The Old Course, St Andrews: A Visitor's Guide

For many golfers, a round on the Old Course is the reason for the whole trip. It is also the most misunderstood part of planning one. Unlike a private club or a resort course, the Old Course is public, and its tee times are allocated in a few distinct ways, most of which involve a degree of chance.

This guide explains how it works, so you can plan with clear eyes. Rules and procedures are set by the St Andrews Links Trust and do change, so always check the current details before you travel. This is our understanding as of November 2026.

Who runs the Old Course

The Old Course is one of seven public courses managed by the St Andrews Links Trust, alongside the New, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgove and Castle courses. The Trust sets the rules for green fees, tee times and handicaps, and runs the caddie service.

The ways to get a tee time

Advance reservations

A limited number of tee times are released in advance for the following season. Demand far exceeds supply, applications open many months ahead, and there are usually conditions attached, such as booking rounds on other Links Trust courses as well. If your dates are fixed and the Old Course is essential, this is the route to explore first, and early.

The daily ballot

A large share of each day's tee times is allocated by a ballot, drawn a short time before the day of play. You enter as a group, usually online, and the results are published ahead of time. Many visitors enter for more than one day of their stay to improve their chances.

The ballot is just that: a draw. Some groups are successful on the first attempt, others not at all. Planning around it, rather than relying on it, is the key to a good trip.

The singles queue

Single golfers can join a queue at the starter's hut and are added to groups with space, on a first-come basis. On busy summer days the queue can form well before dawn, and there is no guarantee of a game. For keen individual golfers with flexible mornings, it is a time-honoured option.

Through a tour operator

Some tour operators include Old Course times within packages, depending on the arrangements they hold. If you are offered a "guaranteed" round, it is reasonable to ask how the time has been secured. We do not currently hold guaranteed Old Course times: we plan around the ballot and advance allocation, and we will always tell you plainly what is and is not confirmed.

Before you play

• Handicap certificate. The Links Trust sets a maximum handicap for the Old Course: at the time of writing, 24 for men and 36 for women. Bring proof of a current handicap.
• Sundays. The Old Course is normally closed for golf on Sundays, when it becomes a public park. It is a lovely morning to walk the course and take the famous photograph on the Swilcan Bridge.
• Closures. The course is closed for championships, such as The Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, and for periods of maintenance. Check your dates against the Links Trust calendar.
• Caddies. A caddie is the single best investment you can make on your first round. They know every hidden bunker and every line, and they tell the stories as you go. Caddies can be booked through the Links Trust.

Playing it

Expect something unlike any course you have played. Seven of the greens are enormous double greens shared by two holes, and only four holes have greens of their own. Fairways are shared too, with outward and inward holes running alongside each other. Many bunkers cannot be seen from the tee.

A few holes everyone remembers:

• The 14th, a long par five with Hell Bunker waiting for the second shot.
• The 17th, the Road Hole, with its blind tee shot over the hotel sheds and the deep bunker guarding the green.
• The 18th, across the Swilcan Bridge, past the Valley of Sin and up to the town, often with onlookers along the railings.

If the ballot doesn't fall your way

This is where good planning matters. St Andrews has a wealth of alternatives, and a day that begins with disappointment can end as one of the best of the trip:

• Play the New Course or Jubilee, which share the same links land, or the clifftop Castle Course.
• Head to Kingsbarns, fifteen minutes away, or across the Tay to Carnoustie.
• Enter the ballot again for another day of your stay.
• Spend the evening on the Himalayas, the famous putting course beside the Old, open to visitors on most days.

How we plan around it

We build every St Andrews stay with more than one chance at the Old Course, and an excellent alternative planned for each of those days, so the trip is wonderful whichever way the draw goes. Find out more about golf in St Andrews and Fife, see the Old Course itself, or use our trip planner to sketch a route.

For the best balance of daylight, weather and availability, we suggest looking at May or September. When you are ready, tell us about your trip.