Golf has been played on the Links at St Andrews since around 1400 AD and the Old Course is renowned throughout the world as the Home of Golf. The game grew in popularity and by the 19th century it was part of the way of life for many local people, whether as players, caddies, ball makers or club makers.

Golf still plays a major part in the culture and economy of St Andrews today. As the 600 year history of the Links has unfolded, one simple track hacked through the bushes and heather has developed into seven golf courses, attracting hundreds of thousands of golfing pilgrims from around the globe.

St Andrews Links is the largest golfing complex in Europe and all 18 hole courses can be booked in advance. The Castle Course, the seventh course at the Home of Golf, is situated on clifftops overlooking St Andrews to the east of the town.

In 1754, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club was founded under its original name of the Society of St Andrews Golfers. This club, originally composed of 22 noblemen, professors and landowners, now governs the rules of golf everywhere except the USA. The club also runs the Open Championship and important amateur championships. The New Course was built by the R&A in 1895.

Wherever you are in the ancient city of St Andrews, history beckons and a noble past tugs at your senses. Whether looking out over the golden West Sands to the bay that saw the relics of Christ's first disciple delivered to Scotland, standing in the cloister of a cathedral as grand as any in medieval Europe, exploring the intricate network of streets and narrow alleyways that make up the old city centre, or simply resting in the shade of the ivy-covered walls of the 15th century university, no visitor can fail to be moved.

The St Andrews of today is a place of culture and entertainment, with a theatre, cinema, museums and a thriving night life. With its incomparable setting, its unique traditions and its welcoming people there really is no finer place to play or to visit than St Andrews.

The Old Course

"I fell in love with it the first day I played it. There's just no other golf course that is even remotely close." Jack Nicklaus

"Without a doubt I like it the best of all the Open venues. It's my favourite course in the world." Tiger Woods

The oldest golf course in the world has many remarkable features that help make it so special to golfers around the world.

It is the Home of Golf where golf was first played 600 years ago and yet it remains a real test of golf for today's champions. Despite its reputation and status, it is a public course and is one of six public courses on St Andrews Links.

The Old Course has evolved over time and was not designed by any one architect. The people who played a major role in shaping it are Daw Anderson (1850s), Old Tom Morris (1860s- 1900) and Dr Alister Mackenzie (1930s).

The course is known for its particular physical features including 112 bunkers, some of which are especially famous e.g. 'Hell' on the long 14th, 'Strath' on the short 11th and the Road Bunker at what is probably the most famous golf hole in the world, the 17th or Road Hole (so called because a road - which is in play - runs hard against the back edge of the green).

Another peculiar feature of the Old Course is the double greens where the outward and inward holes are cut on the same putting surface. These greens are large, not surprisingly, and golfers can be faced with putts of almost 100 yards.

The Old Course is also unusual in that it starts and finishes in the town, but its truly remarkable feature is that in today's modern golfing world, a course that has evolved over six centuries remains a true test of championship golf.

St Andrews New Course
It has frequently been said that if the New Course were not situated next to the Old, then its star would have shone with a far greater degree of brilliance.

Located as it is in the shadow of its illustrious neighbour, the New Course can be considered one of St Andrews' best kept secrets. Opened in April 1895, the course was built in response to increasing demand for golf at St Andrews.

The construction of the New Course was paid for by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, which engaged B Hall Blyth, an Edinburgh civil engineer, to design the New Course, and entrusted the layout to Old Tom Morris and his right-hand man David Honeyman.

The result is a classic links course, which is a first class golfing challenge. The course has the traditional out and back layout, with the 18th green just to the right of the first tee. It also has, in the great St Andrews tradition, shared fairways and even a double green at the 3rd and 15th holes.

St Andrews Jubilee Course
Now well into its second century of life, the Jubilee Course has developed from a basic 12-hole layout into what many consider to be the toughest test of golf at St Andrews.

Created on a narrow strip of prime golfing land between the New Course and the sea, the Jubilee was originally intended for ladies and beginners. It was laid out by John Angus junior and made ready in only three months.

