Moir’s Memories

Former St Andrews Director of Greenkeeping Recalls Life On World’s Most Famous Links
Sneak Peek: This article will appear in the Feb. 25 edition of Global Golf Post.

Gordon Moir retired as the director of greenkeeping at St Andrews in December after 27 years, which took in five Open championships, two Women’s Opens, 26 Dunhill Links championships, one Curtis Cup, one Amateur Championship and last year’s Senior Open.

Of that little lot, he had an out-and-out favourite: the Open of 2007. Before anyone dispatches an e-mail to say that the Open was in 2005 rather than 2007, Moir was talking about the Women’s Open, the one which Lorena Ochoa won by four from Jee Young Lee and Maria Hjorth. Moir has first-hand knowledge of how that day ended with the Mexican sprite standing on a table in the Dunvegan Arms Hotel and giving her fans and family a song.

“It was the first of the Women’s Opens at St Andrews and the players were all so incredibly appreciative,” Moir said. Few will forget how the mood of the moment was captured by Paula Creamer when she turned a cartwheel over the Swilcan Bridge – a feat which has yet to be reproduced by one of the venerable members of the R&A.

Ochoa had always made a point of thanking greenkeepers. That week was no exception. She insisted that Gordon and fellow members of the grounds staff should come along to her party and, suffice to say, they reveled in the occasion.

When, in 1991, Moir started to work with the St Andrews Links Trus...