IN a town that is a living monument to the sport, nowhere is the heritage of golf on more abundant display than in a small kirkyard a medium iron away from the Old Course.

St Andrews cemetery is where countless pioneers and champions of the game are laid to rest, and draws hundreds of visitors every year seeking to pay tribute to those that laid golf’s very foundation.

Now access to the resting places of some of golf’s most famous players has been reinstated at St Andrews Cathedral in time for the historic 150th Open Championship next week.

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which manages the site, had put access restrictions in place for essential high-level masonry work.

But following an inspection, a route has been opened through the cathedral grounds to provide access to the graves of Old and Young Tom Morris, as well as to the museum and its important treasures.

The history of this hallowed ground stretches far beyond the “featherie” ball, and the stories told by these gravestones are not always etched on their surface.

The two most famous golfers buried in the 12th century graveyard are Old Tom Morris and his son Young Tom.

Old Tom Morris created the Old Course as it is today when he separated the first and 17th greens which produced the current layout in 1863.

The original course was 22 holes, until it was reduced to 18 in 1764 and became the standard-sized course worldwide, and is why the town is known as the Home of Golf.

Young Tom Morris was just 13 years old when he first beat his father, who was the reigning Open champion.

The Scot would go on to become the youngest Open champion, winning the 1868 title at the age of 17, and also the next three, to set records that are yet to be bettered some 150 years later.

However, his life ended in tragic circumstances at the age of 24, when he died of what many say was a broken heart.

Willie Park Senior of Musselburgh edged out Old Tom by two strokes to become the first Open champion in 1860, and won a challenger belt.

Park would go on to win four titles, as would Young Tom, who won all his in successive years as a teenager.

His victory as a 17-year-old still stands as a record as the youngest major champion, while no player since has matched his run of four successive titles.

Young Tom registered The Open’s first hole-in-one in 1869, and the following year, he became the first player to average under four strokes per hole when he carded a 47 for 12 holes.

In 1872, the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, Prestwick and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers came up with a new trophy – the Claret Jug.

Young Tom was victorious for a fourth successive time and although the trophy was not ready for presentation, his name is the first to be etched on it.

But in 1875, Tommy and his father had just won a big money match at North Berwick when he received a telegram to say his wife was in labour.

Before they could set off in the boat back to St Andrews – the Morris family had returned to the east coast in 1864 – another telegram arrived saying his wife had died in childbirth.

Young Tom moved back in with his parents and his father found him dead in his bed on Christmas morning. He was 24 and had effectively bled to death of a burst aneurysm in his left lung.

Now, as the town hosts the 150th Open, the public will again be able to visit their graves and those of other famed golfers, with access to the cathedral grounds. Stephen Duncan, director of marketing and engagement at HES, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide additional access to St Andrews Cathedral, as part of Scotland’s welcome for the Open, with the museum and its important treasures reopening after essential restrictions were put in place for high-level masonry inspections.

“Whilst some access restrictions remain in place for safety reasons, we have also opened access to the graves of Old and Young Tom Morris, amongst some of golf’s most famous sons.

“We know how important it is to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to visit these sites and have been working to facilitate access in advance of the Open, and look forward to welcoming visitors to the cathedral once more.”