The pompous title of the most famous 19th hole in golf belongs to The Jigger Inn located within putting distance of the legendary Road Hole at the Old Course in St Andrews. The building of The Jigger Inn dates back all the way to 1850’s, when it was the station master’s lodge in the St Andrews train station. Today, The Jigger Inn is known for its golfing memorabilia, home-cooked food and Scottish beer. Some even call it the heart of the home of golf.
According to the dictionary the word ”jigger” has several different meanings. Among those are ”an obsolete golf club that was a very low lofted iron with a shortened shaft” and ”a tool for measuring alcoholic beverages”. That pretty much sums up what The Jigger Inn is all about. It’s a Scottish golf pub at its best.
The bar is compact to say the least. It is decorated as you would see fit for a golf pub with green carpets and golf memorabilia everywhere. And it doesn’t make the atmosphere any worse that the view outside the windows is one of the world’s most famous holes – The Road Hole. An interesting detail about the 17th hole of the Old Course at St Andrews is that players using the back tees must take aim over a corner of the Old Course Hotel – also located right next to it.
Jigger Ale is inspired by and sold exclusively at The Jigger Inn.
Jigger Ale
The Jigger Inn also has its signature ale called Jigger Ale. The local Belhaven Brewery was charged by Herb Kohler, owner of the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa and The Jigger Inn, with the task of creating a brew in the style of a classic Scottish Ale that would be as unique as The Jigger Inn itself – and available for consumption only within the pub’s ancient walls.
Belhaven Brewery, a core supplier of beer to the Jigger Inn for many years, is like the Jigger Inn steeped in history. Once the oldest Independent Brewery in Scotland, Belhaven was founded in 1719.
Jigger Inn by night. The famous pub is a favourite hangout for celebrities and local students.
Loved by many
The locals of the Jigger Inn include students from the University of St Andrews – and Tiger Woods. During the big competitions played at St Andrews the pub is a mecca for some of the world’s most famous golfers and celebrities. The stars love the informal and laid-back atmosphere plus the real ale and home-made cooking that are served. A few years back Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood bought a horse, which they named “Inn The Jigger” to honour the legendary pub.
Golf GameBook has teamed up with the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa to offer one lucky Canadian golfer a trip-of-a-lifetime to St Andrews, including dinner at the legendary Jigger Inn. Here’s more info on how to enter the contest.
– Johanna
@GolfGameBook on Twitter
