Major awards night at first St Andrews Golf Festival
Published: Last updated:
The inaugural St. Andrews Golf Festival, which is set for March 28-April 1 at the home of golf, will celebrate the game at a gala awards reception on Saturday, March 31st.
The Festival plans to recognize and honor individuals who have made significant contributions in a number of categories, such as golf literature, photography, golf art, golf humor, women’s golf and more.
It will take place in St. Andrews University’s historic Younger Hall, where Bobby Jones, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and other icons of the game have earned honorary degrees from the ancient university.
Honorees will receive the “Old Tom Morris Award,” a handsome commemorative bust named for the St. Andrews born golf pioneer who is universally recognized as golf’s founding father. Tom Morris, Sr. (Old Tom Morris) was a heralded golf competitor who played in the first 36 British Opens (1860-1896) and who won the Open four times in 1861, 1862, 1864 and 1867. To this day, he remains the oldest Open champion at the age of 47.
Old Tom also was a prolific architect who designed or remodeled 75 courses, including Carnoustie, Muirfield, Royal Dornoch and Prestwick. From 1865 to 1904 he served as the Greenkeeper for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews. The 18th green of the Old Course is named in his memory. Old Tom died in 1908 at the age of 87.
It has been written that Old Tom Morris “came to symbolize all that was finest in Scottish character and in the ancient Scottish game.”
It is in this spirit that the St. Andrews Golf Festival has created the Old Tom Morris Award. The Festival Awards Gala evening is presented by Golf Illustrated.
The award categories are:
St. Andrews Golf Festival Award for Honour and Integrity
Literati of the Links Award for Golf Literature
Keepers of the Green Award for Courage
St. Andrews Golf Festival Award for Golf Art
St. Andrews Golf Festival Award for Golf Humor
Lawrence Levy Award for Golf Photography
Golf Surveys Ltd. Award for Lifetime Achievement in Golf Course Architecture
Babe Zaharias Award for Outstanding Contributions to Ladies Golf
Planet Golf Award for Best Golf Course Design
Spirit of St. Andrews Award (Golf Illustrated readers vote)
The creative St. Andrews Golf Festival, golf’s first-ever organized celebration in this historic town where the game has been played for some 600 years, has an impressive schedule of events, exhibitions, tours, lectures, films and skills competitions planned for the launch of the five-day extravaganza.
For a listing of Festival events, visit www.standrewsgolffestival.com. The schedule is continually updated with additional activities that will interest golfers and non-golfers of all ages. In keeping with the spirit of the game that is accessible to everyone, there is no charge to attend the St. Andrews Golf Festival celebrations.
