Golfing in St Andrews

St Andrews is famously known around the world as the Home of Golf. Everybody has heard of the Old Course, but there are ten other courses as well!

St Andrews Links Trust: Despite their hallowed reputation, the links here are public golf courses, open to all. An Act of Parliament in 1974 created the St Andrews Links Trust to preserve and enhance these public golfing rights. The Trust currently operates six courses on the links – the world-renowned Old Course, the New Course (established in 1895), the Jubilee (1897), the Eden (1914), the Strathtyrum (1993) and the nine-hole Balgove. A seventh – The Castle Course – has been built in a panoramic coastal setting to the south of the town.

Find out about the various ways to book a round of golf on the Old Course.

If the St Andrews Links courses are not enough, St Andrews also boasts four others of the highest quality: the challenging Duke’s Course which lies just inland of the town, the spectacular Kittocks and Torrance Courses at the Fairmont St Andrews, and the stunning Kingsbarns Golf Links.

Each of these venues has a superb clubhouse and other golfing amenities. They all welcome visiting players throughout the year, allowing them to experience for themselves the unique magic and tradition of playing at St Andrews.

If you would rather have your St Andrews golf experience arranged for you, there are many golf tour operators who can offer a professional and knowledgeable service. VisitScotland’s golf site provides all the details.

For a completely different type of St Andrews golfing experience, the Kingarrock Golf Course offers visitors the chance to play with original hickory clubs and period-style equipment. Enjoy the authentic ambience of playing on a beautiful course which enjoyed its heyday in the 1920s, all set within the grounds of a National Trust property.

For more information on the history of golf in St Andrews:

• Look at our brief introduction page
• Head to the British Golf Museum
• Read the history section on the St Andrews Golf Company website (they’ve been developing golf clubs for over 125 years)
• Enjoy this virtual tour of the Joe Austen Art Gallery in the Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews. It features portraits of golfing legends through the centuries.