The course was named in honour of Queen Victoria, whose Diamond Jubilee fell in 1897. On a full day of celebrations, the Jubilee Fountain was unveiled on the Links and the Jubilee Course was officially opened by Mary Macgregor, wife of Provost John Macgregor, who struck the first drive with a commemorative club made by Old Tom Morris.

In 1988 Donald Steel carried out the re-design of the Jubilee to championship standard. The teeing grounds were raised, not only providing wonderful views of the Links, but also exposing the golfers to the winds that sweep in from the bay. Mr Steel's redesigned course now plays at 6,742 yards and is a real test for all golfers.

Curtis Strange, the reigning US Open champion in 1989, officially opened the course in September 1989.

St Andrews Eden Course
By the year 1913 the pressure for play on the Old, New and Jubilee courses was such that a fourth course was required.
Opened for play in 1914, the Eden course was designed by Harry S. Colt, internationally renowned for his course design skills. His use of natural features and of partially buried field boundary walls gives the course an entirely natural feel.

Alterations completed in 1989 under the direction of the golf course architect Donald Steel do not fall short of the high standards set by Mr. Colt. The result is a course of character but slightly less testing and more forgiving than the three courses lying on the seaward side.

The Duke’s St Andrews
With a spectacular setting above St Andrews, the championship Duke's gives magnificent panoramic views over the surrounding countryside to the sea.

The Duke's is highly regarded as one of the finest heathland championship courses in the British Isles and a 'must play' course for any golfer. Its style ranks alongside the great inland challenges which demand accuracy and inventive play as well as power golf. And with five separate tee positions at every hole, The Duke's has the flexibility and challenge to appeal to golfers at every level.

The Duke’s was carefully planned and designed to complement the five classic links courses along the coastline and to enhance St Andrew’s standing as the world mecca for golfers. Originally designed as the first heathland golf course in St Andrews, The Duke’s has matured to offer a magnificent 18 holes in the delightful surrounding of Craigtoun Park, a spectacular location overlooking the historic university town and Fife’s beautiful coastline.

Designed by Peter Thomson, five-times Open Champion of the 1950s and 1960s, The Duke's was revised and renovated, with five completely new holes, by Tim Liddy in 2006. Tim's philosophy is one of allowing a golf course to 'grow out of the land' rather than be imposed upon it. The course now displays all the hallmarks of the great heathland courses of the early 1920s.

The Castle Course
The Castle Course is the seventh course at the Home of Golf. Set on a rugged cliffline overlooking the ancient town of St Andrews, the course combines breathtaking views with a memorable golfing challenge.
Designed by David Kidd, creator of Bandon Dunes on the West Coast of America, The Castle Course won several international awards in its first year of opening and was included within the prestigious Golf Digest Top 100 rankings almost immediately.
The course was officially opened for play on July 2, 2008 by HRH The Duke of York and has proved popular with golfers looking for a new and exciting test of golf in St Andrews.

The Strathtyrum Course
The course takes its name from the adjacent Strathtyrum Estate, from which the land was purchased.

Designed by Donald Steel to offer enjoyable golf, the course complements the tougher, championship layouts at the Home of Golf. It is shorter and, with only 15 bunkers, has less hazards facing the golfer.

Although few in number, the bunkers are cunningly placed and the moundings around the greens place a considerable emphasis on iron play accuracy. The greens themselves are large and have slopes and borrows which can test even the most confident putters.

A great deal of sand has been added to the fairways and greens in recent years to give them a links-like firmness. Green surrounds have been recontoured to create more pin positions. In 2004, new medal tees were constructed to lengthen the course from 5094 yards to 5620 yards.

Other Must Play Courses On A Tour To St Andrews

Kingsbarns Golf Links
The course opened in July 2000 to rapturous applause. The course appears so natural that you would think that it had been there for years.
One of the many delights of Kingsbarns is that you can see the North Sea from virtually every part of the course. What’s more, it has its own burn (the Cambo), which was uncovered during construction. The terrain is perfect for golf, rippling fairways, humps and hollows. What’s more, the course is always maintained in immaculate condition.

Situated just six miles from St Andrews, Kingsbarns is an important addition to the superb links courses in this area. It is feasible that this might be one of the last true links courses to be built along Scotland’s coastline and if so, it is just as well that this course is an absolute cracker and deserves to be bracketed alongside the greatest courses in the world.

