First of all, much has been said about how difficult it is to get a tee time on the Old Course. I think we were fortunate, because we didn't have any difficulty at all. There is a lottery system in which you have to submit your name a day in advance of when you want to play. When we went to the clubhouse to submit our names, we were asked what tee time we'd like. When we said we really didn't care - we'd make our schedules fit whatever we got in the lottery, the clerk told us that there would be more available tee times than lottery participants, so we could pick our time. So, for a Saturday afternoon in June, we were able to pick an after-lunch tee time. Again, I doubt that this is the norm, but for us, there was no problem whatsoever.
The gentleman asked us our handicaps and club affiliations for his records, but didn't ask to see our actual cards. We gave our actual handicaps (one member of our group was an 18) and the name a local public course in Missouri, and that was that.
Teeing off at #1 is a great experience…the wide fairway helps settle the nerves a little bit. Just bang it out there somewhere and you have a mid- to short-iron to the green.
The course is very wide open, with high rough only coming into play on a few holes. The hidden bunkers will get you, so make sure you buy the little book that shows their locations. We didn't have a caddie, but you might want to take one just for the local knowledge. Putting was pretty wild - I think I had a 150-footer at one point. The double greens are gigantic.
Coming in, you get the breathtaking views of the city, clubhouse, and hotel. #14, 15, and 16 all played very long into the wind that day. Par fours turned into three shot holes; the long par five seemed like it was 1000 yards long.
#17 is the toughest par four in the world. 470 yard dogleg right to a little green with a wicked bunker in front. The bunker is jail. Stay out of it.
The 18th at St. Andrews is one of the most spiritual places in all of golf. Walking across the bridge and up the fairway in the late afternoon is a magnificent experience. As we walked the final hole, we could barely hear a lone bagpiper a couple of blocks away. Very, very spiritual.
We finished the round off with drinks in the hotel bar alongside the 17th.
If you are playing somewhat well, you can play the Old Course near your handicap. When we played it, it wasn't quite as long as when the pros are there (there is only one set of tees). I would probably recommend one caddy for your group; he can show you the way for blind shots and such.