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Old Course
6566 yards
par 72
The Old Course is the cultural and historical home of golf, with the game being played here since the 15th Century. From the moment you arrive at the first tee in the shadows of the majestic Royal and Ancient Clubhouse, you cannot help but be absorbed by a sense of occasion, anxiety and ultimately excitement. This sense of exhilaration never dissipates as you stride along fairways so often trodden by golfing greats, past and present. You’ll experience famous features along the way such as the enormous Hell bunker, the Road Hole and the site of so many famous Old Course moments, the Swilken Bridge. Created by Mother Nature and only touched by man in the later stages of her evolution, the ‘Old Lady’ serves as a masterclass to any would-be golf designer. |
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The 5th (white flag)/ The 13th (red flag) green, Old Course. There are 14 double greens on the Old Course and this is the largest – possibly the largest green in the world. | |
Castle Course
7200 yards
par 72
The Castle Course is the first new tournament standard golf course to be built in St Andrews for close to 100 years. This clifftop wonder is the handiwork of David McLay Kidd where at times you'll tee up some 80 feet above the St Andrews Bay. Scheduled to open in the Summer of 2008, Kidd incorporated five sets of tees, wider fairways and bigger greens to compensate for the exposed nature of the cliff top site which offers fantastic views of the town of St Andrews. |
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The 17th Hole of the new Castle Course, scheduled to open in the Summer of 2008, offers panoramic views of St Andrews Bay. | |
New Course
6604 yards
par 71
The New Course is in fact far from New. Opened in April 1895 and designed by Tom Morris the course lies in the shadows of the Old Course and was constructed due to the heavy demand developing for golf in St Andrews. The classic links layout uses the area's natural humps and hollows to create a first-class golfing experience. Accuracy is in greater demand than on the Old Course as many fairways are lined with thick rough and swathes of gorse. Over 60 bunkers grace the New Course's layout and although not as severe as the Old Course they are a hazard that should not be taken lightly. The New Course incorporates many features of the Old with shared fairways and a double green on the 3rd and 15th holes. |
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The 9th green, New Course. Out of bounds and the Eden Estuary border the entire left side of this long par three. One of only two holes on the New Course without bunkers, the 9th plays slightly uphill to a green set in a hollow. | |
Jubilee Course
6805 yards
par 72
The third championship course in St Andrews opened for play in 1897 and was named the Jubilee Course in honor of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, celebrating 60 years as British Monarch. The course started out life as a twelve hole course but it was lengthened to an 18 hole layout in 1905. The course has undergone many amendments throughout the years, but was subject to a large re-designing program in 1989. Donald Steel brought the course up to a standard that could now be compared to its neighbors the Old and New. |
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| Built on a narrow strip of land between the New Course and the sea, a main feature of the Jubilee course is its raised tees. They offer golfers better views of the links, yet expose them to stiff winds off the bay. | |
Kingsbarns
7126 yards
par 72
The most recent addition to Fife’s golf coast has quickly developed a reputation as one of the finest links courses in Scotland and was chosen as a venue for the Dunhill Links Championship along with its more established neighbors Carnoustie and the Old Course. The designer Kyle Philips has used the spectacular coastal landscape along with traditional links design to produce a must-play course that sweeps around bays and meanders through dunes. Although only opened for play in 2000, golf was played on the links here as long ago as 1793 when Kingsbarns Golf Club was first formed making it the worlds 11th oldest club. |
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| The long and tough par-four 18th at Kingsbarns. Any approach that fails to fly the burn in front of the green is likely to be carried out to sea. The bridge dates to the late 1700s, and was discovered during construction of the course. | |
Carnoustie
7361 yards
par 72
A truly classic links course, Carnoustie has hosted seven Open Championships since 1931 and most recently in 2007. As one of the oldest courses in the world, it has been played by all the great names of golf, but Ben Hogan’s memorable 1953 performance has led to a close association with the course. In 2003 the sixth hole was officially named ‘Hogan’s Alley’ to commemorate the outstanding way in which he negotiated the perilous par 5, during his famous victory. With a daunting cocktail of gales, thick rough and devilish bunkers, it has earned its reputation as the most challenging course in Britain. |
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| The 18th at Carnoustie (Championship course). In 2007 a double-bogey by Irishman Padraig Harrington on the 72nd hole meant par for Sergio Garcia would make the Spainard the Open Champion. Garcia could only manage a bogey to force a play-off which Harrington went on to win for his first Major victory. | |
Torrance Course
7037 yards
par 72
Designed by the late Gene Sarazen and winning Ryder Cup Captain, Sam Torrance, the course sweeps its way around the Fairmont St Andrews Hotel and down to the coastal edge. The cliff-edge tees and greens offer beautiful views of the North Sea, the Tay estuary and Carnoustie as well as a view of St Andrews’ medieval skyline. A traditional links course common to the area, the course is a combination of vast, undulating fairways and rolling greens. |
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Unlike the Devlin course here, the greens on the Torrance course at the Fairmont St. Andrews are open in front and allow golfers the chance to bounce the ball up, in the traditional Scottish manner. | |
Devlin Course
7020 yards
par 72
An equally challenging course, designed by Gene Sarazen and Bruce Devlin, this Fairmont St Andrews owned course opened in August 2002. The course stretches over Kittock’s Den and along the sweeping coastline. It is a different in style to the Torrance course as it is designed for golf carts rather than for walking. The sea is more in play, rather than just a part of the scenery, as is the case on most of the Torrance course’s holes. The most memorable visual moments come on the closing holes. |
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| The strong winds off St. Andrews Bay, thick rough and devilish hazards combine to make the Devlin course a true challenge from the first tee. As it is on the Old Course, several of the large putting surfaces here serve two holes. | |
Dukes Course
7171 yards
par 72
Owned and managed by the Old Course Hotel this lush heathland course is perched on the hillside just a few minutes from the hotel in Craigtoun Park and offers 18 holes of outstanding championship play. The Dukes' rolling terrain provides spectacular panoramic views of the surrounding countryside to the sea. The sheltered inland location of the course also results in stunning scenery throughout the year; from the mellow hues of autumn to the rich golden colors of summer’s gorse. |
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| Originally designed by Australian Peter Thomson – five-time winner of the Open Championship – the Duke’s Course was the first inland layout to be built at St. Andrews. On hand for the opening ceremony in 1995 was HRH Prince Andrew. | |