Carnoustie Golf Links
Golf has been played over the links at Carnoustie since the 1500’s but the present course came into being in 1850 when it was designed by Alan Robertson of St Andrews. Some 20 years later the legendary Old Tom Morris improved and extended the course to 18 holes and in 1926 the famous architect James Braid redesigned the Championship course extensively.

James Braid’s work was universally acclaimed, but it was still felt that Carnoustie Championship course had a weak finish. Prior to the 1937 Open Championship the final 3 holes at Carnoustie were redesigned by James Wright, a local man, and he produced what has come to be regarded as the toughest finishing stretch in golf.

Carnoustie is a public links, and the opportunity is there for everyone to play the Championship course. There are many local golf clubs, all of which have playing rights over the course and the clubs themselves have a proud and interesting history.

Carnoustie’s contribution to golf has not just been the Championship course, but also its people. In the early 1900’s many young men from Carnoustie emigrated to the United States of America and took with them not only club making skills but golfing talent in abundance. Many golf clubs in the United States can trace a direct line to Carnoustie through the contribution given by these immigrants from Scotland. The most famous coach was Stewart Maiden from Carnoustie who was the first and only teacher of the incomparable Bobby Jones.

Carnoustie Championship course is now in the finest condition it has ever been. Not only does it offer the ultimate challenge to every golfer but it provides a playing quality second to none. The Barry Burn eases it’s way through the final 3 holes, quietly awaiting the shot that is slightly less than perfect. It was there in 1999 that Frenchman Jean Van de Velde lost the chance of being Open Champion and a place in history.

Accommodation in St Andrews

The Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Bordering the renowned 17th ‘Road Hole’ of the Old Course in the Home of Golf, the Old Course Hotel enjoys a spectacular location overlooking the famous links courses, the West Sands beach and the beautiful Scottish coastline.

Discover the historic university town of St Andrews, just a short stroll from the resort, and explore the surrounding countryside of the ancient Kingdom of Fife.

With a combination of classically elegant and contemporary interiors, the hotel offers quietly confident service, luxurious facilities and a warm welcome in the finest traditions of Scottish hospitality.

This prestigious five-star hotel has 144 rooms including 35 suites and is recognised as one of Europe’s leading resorts.

The Old Course Hotel offers an exceptional choice of bars and restaurants from the chic informality of the Sands Grill to the fine dining in the acclaimed Road Hole Fine Dining Restaurant (3 AA rosettes). In addition, the hotel’s traditional pub The Jigger Inn serves fine home cooked food and The Duke’s Bar & Grill offers a traditional Scottish golfers’ menu. And our award winning Road Hole Bar offers Scotland’s finest malt whiskies from over 200 distilleries.

The Macdonald Rusacks Hotel, St Andrews
The Macdonald Rusacks Hotel in St Andrews is, without doubt, one of the most famous golf hotels in the world. Virtually within a sand wedge of the 18th hole on the world-renowned Old Course, Rusacks combines luxurious accommodation with a front row seat on sporting history.

The 2 AA rosette award-winning restaurant serves the finest food and drink against a backdrop of the world's most photographed golf course. Magnificent views out to sea take in St Andrews' West Sands, immortalised in the opening scenes of the Oscar winning film, Chariots of Fire.

Rusacks' hotel rooms offer elegance, comfort and a sense of sporting history and are themed around the greats of many golfing eras. Stay in the Classic Rooms with period features, Executive Rooms designed to provide space and comfort or magnificent Feature Rooms with unrivalled views of the 18th hole. Suites and Junior Suites offer an even higher degree of luxury and privacy - plus stunning views of the 18th hole and the West Sands.

The Best Western Scores Hotel, St Andrews
The Best Western Scores Hotel can scarcely be closer to the Royal and Ancient clubhouse. Situated only yards from the 1st Tee of the world famous Old Course, the hotel, which occupies two former fashionable town houses dating from 1880, commands magnificent views of St Andrews Bay and the Blue Flag awarded West Sands beach.

The Scores hotel has thirty bedrooms, many of which have panoramic sea views, whilst others enjoy an outlook over the hotel's own secret garden. All are en-suite, for family, couple and single occupation. ^