Championship links · Fife
The Old Course, St Andrews
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland · Area: Fife & Angus
- Links
- Handicap ≤ 36
- Visitors Mon–Sat
- Ballot or package
Last checked
About the course
The Old Course at St Andrews is a par-72 links in Fife, 6,670 yds from the longest visitor tees. St Andrews Links calls it the oldest golf course in the world, and golf has been played on this ground for about 600 years. For all its fame, it's still a public course, open to all.
The 1st has one of the widest fairways in golf, with the Swilcan Burn in front of the green. Some of the greens are shared by two holes, and the 5th green is 100 yards deep. The 11th is a short par 3 that is hard to find and hold in any kind of wind. At the 12th, bunkers in the middle of the fairway can't be seen from the tee. The 14th, the longest hole, has an out-of-bounds wall on the right and Hell Bunker waiting for the second shot. At the 17th, the Road Hole, the drive goes over former railway sheds to a narrow fairway, and the shallow green has a pot bunker at the front left and a road behind. The 18th ends at the Valley of Sin, below the R&A clubhouse.
In 1552 Archbishop Hamilton signed a charter recognizing the townspeople's right to play golf on the Links. Old Tom Morris became Keeper of the Green in 1865 and shaped the famous 1st and 18th greens. Bobby Jones won The Open here in 1927 and the Amateur in 1930, and the 10th hole carries his name. Jack Nicklaus won The Open on the Old Course in 1970 and 1978, and played his last professional round here in 2005. The 150th Open in 2022 was the 30th held at St Andrews, and the 155th comes here on 11–18 July 2027.
Visitors can play Monday to Saturday, and the course is closed on Sundays. Every player needs a handicap of 36 or less, men and women. It suits any group that wants to play where the game began, and golfers who enjoy wide fairways, hidden bunkers and huge greens, where the wind decides which hazards come into play.
Can we play it?
Yes, but rarely on a date you choose. Most visitor tee times come from a daily ballot drawn 48 hours ahead, and the only guaranteed way on is an Authorised Provider package. Every player needs a handicap of 36 or less, shown to the Starter. Add it to your trip and Scotland Golf Tours requests the tee time for you.
Access
Visitors Monday to Saturday. Closed on Sundays, and on some winter Mondays.
The catch Ballot
Ballot results come two days ahead. The course is closed from 19 June to 19 July 2027, for The Open.
Our tip
Enter the ballot for every day you're in town, and line up a backup round for each one.
Our golf travel partner
Add Old Course to your golf trip
We build a day-by-day plan, then Scotland Golf Tours requests the tee times and sends a final quotation.
Golfers
At a glance
- Course type
- Links
- Visitor days
- Mon–Sat · closed Sun
- Handicap limit
- 36 men and women · certificate
- Green fee
- $240–$510£180–£380 · 2027 visitor rates by season · checked 4 Oct 2026
- How to book
- With your trip: Scotland Golf Tours requests it for youOr enter the daily ballot, drawn 48 hours ahead
- Caddies
- $105 (£80) plus tip, 1 Apr–31 Oct
- Check-in
- Old Pavilion, 20 min before
- Nearest airport
- Edinburgh (EDI) · 1 h 20 min
How to get a tee time
Put Old Course in your trip and the specialists handle the booking.
Build your trip
Tell the trip builder your dates, group and handicaps. Old Course goes into the plan.
Get a checked plan
Day by day, with Old Course's visitor rules, drive times and an estimate in dollars.
Scotland Golf Tours requests the time
They send every player's name and handicap to the club, arrange caddies, and send a final quotation.
Say yes, then play
Nothing is booked until you confirm.
Our golf travel partner
Want Old Course booked for you?
Scotland Golf Tours handles tee times, hotels, drivers and caddies, and sends a final quotation.
Build a trip around Old Course
Other courses on our list nearby. Drive times are best case, without traffic. Add the ones you like and we’ll plan the route.
- The Old Course, St Andrews · you’re herein your trip
- Kingsbarns22 min
- Carnoustie50 min
Your trip so far · 1 course
Old Course
Getting there
- Edinburgh Airport (EDI)1 h 20 min
- Kingsbarns22 min
- Carnoustie50 min
Best case, without traffic. Lines on the map show direction, not roads.
Sample itinerary
Open the full trip →St Andrews, Kingsbarns & Carnoustie · 5 days · 3 rounds
- DAY 1Arrive Edinburgh · overnight St Andrews1 h 15 min
- DAY 2Old Course5 min
- DAY 3Kingsbarns20 min
- DAY 4Carnoustie45 min
- DAY 5Fly home from Edinburgh1 h 15 min
FAQ
- Can visitors play the Old Course?
- Yes, Monday to Saturday, through the daily ballot or an Authorised Provider package. It's closed on Sundays.
- Can you book Old Course for us?
- Yes. Build your trip with Old Course in it and Scotland Golf Tours requests the tee time and sends a final quotation. Nothing is booked until you confirm.
- Can we book it ourselves?
- Yes, directly with the club. If Old Course is one of several courses on your trip, it’s simpler to plan the whole trip in one go.
- What handicap do we need?
- 36 or less, for men and women. Show a valid certificate to the Starter on the day.
- How does the ballot work?
- It's drawn 48 hours ahead. Entries close at 2pm two days before, for groups of 2 to 4.
- Can we play during The Open in 2027?
- The 155th Open is at St Andrews, 11–18 July 2027. The Old Course is closed from 19 June to 19 July 2027, and that includes Authorised Provider times. Outside those dates, guaranteed times come in an Authorised Provider package.
- How much is a caddie?
- $105 (£80) plus gratuity from 1 April to 31 October (2026 rate). St Andrews suggests a tip from $45 (£35).
Sources
- 1. St Andrews Links: the Old Course4 Oct 2026
- 2. Old Course ballot4 Oct 2026
- 3. Before your round4 Oct 2026
- 4. Caddie services4 Oct 2026
- 5. Old Course busy dates4 Oct 2026
- 6. Quote: Jack Nicklaus, won The Open on the Old Course in 1970 and 19784 Oct 2026
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