The Old Course, St Andrews

Golf tours in St Andrews are an incredible experience and, needless to say, The World Famous Old Course sits at the head of this golfing paradise. Nobody is sure just how long golf has been played on this hallowed links, but what is for certain is that the St Andrews Old Course is among the very oldest on the planet and what is arguably the world’s most famous course has acted as a blueprint for all those which have followed since.

Teeing off in the shadow of the R&A Clubhouse is a daunting experience despite the vast fairway you’re presented with and from there on in, while making your way around the course, you’re completely at the mercy of the elements, with the persistent see breeze constantly changing the character of the challenge at hand.

While the course itself is sure to surprise you if you’ve ever watched The Open here – TV coverage seems to flatten the course and once on the course the humps, bumps, dips and swales are much more pronounced and dramatic than you might think – iconic landmarks and course features such as the Swilcan Burn, Swilcan Bridge and the Valley of Sin will no doubt be familiar, evoking memories of the great champions to have won here down the years.

The course is routed in a rough anti-clockwise loop and after making the turn; the long homeward stretch builds with moments of drama, including the long 14th, the nervy 16th with out of bounds flanking the right side of the hole, and of course the unrivalled challenge of The Road Hole, which is played in the shadow of the stunning Old Course Hotel.

There are few more famous holes in world golf than the Road Hole and if you walk off with a par at the 1st time of asking, be sure to give yourself a pat on the back. Just how tough is this fearsome par 4? We’ll leave that to Ben Crenshaw who once said, "The reason the Road Hole at St. Andrews is the most difficult par-4 in the world is because it was designed as a par 6.”

St Andrews is a regular course on the Open rota and golfers are always looking to book a St Andrews golf tour to have a chance to follow in the footsteps of the game’s legends and experience the world's most famous golf course.

Signature Hole – No. 17: Par 4, 495 yards (Open Championship Tees)

That’s what two-time Masters Champion, Ben Crenshaw had to say about the world’s most notorious par 4, The Road Hole at St Andrews. Widely regarded as the toughest par 4 in golf, The Road Hole is one of many iconic holes on the Old Course.

Job one is clearing the railway sheds in front of the Old Course Hotel with your tee shot; a tough enough task in itself. From there you play towards a shallow green with a stone dyke running across the back and, of course, the dreaded Rod Hole Bunker protecting the front of the putting surface.

Who could forget Miguel Angel Jimenez playing a ricochet shot when he found his ball up against the stone wall; or the many cases of the best golfers in the world taking more than one attempt to extricate their ball from the Road Hole Bunker? Walk off with a par on the card here and feel free to give yourself a big pat on the back!   

The Old Course is ranked as one of the best courses in Scotland

A short walk from the Eden Clubhouse, The Academy provides golfers with all the facilities they will need to warm up before heading to the links. With 60 floodlit bays and 22 indoor bays, The Academy is a comprehensive facility where golfers can practice their driving, iron play, pitching, bunker play and putting. There's even a replica of the Road Hole Bunker so you can practice getting stuck in it before it actually happens!

At The Clubhouse

The Links Clubhouse at St Andrews is the ideal place for golfers looking to play the Old Course to change, store their non-golf attire, shower and enjoy a bite to eat or a well deserved drink, whether it be before or after their round. Enjoy a hearty meal after a day spent toiling on the links in the Swilcan Restaurant, or a Tom Morris cocktail on the roof garden while overlooking the majestic St Andrews links land.  

Golfers can park their cars for free at The Links Clubhouse.

Other Information

Travelling light without your clubs? Not a problem as St Andrews has a large stock of premium rental clubs, trolleys and even shoes for your use. Due to the nature of the Old Course, golf buggies are limited and can only be booked by golfers who are registered disabled with a permanent condition of disability. These will be driven by a qualified caddie driver and while the buggy is provided free, the appropriate caddie fee should still be paid.

It is highly recommended that you take a caddie for your round on the Old Course. The St Andrews caddies are trained to assist in all aspects of enhancing the player’s experience and know the course like the back of their hands, which will no doubt save you some valuable shots as the vagaries of links golf, especially on the Old Course can often leave first-timers a little dumbfounded.

Caddie availability cannot be guaranteed, although it’s highly unlikely your request won’t be able to be accommodated.

Due to the inherent location of Scottish links courses such as the St Andrews Old Course, golfers may well experience all four seasons in one round of golf so pack accordingly. Even if you’re teeing it up on the Old Course in high summer, be prepared and pack waterproofs as well as warm clothing just in case.

Be sure to pack a camera. A team photo on the Swilcan Bridge is a must!

The Open Championship returned to St Andrews in 2022 with Cameron Smith claiming the title of Champion Golfer of the Year. The Australian finished on a record-equalling -20, having tied the scoring record set by Henrik Stenson. With a leaderboard littered with the world's best golfers, Cam Smith's victory was his first Major Championship. His bogey-free final round of 64 will go down in history due to his exquisite putting performance and stretch of 5 consecutive birdies.

The Old Course at St Andrews delivered once more as a stunning Championship venue. The fast-running fairways saw the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Bryson DeChambeau all finish within the Top-10, highlighting the quality of golf played by Cam Smith in his win.

With The Open set to return to St Andrews in 2027, although not officially confirmed, we'll have to wait a little while for golf to return to The Home of Golf and the amazing Auld Grey Toon. One name who we'll be hoping to be on that list is Tiger Woods who was clearly emotional walking up the final hole on Friday, potentially saying goodbye to St Andrews as he continues his recovery from injury. For golf's sake, we'll certainly be hoping this wasn't Tiger's last dance in St Andrews.

Past Open Champions at St Andrews include the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It was here too where, in 2005, Nicklaus waved an emotional farewell from the Swilcan Bridge as he drew the curtains on a remarkable career.