St. Andrews, Scotland (AHN) - It would seem a foregone conclusion that the home of golf would be a willing participant in the rotation of courses used in the Women's British Open, just like it is for the men.

But St. Andrews has not always had an open door policy when it comes to the ladies teeing it up on their hallowed grounds, but that is all changing starting Thursday.

Even the clubhouse that sits directly behind the first tee and is home to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, the ruling body of the sport in Europe, used to have a sign on its door that read "No dogs or women allowed."

The women will finally get a crack at The Old Course and could not be more thrilled with the opportunity.

The event is the newest incarnated major tournament recognized by the LPGA Tour, but wasn't given the title of "major" until 2001.

27 times it has played host to the men, the most of any Open Championship venue.

With its storied backdrop of the ancient clubhouse, the Swilken Bridge, site of so many of golf's lasting memories of champions taking their victorious strolls up the 18th fairway after passing over it subtle arch over the Swilken Burn, and the famous-and often infamous- road hole at 17, the course has seen its share of glorious golfing moments.

Now, it's the ladies time to make some of their own.

"Defending at St. Andrews is quite a dream," 2006 champion Sherri Steinhauer said in a pre-tournament news conference. "Playing at the home of golf is going to be incredible for the LPGA Tour to be over there playing at St. Andrews. I'm so excited. I wish I'd been over there and played the golf course at some point before, but I've never seen the course, only on TV, so that will be interesting. But I just can't wait to get over there and have a picture taken on the bridge."

The women will play the course as a par-73, with the brutally tough road hole 17th converted to a par-6. Yardage will be 6,638 yards; nearly 600 yards shorter than what the men typically play on.

Annika Sorenstam will be taking some pointers from good friend-and men's major championship rival-Tiger Woods. The No. 1 ranked men's player in the world has lent his yardage book to Sorenstam for the week.

Woods and Sorenstam have a friendly back-and-forth whenever they win majors, usually sending one another text messages with the new number either has just win.

Tiger holds a 12-10 edge.

Woods has won two of his three Open championships at St. Andrews.

Sorenstam, still struggling from neck and back injuries that forced her to miss much of the early portion of the season, also got some friendly advice from Woods.

"He told me to hit left, which I already knew, and to practice my long putting, which is going to be key," she said in her news conference. "So I have been putting from 30 yards off the green, totally different shots than I would use in the states."

Practicing her long putts may serve her well.

The Old Course has some of the largest greens in the world; with most being double greens that serve two holes.

Holes 1, 9, 17 and 18 are the only single greens on the course.

Another key-stay clear of the pot bunkers that litter the course. The 14th hole in particular has the infamous "Hell bunker", a cavernous hallow that even the great Jack Nicklaus had his struggles with.

Lorena Ochoa, ranked No. 1 in the world and still seeking her first major championship, summed it up best.

"You don't realize how hard it is until you get here," she said. "It's like the Masters. You don't see 100 percent how the course is, how hard it plays, until you are here."