St. Andrews Links - Old Course
About
The Old Course under the auspices of the R&A are the birthplace of golf as we know it today. The course itself perhaps defines the term "classic links course". Just imagine the feeling of teeing off in front of the R&A clubhouse, to walk the fairways trodden by so many legendary golfers and to return to the clubhouse as you play the 18th hole. In a word - sublime!
The course is located on a peninsula where the elements have sculptured a course completely at variance to today's manicured parkland courses. The ground is generally flat but dominated by depressions and undulations. Besides the obvious sandy ground, there is an abundance of bunkers which can easily trap those long drives required of this long course. Instead of doglegs to hide holes, the course has plenty of large mounds covered in coarse grass and heather. Of course the wide open spaces and the prevailing sea winds also play an important part of any round.
The Old Course is particularly special as it still poses a real challenge to the best golfers in the world.
Directions: A91 from Cupar. Once in town take third turning on left into Golf Place and follow for 500 yards.
Tee | Par | Length | Rating | Slope |
---|---|---|---|---|
White | 72 | 6721 yards | 73.1 | 132 |
Blue | 72 | 6387 yards | 71.4 | 129 |
Green | 72 | 6032 yards | 69.9 | 125 |
Green (W) | 76 | 6032 yards | 75.5 | 138 |
Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Out | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | In | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Black M: 73.4/136 W: 79.8/148 | 367 | 400 | 366 | 413 | 519 | 368 | 359 | 170 | 349 | 3311 | 341 | 173 | 309 | 414 | 527 | 415 | 377 | 449 | 354 | 3359 | 6670 |
Blue M: 71.8/133 W: 78.2/143 | 355 | 385 | 344 | 402 | 509 | 358 | 347 | 157 | 283 | 3140 | 310 | 164 | 303 | 391 | 514 | 391 | 346 | 427 | 366 | 3212 | 6352 |
Green M: 70.2/127 W: 76.5/140 | 346 | 368 | 322 | 397 | 462 | 324 | 340 | 143 | 256 | 2958 | 296 | 154 | 299 | 379 | 492 | 369 | 327 | 417 | 346 | 3079 | 6037 |
Handicap | 10 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 9 | 13 | 5 | 17 | |||
Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 72 |
Handicap (W) | 12 | 14 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 18 | 16 | 13 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 15 |
Course Details
Rentals/Services
Practice/Instruction
Policies
Food & Beverage
RestaurantAvailable Facilities
ClubhouseReviews
Reviewer Photos
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by BrandonWebb on 07/05/2019
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Photo submitted by MichaelLowe on 07/16/2018
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Photo submitted by MichaelLowe on 07/16/2018
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Photo submitted by MichaelLowe on 07/16/2018
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Photo submitted by MichaelLowe on 07/16/2018
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Photo submitted by MichaelLowe on 07/16/2018
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Photo submitted by Azalea13 on 07/07/2018
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Photo submitted by Azalea13 on 07/07/2018
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Photo submitted by Azalea13 on 07/07/2018
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Photo submitted by Azalea13 on 07/07/2018
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The par-3 11th Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 05/03/2018
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View of the Old from the 4th floor bar of the Old Course Hotel Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 05/03/2018
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Strolling past bunkers Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 05/03/2018
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Dogs allowed on the Old Course! Photo submitted by BrandonTuckerGA on 05/03/2018
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Famous Road Hole. Photo submitted by JayCoffinGC on 07/16/2016
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Standing on 17th green looking down the historic 18th. Photo submitted by JayCoffinGC on 07/16/2016
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Heading back into town. Photo submitted by JayCoffinGC on 07/16/2016
Birthplace of Golf - How can it get any better?
There are those places, like Augusta, Cypress and St. Andrews, that can't truly be appreciated until you have been there and that's the case here. The "Old" course is everything and more that one imagines. The crossing of 7 and 11, is always interesting to see the "right of way". We played 2 straight days and had a different wind, with the same caddies. Recommend you take a caddy to navigate the hidden bunkers, coffins and swales. The history alone is worth the round, if you play well, consider it a bonus!
You gotta play here
If you're a serious golfer and you have the opportunity to play here, you had better take it. The history of the place demands it. It overwhelmed me on the first tee when I was thinking more about where I was than hitting my golf ball. It was a dead shank that drew a few chuckles from my playing companions. After those first tee jitters though the game got much better.
The course itself is like nothing you will find here in the States. From blind shots to bunkers that you could hide a small house in, to the double greens, one of which is almost an acre square this will be a round that you will never forget.
There is also the added bonus that when your sitting with your buddies in the 19th no golf story will cause more envy than when you casually mention that you've played the Old Course.
No round quite like the Old Course
The Old Course is, indisputably, the most unique links course in Scotland, and an absolute hoot to play.
Seven massive double-greens steal the show here, where putts can be well over 100 feet long, and the short game is severely tested. The routing, which is a counter-clockwise direction with a most unusual loop around the back of the course, means pulling most tee shots left will find you in good shape, while pushes to the right could find you out of bounds.
There are a lot of reasons why St. Andrews is such a favorite: the town itself is the best golf town in Scotland and probably the world. But the design is ingenious after all these years because changing wind directions make the course play entirely different on a day-to-day basis (I realized this the second time I played the course in a different wind). New bunkers come into play, some par 4s go from brawny to drivable. It's an extremely complicated golf course.
That said, it's still quite playable for the average player (particularly compared to say, Carnoustie up the road). It's tough to not get goosebumps when playing the 17th & 18th holes.
Enjoy the ride, and be aggressive off the tee.
Play the fabled Old more than once
The experience of playing the Old Course starts long before you step upon the first tee at the venerable “Home of Golf.” Propriety saw it’s original 22 holes reduced to 18 and the template was forever more. Interestingly, if one is not otherwise swept up inexorably in the significance of what the Old Course represents, many depart a maiden tour more bewildered than enraptured. give it time, as time is one of the Old Course’s greatest assets. You simply must play the Old Course, but strive for more than once and give it time for it’s nuances to be revealed, as time is one of the Old Course’s greatest assets.