In a city that is a living, breathing monument to the sport, nowhere is the heritage of golf on more abundant display than the St. Andrews cemetery. It’s here that countless pioneers and champions of the game are laid to rest just a short walk from The Old Course at St. Andrews, drawing an untold number of visitors each year seeking to pay tribute to those that laid golf’s very foundation. Yet the history of this hallowed ground stretches far beyond the featherie ball, and the stories told by these gravestones are not always etched on their surface.
Long before it was a cemetery, the St. Andrews Cathedral stood majestically on these grounds and was Scotland’s largest church. Built in 1158, the Cathedral was abandoned during the 16th century Scottish Reformation and eventually fell into ruin. Today the East Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in St. Andrews, eclipsed only by perhaps the Swilcan Bridge and R&A clubhouse.
Strolling the grounds of the cemetery, wandering in and around what remains of the Cathedral, it’s impossible to take more than a few steps without coming across a recognizable name in golf history. Names like Auchterlone, Kirkaldy, and Hutchison are scattered amongst the stones of other pillars of St. Andrews, like Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair, who single handedly transformed the city and was an instrumental force in the Royal & Ancient Golf Club.
In the shadow of the East Tower, it’s difficult to miss the memorial for golf’s first true professional, Allan Robertson. From his shop next to the Old Course, Robertson built a strong business crafting clubs and featherie balls for the gentlemen golfers. When the rubber “guttie” ball arrived, however, it cost the “Champion Golfer of Scotland” both his relationship with his apprentice – Old Tom Morris – and much of his business. Staring at the stone carving of Robertson’s face, one can almost feel the regret in his eyes for not embracing the guttie ball much sooner.
Just a few graves to the right of Robertson’s lies a small stone in honor of an infant child named David Anderson, yet there is much more to this marker than meets the eye. The child’s grandfather, “Old Da” Anderson, sold snacks and ginger beer (or if desired, something stronger) from a cart on the 4th hole of the Old Course. This was surely golf’s first halfway house, and the 4th hole is named “Ginger Beer” in his honor. In addition, the child’s father, Jamie Anderson, won the Claret Jug three times, but his life later took a downward spiral and he died in a local poorhouse.
For over a century, both “Old Da” and Jamie Anderson rested alongside little David, beneath his unassuming stone, without any memorial of their own. That is until recently, when a local movement raised money to honor the Andersons with this beautiful stone of their own.
Of course, no visit to the St. Andrews cemetery is complete without finding the resting place for the Morris family. It shouldn’t be too difficult, as there’s likely to be a small gathering of visitors paying tribute. The death of Young Tom Morris in 1875 was such a shock, and his impact on the golf community was so deep, every club in Scotland contributed funds to build the cemetery’s most photographed memorial.
Before moving on from the grave of Young Tom, one must pause once more to tip the cap to the Grand Old Man of Golf. No one in the history of St. Andrews did more to solidify the town’s standing as The Home of Golf than Old Tom Morris. He outlived all of his children and several grandchildren, yet he carried on as Keeper of the Green right up until just before his passing at the age of 87.
There have been no studies on whether leaving a ball for these two champions affects one’s play on the Old Course, however it’s safe to assume that it doesn’t hurt.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to St. Andrews, visit the pages below or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
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