The Old Course at St Andrews is recognised as the birthplace of the game of golf, as the sport was first recorded there in the early 15th century.

The Old Course at St Andrews is recognised as the birthplace of the game of golf, as the sport was first recorded there in the early 15th century.
The course first appeared in the living landscape over 600 years ago. With the help of Mother Nature and the livestock that initially roamed the area, the course we know today began to take shape. Eventually, Daw Anderson (1850s) and Old Tom Morris (1865-1908) made significant contributions, helping to create the iconic Links that still exists today.

A unique opportunity!

Golfers have a unique opportunity to step back in time and play the famous Old Course in reverse, thanks to a new series of events presented by the St Andrews Links Trust.

Old Course Reversed has been introduced by the Trust to commemorate the organisation’s 50 years as custodian of the world’s most famous golf course, and is set to become an annual event giving golfers a glimpse into the Old Course’s glorious past.

Since the 1400’s the Old Course has been created and developed from a living landscape with outward and inward holes played on the same greens and using the same fairways, meaning it was designed to be played either clockwise or either way. In 1764 it was reduced from 22 to 18 holes and in 1870 Old Tom Morris introduced the current 1st green by separating it from the 17th hole, creating the standard counter-clockwise routing used today.

The six-day Old Course Reversed tournament, which runs from March 28 to April 2, 2024, will feature three full days of play in the historic clockwise direction (with holes in reverse order) and the remaining days will be played in the current direction so golfers can enjoy the unique perspective of playing in both directions.

“I’ve always wanted to play it backwards before I die. I think it would just be a blast, because I can see how some of the bunkers – why would they put that in? And then when you play it backwards, you see it. It’s very obvious. It’s totally in play. It would be a lot of fun to do that one day.”

– Tiger Woods

Neil Coulson, chief executive of the St Andrews Links Trust, said: “We are thrilled to introduce Old Course Reversed, which will give more of our season ticket holders and golf visitors the opportunity to experience something unique in the world of golf.

“Counter-clockwise routing is such an important part of the Old Course’s history and development that we felt it was important to celebrate it during a special event that is open to all golfers from near and far. We are confident that the introduction of Old Course Reversed will be hugely popular and captivate golfers around the world.”

Get in touch with us and we can help you on your way to securing your tee times on the famous Old Course.