Why go
St Andrews is where the game was codified, and the Old Course remains public land you can walk. Add Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and Crail within a short drive and the Fife coast becomes the densest stretch of historic links anywhere.
Best time to visit
May to September
Weather
Cool, breezy, long summer daylight; rain in every season.
Getting there
Edinburgh (EDI) is 90 minutes by car or train plus bus.
Getting around
Train to Leuchars then taxi; hire car useful for outlying links.
Where to eat
The Seafood Ristorante, Haar, and the Jigger Inn beside the 17th.
Courses
Play in St Andrews
Carnoustie Championship
The hardest links in the Open rota. The Barry Burn and closing three define careers.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,421
- Green fee
- $150+
Crail Balcomie Links
The seventh-oldest golf club in the world, wrapped around a rocky point.
- Par
- 69
- Yardage
- 5,922
- Green fee
- $60+
Kingsbarns Golf Links
A modern links so convincing it feels ancient, with the sea visible from every hole.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,227
- Green fee
- $180+
The Castle Course
Cliff-top drama above the town with the most severe greens in Fife.
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,759
- Green fee
- $90+
The New Course
Opened in 1895 and still called New. Many locals prefer it to the Old.
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,625
- Green fee
- $60+
The Old Course at St Andrews
Twenty-nine Open Championships, seven double greens, the Swilcan Bridge and the Road Hole. The origin of everything.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,305
- Green fee
- $120+
Stay
Where to base yourself
Old Course Hotel
Rooms above the 17th and the Road Hole bunker itself.
$400 – $900 per night
Overlooks the Road Hole
Rusacks St Andrews
Recently reimagined with a rooftop restaurant looking down the Old Course.
$380 – $820 per night
Beside the 18th fairway
Fairmont St Andrews
Cliff-top resort with the Torrance and Kittocks courses.
$230 – $450 per night
10 min, two courses on site
Hotel du Vin St Andrews
Townhouse rooms and a proper whisky snug in the town centre.
$200 – $380 per night
5 min walk to the first tee
Events
Amateur events nearby
St Andrews Links Trophy
Jun 11, 2026 72-hole stroke play
One of amateur golf's great titles, played on the Old and Jubilee.
$320
Handicap 4 or better
Fife Autumn Medal
Sep 26, 2026 Individual stableford
An open medal over the New Course with a clubhouse supper.
$150
Handicap 24 or better
From the travel desk
Stories from St Andrews
Ready to play St Andrews?
Read the course reviews