV to turn eight “bolls of malt” – about 500kg – into Aqua Vitae. Celebrated drinks writer Michael Jackson declared that Lindores Abbey should thus be a pilgrimage for every whisky drinker. When Drew McKenzie Smith discovered that he thought he should do something more. Well, the remains of the Abbey are on his family farm…
“So I thought we should probably make whisky. And then I thought, well, how do you go about starting a distillery?!” laughs Drew. His first move was to contact whisky societies. “My list was alphabetical and the first one was a Canadian society called An Quaich. I emailed them saying ‘we live at Lindores Abbey, I’m thinking about distilling, what do you think?’ And they replied straight away, they were so impassioned, it’s the biggest news in whisky…”
It took Drew around 20 years to turn the dream into reality but the Lindores Abbey Distillery now exists, they launched their first release in July 2021 – and Drew still has a hard copy of that encouraging reply. Perhaps the best place to enjoy a Lindores, however, is from the Terrace at 18@Rusacks, which overlooks the 18th fairway of the Old Course. It’s a fine view to enjoy before a very fine supper at the restaurant, where Derek Johnstone – the first winner of TV show Masterchef: The Professionals – is celebrating the very best of local produce. “We’re blessed by the gods in Fife,” says Derek.
“We’re surrounded by farms, we get amazing berries, the beef which we age ourselves. The game when that’s in season…” He gestures across the golf course to the sea. “And the coastline, the shellfish, the lobsters, the sustainable cod.
“I firmly believe 75% of the hard work is done before it gets in the kitchen, then we just have to cook it simply.” There’s a clubhouse feel to the restaurant which, while quite American in style, manages to feel informal. “That’s the Scottish hospitality,” says Derek. “It’s Scottish servers, Scottish provenance. There’s a warmth to it, it’s a home a from home.”
Ironically, working in a place with such a view – you can imagine the demand already for the 150th Open – Derek isn’t a golf fan. “Never played in my life,” he laughs. “I think that’s how I got the job. They know I’ll be in the kitchen…”