The St. Andrews Ladies’ Putting Club, affectionately known as the Himalayas, offers a unique and affordable golfing experience on the historic links of St. Andrews, Scotland. This famed putting course, designed by Old Tom Morris, allows visitors to play for as little as £4, a stark contrast to the up to £355 charged for a round on the nearby Old Course during peak season.
The Himalayas is widely recognized as one of the world's most challenging and finest putting courses. Its undulating terrain, featuring steep slopes, sharp crests, and deep valleys, has tested the skills of numerous professional golfers. Even a hole-in-one, achieved with a putter on the seventh hole, was met with the ball sliding past the pin and trickling back into the cup.
The course's setting is unparalleled, situated just yards from the first green and second tee of the Old Course. This proximity allows golfers playing the Himalayas to witness, and perhaps be inspired by, the golfers on the more exclusive course.
Historical Roots and Accessibility
The affordability and accessibility of the Himalayas can be traced back to the Victorian era and the establishment of the St. Andrews Ladies’ Golf Club in 1867, which was the first of its kind globally. Initially, a patch of land was informally used by caddies for putting practice. However, as women, often the wives and daughters of R&A members, began to use the area, it led to social unease and concerns about flirting among younger men. To address this, a more secluded, uneven plot of land was designated for the women's club.
Old Tom Morris, tasked with developing this area, utilized the natural contours of the dunes to create a 15-hole putting course. The St. Andrews Ladies’ Golf Club was formed, initially requiring only a putter and a ‘cleek’ for play. Strict rules were enforced to maintain decorum, banning full swings and requiring modest attire. The course was later expanded in 1893 by Morris, incorporating an adjacent, heavily undulating terrain that earned the nickname "the Himalayas."
Transition to Public Access
The course's transition to public access is largely attributed to its closure during World War I. Faced with significant restoration and maintenance costs, the club opened the course to golfers of all abilities for a nominal fee. This arrangement has persisted for over a century, with the ladies' club retaining the right to determine when the course is open to outsiders.
Unlike the St. Andrews Links Trust, which manages other courses on the estate and relies on premium visitor fees to subsidize local play, the Himalayas maintains a steadfast commitment to its democratic pricing policy. The club also remains a single-sex institution. Following the UK's Equality Act 2010, the club opted to maintain its all-female status rather than become a mixed-gender facility, a decision made just four years before the R&A, a bastion of male golfing exclusivity, voted to admit female members for the first time in its 260-year history.
The Himalayas stands as a testament to a more inclusive and affordable approach to golf, offering a unique historical experience accessible to nearly everyone, a stark contrast to the high-priced exclusivity often associated with the sport's most famous locations.