Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance)

The Torrance Course is one of the newer layouts you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list, but it is already a championship offering. 

 

Designed by Sam Torrance and Gene Sarazen, and opened in 2001, the course has gone on to host the European Legends Tour, DP World Tour, and Asian Tour in its brief history. 

 

The course sits on a clifftop, with the 16th green being one of the most picturesque spots you will find in Scottish golf.  

 

Fairmont St Andrews – a venue on the NCG Top 100s: GB&I Resorts list – is also home to the Kittocks Course. The Kittocks also claims a spot on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list.  

 

 

Check out our full piece on the Fairmont St Andrews resort here. 

Visit the Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) website here.  

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage. 

Fairmont St Andrews is a relatively new name when it comes to golf in this part of town. The Torrance Course, designed by Ryder Cup hero Sam Torrance and golfing legend Gene Sarazen, was opened in 2001. 

 

However, less than a decade later, the course was redesigned with eight new holes being added. It quickly achieved championship status thereafter. 

  

That redesign was ahead of the 2009 Scottish Seniors Open, which was also played at Fairmont a year later. The Hero Open, one of the DP World Tour’s COVID-19 tournaments, was played at Fairmont in both 2021 and 2022, with the Asian Tour’s International Series featuring the St Andrew’s Bay Championship a year later. Eugenio Chacarra emerged as the victor after an amazing ten-hole play-off. 

The Torrance is not a links, though some of the bunkering might remind you of one. Rather, it is predominantly parkland, giving way to a clifftop section towards the end. Following the redesign of the course, which included improvements to tees and bunkers, as well as the acquisition of two holes that were formerly part of the Devlin Course, the Torrance can now stretch to a weighty 7,230 yards from the very back tees. The location overlooking the North Sea pretty much guarantees a breeze and the fairways are that much softer than on a links course. 

  

The first part of the course takes you on a loop around the back of the hotel before dropping down towards the sea for the entirety of the back nine. It is a tough start to a round on the Torrance, even if you opt to go from the Whites at 6,600 yards. The opener is just shy of 400 yards, with the 2nd being a par 4 of 475 yards in distance. There is only one fairway bunker to deal with, but the sheer distance will put most at a disadvantage. The 3rd is the first of the four par 5s on the course, and the longest from the whites at 530 yards. Water comes into play on the right of the hole, and there is also a ditch that runs in front of the green, around 30 yards before the putting surface. 

 

4 offers some respite at just 310 yards, but there are plenty of bunkers to avoid with both your drive and approach. The 5th is the opening par 3, playing 180 yards. A large green awaits, but a bunker right and gorse bushes left mean accuracy is vital. A short par 5 follows, before the 7th throws up a real birdie opportunity. At just shy of 300 yards, some will attempt to drive the green on this short par 4. For the majority, avoiding the four fairway bunkers will be the key. The 8th is the shortest hole on the course at just 160 yards, with the final hole on the front nine being a gentle par 4. 

 

At 458 yards, the 10th starts the run towards the coast in tough fashion. Just a single small bunker on the left of the fairway is in play, but the fairway is narrow throughout the hole. 11 is the next short hole, and three bunkers guarded a relatively large green. The 12th is the first par 5 on the back side, with an S-shaped fairway, four bunkers and a burn in front of the green to contend with. The longer hitters might take this on in two, but most will lay up to a good distance for a wedge onto the green. 13 is another lengthy par 4, and the hardest hole on the back nine, while the 14th and 15th are much more gentle – the latter of which is just 340 yards from the whites.  

  

The closing three holes of the Torrance Course are a joy to behold. The 16th, 17th and 18th offer completely different challenges from each tee box and that is what makes them so special and leaves you yearning for more. 16 is a straightforward downhill par 4, but the North Sea looms large behind the flag stick and every golfer will be fully aware that anything over the back of the green is in the abyss and gone forever. The 17th is a picturesque par 3 with an out-of-bounds wall on the left, and there is also a pot bunker that protects the front of the green. The closing hole on the Torrance Course is a lengthy par 5, but one that could be reachable in two with a solid drive. Be careful about trying to smash the drive, though, as danger lurks either side of the fairway. 

Where is Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) located?  
Fairmont St Andrews is located on the eastern coastline of Scotland, just down the road from the historic town of St Andrews. It sits next to the Castle Course – which is part of the St Andrews Links portfolio. In terms of major cities, Dundee is 20 miles to the north, while Edinburgh is just over 50 miles to the southwest.   

  

Edinburgh Airport – the biggest and busiest airport in Scotland – is the closest major international airport for visitors to Fairmont St Andrews. It is 50 miles from the resort and operates flights to and from most European countries, as well as flights to North America. Leuchars is the nearest train station to Fairmont St Andrews, sitting ten miles up the coastline to the north, past the town of St Andrews. Trains from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and even London Kings Cross visit Leuchars Station daily. 

What golf facilities does Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) offer?  
Fairmont St Andrews not only has two championship courses, but there is also an all-grass driving range as part of the practice facilities at the resort. There is also an extensive short game area, featuring a large putting green to allow players to hone their skills before taking on either the Kittocks or Torrance Courses. 

What are the green fees at Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance)?  
The price of a green fee at Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Fairmont St Andrews (Torrance) website here. 

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