According to legend, some time during the 4th century an Angel visited a Greek monk named Rule, the custodian of the bones of the apostle St. Andrew. The Angel commanded Rule to carry five of the saint’s bones to the edge of the western world, where he was to build a city in his honor.
Rule set off from his home in Patras in southern Greece, carrying three of the apostle’s fingers, the upper bone of an arm, one kneecap, and one of his teeth. As luck would have it, Rule never made it to the edge of the western world – he was shipwrecked in Scotland, just north of the Firth of Forth.
Struggling ashore with his precious cargo, St. Rule built a shrine to the saint in the town known today as St. Andrews. In the process, St. Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland.
Visitors climb St. Rule’s Tower for commanding views of the town, while the faithful journey to the spot where the relics of Jesus’ first apostle were once brought for safekeeping.
The faithful of another sort make pilgrimages to the place known round the world as “the home of golf.” One of golf’s patron saints lies in the cathedral graveyard, no more than a short wedge shot from where Rule brought St. Andrew’s bones.
Old Tom Morris was the famed first greenskeeper at The Old Course – but it was his son who was the Tiger Woods of his day. Young Tom Morris was the first to have the title of “the best golfer in the world.”
Young Tom won the Open Championship in 1868, 1869, 1870, and 1872. (There was no tournament held in 1871). No one else has since repeated this feat of winning four straight Opens.
Unfortunately, Young Tom met an early and tragic end. He was playing in a golf match at nearby North Berwick when a telegram arrived from home requesting his immediate return – his pregnant wife had gone into a difficult labor.
His friends withheld the news from him until the golf match was over, and when he learned of his wife’s condition, he rushed home by ship. But when Young Tom finally arrived after a rough passage, he learned that his wife and newborn baby had both died.
Four months later, on Christmas Day, Young Tom died of a broken heart. He was 24 years old.
There are more pictures of St. Andrews here.
The thing I love the most about your posts is that even on a day when I feel overwhelmed, like I don’t want to intake any more data in fear of crashing my system, I always learn something from you!
Not being an avid links man, I thought I knew a little about the history of golf but didn’t know about Mr Rule. We are now in a time when the concept of religious freedom is being tested in our country. To picture this monk sailing half way around the world on orders from an angel to build an entire city in the name of the apostles and struggling ashore with their bones, I can only hope he was not met with intolerance.
Once again wonderful pictures!!!! My father always said you have not seen green until you go to Scotland. One day I hope to see it for myself.