2017 Activities

The first of three St Andrews Legacy events in 2017 took place in May and it featured a meeting with Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, outside the Royal and Ancient Golf Club just after he finished a round on the Old Course, an appropriate venue given the club’s encouragement to St Andrews Legacy. Mr Obama took time to talk to the veterans on a personal level and thanked them all for their service. We visited old friends at Crail, where club secretary David Roy gave a fine introduction to the seventh-oldest golf club in the world, The Duke’s Course, and The Kittocks Course at Fairmont St Andrews. We were delighted to be welcomed so warmly at new venues Lundin Golf Club and Castle Stuart. Finally, the veterans enjoyed rounds on the Jubilee Course and the Old Course at St Andrews Links.

Our June event began at Machrihanish Golf Club, one of the finest in the world. The members welcomed veterans from Canada and Wales over two days, showing tremendous hospitality and good will. We returned to North-east Fife for the rest of the week, visiting The Duke’s, Crail Balcomie Links, The Kittocks, and St Andrews Links. The final day of the week was spent on the Old Course.

The third and final St Andrews Legacy event of 2017 began at the 146th Open championship, Royal Birkdale, where participants met eventual winner Jordan Speith and runner-up Matt Kuchar among many others. The group, who were beginners to the game, played their opening rounds of golf at the Balgove and Strathtyrum courses, St Andrews Links, before taking on Craighead Links, Crail. They were welcomed into the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, and there was a chance to meet NFL legend Peyton Manning during the course of the week. Brent Zepp, PGA director of golf at Chambers Bay Golf Club, accompanied the veterans.