About the course
The Old Course runs along a narrow strip of linksland between the town of St Andrews and the sands of the Eden estuary. It is a public course on common land and is closed to golf on Sundays, when it becomes a park for walkers. Its most unusual feature is that seven of its greens are shared by two holes, with the outward and homeward holes adding up to eighteen, so a single putting surface can serve, for example, the 5th and the 13th.
No one designed the Old Course in the modern sense. Golf was being played here when Archbishop Hamilton confirmed the townspeople’s rights to the links in a charter of 1552, and in 1764 the round was reduced from 22 holes to 18, which became the standard for the game. Old Tom Morris, as keeper of the green in the second half of the 19th century, widened the fairways and built new greens. St Andrews has hosted The Open more often than any other venue, thirty times up to 2022.
The course goes out and back in a long hook, and the cluster of holes at the far end, known as the Loop, is where scores are made before the turn into the wind. Many bunkers are invisible from the tee. Hell Bunker on the 14th and the Strath Bunker beside the 11th green are among the most famous, and the Valley of Sin in front of the last green has decided many matches.
Why we recommend it
The Old Course is the pilgrimage every golfer should make at least once: the Swilcan Bridge, the Road Hole and the 18th green in front of the R&A clubhouse. It suits golfers who value history over perfect conditions. The huge double greens and hidden pot bunkers reward local knowledge, so we always recommend a caddie. As an official Authorised Provider we can guarantee your tee time, so you do not have to rely on the daily ballot.
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| World ranking | 4 |
| Architect | Natural links, refined by Old Tom Morris |
| Year of foundation | 1552 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |
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