Backstage Pass to the Home of Golf
New Web Site Gives Golfers a Unique Look at St. Andrews
Jul 29, 2009
The fact is, the only time most golfers see St. Andrews is on a Golf Channel re-run of past Open Championships held on the Old Course, or when the Open is being held there.
That is beginning to change. HomeofGolf.tv, a new website dedicated to bringing the old town and the Old Course, indeed, all of Scotland, fuels the fires of nostalgia and enthusiasm for golf history.
Several months ago, Andy Brown, a St. Andrews resident, avid golfer and golf industry marketer, was celebrating Burns Night, a celebration of the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns. This year's celebration brought home many famous native sons and daughters of Scotland. It seems that the atmosphere of the celebration sparked Brown to act upon his passion for St. Andrews and ask people if they would like to see more of "the old grey town" in terms of video clips, and potentially a regular show. They did and he has delivered.
Bringing Home the Home of Golf
To date, Brown has produced and published 11 episodes of HomeofGolf.tv, each giving viewers rare glimpses the Old Course and the town. The videos are each roughly 10 minutes in duration and the quality of video and editing of each is outstanding.
In a recent episode, Brown interviewed John Boyne, a caddy at the Old Course. In the video, shot almost entirely on the course, viewers learn practical information, such as during May through to the end of October, the main golf season at the Old Course, the caddies work full-on typically doing 36 holes a day. Plus, viewers see and hear amusing stories, and sites, as the video unfolds.
A View from Above
Another episode is full of aerial views of the city, which gives viewers a glimpse of what lies behind the stoic R&A home. For lovers of golf history, the episode will be nothing short of fantastic. In the same video, Brown interviews the owners of Braeside House, a local and popular St. Andrews Bed and Breakfast, who often share their insights into playing the courses of St. Andrews.
Brown has also published videos featuring other nearby courses, such as the Musselburgh Old Course and Kingsbarns Links. Rarely do golfers and potential visitors hear of the great courses in and around the Home of Golf. Brown not only introduces them to his viewers by name, he takes them on the course and gives a first-hand look.
Scotland has become known for it's unpredicable weather. In two episodes of HomeofGolf.tv, Brown has captured potentially the most striking example ever seen of how quickly and drastically things can change. One video shows the course soaked in beautiful sunshine and warm weather, the next video, shot the next day, reveals a cozy blanket of snow covering the Old Course and town.
From these episodes, to an interview with Nick Faldo in sunny Florida, to the 2009 London Golf Show, to discussing the rules of golf with a local expert, and several others, HomeofGolf.tv shows golfers and travelers the meaning of golf in Scotland.
