Tapsaffforfans at those prices!

GOLF fans forced to queue for up to half an hour just to gain entry to the merchandising tent in the Open village were furious to find there was not a single polo shirt to be had by lunchtime – other than the obscenely priced R&A-partner Boss brand.

With record crowds on site you wouldn’t have thought it was asking too much to cater for the needs of those already being fleeced by having to fork out inflated prices for food and drink.

When, oh when, will sport start to appreciate its fans instead of just paying lip service to them by delivering platitudes about how wonderful they are?

Frankly, the hypocrisy disgusts me at times.

A variety of stars of stage and screen have been joined by personalities from the music world at the Old Course.

We’ve also had a visit from the King of Kelty in the form of Jim Leishman, right, who is serving a record third term as the Provost of Fife.

Big Leish achieved

THE constabulary has done a fine job under trying conditions.

But two of their number earned a black mark for blighting the entrepreneurial skills of two teenage bagpipers.

The youngsters were coining it in from the 70,000-strong crowds at their pitch in Golf Place but were moved on by the boys in blue who said their music was disturbing the calm!

fame as manager of Dunfermline, among others. I’ve worked out that I’ve spent in excess of 60 weeks of my life at the Home of Golf. That’s a lot of tournaments, B&Bs, restaurants and hostelries. But I never tire of visiting the most iconic golf town in the world. My love affair with the Auld Grey Toon is still going strong after 62 years. Hopefully I’ve got a few more visits left in me but I fear this may well be my last St Andrews Open. If that turns out to be the case, the 150th Open isn’t a bad way to sign off.