Golf: The British Open comes back to its roots in a golf town and more | The ... - Salt Lake Tribune

There's also nothing like a town of 16,000 so integrated with the course that it is closed and turns into a park every Sunday, where people bring their dogs to walk the ancient fairways or cross down to the chilly beach below.

Step off the 18th green at St. Andrews, and there's a row of pubs, hotels and golf shops just a short chip away. Things are so close that players teeing off on the 17th hole actually aim over the Old Course Hotel â€" where the rooms are named after Open champions â€" to try and hit the narrow fairway.

During Open week it's not unusual to see some of the best players in the world in local restaurants or just out for a walk. Late Tuesday evening, Bernhard Langer and his family strolled about, glancing over across the street where golf fans spilled out into the streets with pints of beer from the Dunvegan Hotel and pub.

The pub was especially crowded on this night because word was Arnold Palmer was going to make an appearance, like he did the last time the Open was here in 2010. The king never arrived, though his wife, Kit, did stop by.

Want to see a piece of golf history? The British golf museum sits behind the 18th green, with displays of golf memorabilia dating back to the game's origins here. Estimates vary who first choked on a 3-foot putt, but golf was said to be played here as early as the 15th century, with St. Andrews itself established in 1754. A feature this week is a display of Tom Watson's five claret jug trophies for winning the Open. Watson is playing in his final Open this week, something that had him a bit wistful Wednesday on the eve of the Open.

"It's such a part of the fabric of life here in Scotland, the game of golf," he said. "[Even] people who don't play the game understand it."

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