How do golf holes get their names?

As you guys are aware they often use both numbers and names to describe golf holes in Scotland, but how do they come up with these names? This is a good question. Sometimes it’s quite obvious. Virtually every golf fan knows that the seventeenth hole on the Old Course at St Andrews is also called ‘Road’. More astute golfers may know that the tenth hole on the Old Course, a relatively short par 4, is called ‘Bobby Jones’. If one knew the history of the St Andrews and Robert Tyre Jones II, the choice might be clear.

Good names are often repeated. For example the eighteenth hole leading back to the clubhouse, is often called ‘Home’. I was recently perusing some old score cards from prior trips to Scotland and noticed that the final hole was called ‘Home’ or ‘Hame’ at the Golf House Club at Elie, North Berwick GC, Nairn GC, Scotscraig GC, Tain GC, Cruden Bay GC and Royal Dornoch GC. I’m sure there are many more examples where this name is used.

Sometimes the holes have more unusual names, often with some sort of story behind them known only by the members of the club. The thirteenth hole at the Nairn Dunbar Golf Club has an interesting name. When I visited Scotland in 2007 each of my fellow competitors attempted to convince me that it was named after them (see picture).

All the best,

ODL