Golf at St. Andrews, Scotland

I don’t know how to golf but I married into a golf family, so I have learned to appreciate the game and,of course, figure out a way to work it into our travel plans. In celebration of my husband completing his MBA, we went on a family trip to England and Scotland. The highlight of the trip was playing a round of golf at St. Andrew’s, the home of golf.

Little Bit of History

So golf started at St. Andrew’s in 1552 and houses the oldest course in the world, the Old Course. Tom Morris took over in 1865 and began to shape St. Andrew’s into what it is today. Morris is the father of modern greenkeeping.

There are 7 courses at St. Andrew’s:

• The Old Course (est. 1400)
• The New Course (est. 1895)
• The Jublilee Course (est.1897)
• The Eden Course (est. 1914)
• The Strathtyrum Course (est. 1993)
• The Balgrove Course (est. 1993) (9 holes)
• The Castle Course (est. 2008)

How to Play the Old Course

As you may know (or guessed), everyone wants to play the Old Course. Only issue is that is rather difficult to secure a tee time. There is also a handicap requirement at the Old Course of less than 36. You will need an official handicap card from a course. There are three ways to play:

1. The Annual Ballot.
   • Every year in the mid-Oct time frame, there is a lottery for Old Course tee times for the coming year. If you sign up for emails – you will get a notification when the lottery opens. This lottery is pretty hard to be successful in, but if you are going to plan a trip around playing – its worth a try.
2. The Old Course Ballot.
   • There is a lottery two days before (the day you wish to play) for tee times. You need to enter before 2 pm and a minimum of two players is required, but there is a maximum of four players. The Old course is not open on Sunday so there is no Friday ballot. Below is the link for the ballot: https://www.standrews.com/old-course-ballot. Again this is a lottery, so there is no guarantee, but could really be a great option if you are flexible for days you want to play.
3. Singles Draw.
   • There is a lottery the day before if you want to play as a single. This is a newer option for the Old Course. This is the link to enter the singles draw: Singles Draw. A couple notes about this option – you need to physically go to the Old Pavillion or the St. Andrews Links Clubhouse.
4. A Golf Package.
   • Several different companies offer packages which guarantee you an Old Course tee time. St. Andrew’s also offers their own package with 3 different courses to play. Here is the link, Winter Package. Again a lottery, so no guarantee
   • Third Party companies. Many many golf tour operators offer a guaranteed tee time at the Old course. In my experience, you will need to do a minimum of 3 different days with them, so if you want just one day, this is not a great option. However if you are doing a trip through Scotland golfing, this is a great option. When selecting a tour company, make sure they have the ‘Authorised Provider’ on their website.

The Other Courses

So there are 6 other courses at St. Andrew’s. The New, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, and Balgrove Courses are all right next to the Old Course and you can easily secure a tee time on-line. This is what we did. I set up a tee time for the New Course for my husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. Request A Tee-Time. Right now you have to email St. Andrew’s, which may seem annoying to do, but the staff is really awesome to work with. My family loved doing the New Course and did not feel like they had missed out.

Fabulous things at St. Andrew’s:

Caddie Services: You can hire a caddie while you play at St. Andrew’s. My husband chose to do this and loved it. It made the experience great and really helped him play a round he was happy with.

Relaxation: One of the most surprising things for me at St. Andrew’s was how relaxed they were about golf. The Old Course is a public park on Sundays and people are out enjoying the weather and walking their dogs. There was no snobbery about it – just a love for the game. The greens fees are also very very reasonable for how iconic the course is. Where as some of the fees in the US can be upwards of $500-$600, these courses are around $200-$300.

The Old Course Hotel: We stayed at the Old Course Hotel for two nights and it was AMAZING!

• The View. Half of the rooms look out on the Old Course and it really is an experience. I had a great time just hanging out and watching people on the courses.
• The Kohler Waters Spa. This was an amazing experience! One of the best spas I have been to! The facilities are extensive – a hydrotherapy pool, a cold plunge, steam room, etc. I did not get a chance to use these as I was 5 months pregnant at the time. However, the massage therapist was so good – I fell asleep.
• If you have an AMEX plantium, this is a fine hotels and resort property. If you book it through the AMEX portal, you get resort credit, breakfast, and a free room upgrade if available. This was well worth it for the property.

Swilcan Bridge: The most iconic spot for a photo!