Playing the Old Course as an Independent Traveler

If you are like me, playing golf on the Old Course is a lifetime dream and potentially even a once in a lifetime opportunity.  So here are 9 things to know once you decide to go for it.

How To Get On:  There are 4 ways to get onto the Old Course.  As an independent budget traveler, we can immediately rule out the most secure option, which is booking with one of the tour packages at a minimum cost of $3500. These tours provide a guaranteed tee time on the Old Course plus a few other rounds on other courses, rooms, transport, and some meals.  The only other way to guarantee yourself a tee time is to apply around the beginning of September of the year prior to your visit.  Details on that process can be found on the Saint Andrews Links Trust website.  If you are traveling with another golfer, then by far the easiest thing to do is enter the daily ballot.  You must have at least 2 people in order to enter the ballot and it seems to me that 2 people is the optimal number for the best chance at scoring a tee time.  Simply call +441334466666 before 2PM (St. Andrews time) two days before you want to play.  Be prepared to tell them all of the names, home courses, and handicap indexes for each person in your group.  You will need verification that your handicap is 24 or better for men or 36 or better for women.  So for a Wednesday tee time, call Monday before 2PM.  The results will be posted on the website by 4PM the same day, so you will know in advance allowing you the opportunity to plan around the time or decide what your alternative will be if you don’t get selected.  I actually called Monday morning when I woke up on the East Coast of the US and I knew that I had obtained a 1:50 tee time on Wednesday before I even left my house for the airport which really helped me to adjust my travel plans to accommodate this.  The fourth and final option is to show up at the starter the same day you want to play and see if he can fit you in that day.  If you are there early enough, it seems that there is a lot of success had in this method.  In fact the 2 people that we played with that day got on in this manner when the original twosome that was on the tee sheet with us cancelled.  If you are a single golfer, then this will be your best option.  KEY INFORMATION:  The Old Course is CLOSED on Sunday, so make sure you take that into account in your planning.

Be Flexible:  I had allotted myself a 3 day window that I was willing to work around trying to get on the course, but realistically I would have kept trying every single day that I had because this was the one central must do for my trip and I was willing to make everything else flexible.

When To Go:  Yes, Summer has nicer weather but everyone else knows that too.  By all means, if it is important to you to get on, go in the shoulder season.  Not only will you exponentially increase your odds of securing a tee time, but you will also save yourself a lot of money.  Early April seems to be the sweet spot for several reasons.  First, if you go any earlier, you will be required to play your shots off of small mats under your ball to protect the course for the busy season ahead.  That is not my idea of “playing” any golf course, much less the Old Course.  Secondly, playing before April 15^th will save you about $85 on your green fees.  We paid £100 pounds to play and 3 days later the price went up to £150.  Another reason is that you are in Scotland and therefore you have absolutely no idea what the weather will be like.  It is possible that you could have better weather in April than in August.  The one thing you can count on in Scotland weather is that it will be unpredictable and ever changing.  The day we played the temperature was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit and we literally saw sunshine, wind, rain, and sleet at different parts of our round, but it was absolutely perfect.

Renting Golf Clubs:  If you plan to play multiple rounds of golf and have a car, rent some clubs for the trip.  They run about £60 per week including umbrella, towel, balls, and tees and if you communicate with the vendor you can actually get some nice clubs and even choose what you want from his inventory.  If you plan to only play one or two rounds, then it is best to rent from the courses themselves.  Rental clubs at the Old Course run about £40 per round.  I can happily recommend Scotland Golf Club Hire as we were provided with excellent pick up and drop off service, great clubs, and a great price.

The Course Is Not That Difficult:  Most anybody with a pulse is going to be nervous on that 1^st tee box with God and the spirits of the golfing legends looking down on you in front of the Royal And Ancient clubhouse.  There will inevitably be at least several dozen other golfers, spectators, sightseers, and general population also stopping to watch you tee off.  The 1^st hole is easy and not too long, so hit your best club and do it with confidence.  Make any error to the left as there is plenty of room and the rough is not very penal.  Once you get off the tee box, your number one priority for the day is going to be to avoid the bunkers.  Yes, this seems like common sense, but cannot be overstated.  I made a couple of birdies, lots of pars, and no worse than bogey all day except for 2 holes in which I found a bunker and made triple bogey.  I was only in the bunker twice and it cost me dearly both times.  These things are not what you are used to back home and truly if you are otherwise a decent player and can mostly avoid the bunkers, you can go home with a score in which you will be proud to tell others about.

You Don’t Really Need A Caddy:  When you pay your greens fee, they will give you a small Old Course pouch with some tees and coupons in it.  Additionally, the starter will give you an excellent yardage book, which can get you around the course and make you aware of the bunkers that you can’t see from the tee.  The yardage book is a wonderful resource and you should refer to it often to keep yourself in good shape around the course.  Keep in mind that there are shared greens on the middle 14 holes, as this is a classic out and back layout.  Hit to the white flag on holes 3-9 and the red flag on holes 10-16.  If you end up closer to the wrong pin, don’t fret, it happens all the time and all that will do is require a very long first putt.

Practice Your Long Putting at Home:  You will inevitably face a few putts much longer than you are accustomed to and you will also see that putting from off the green is often a good option as well.  The greens roll nicely and while the grass is different, they are likely similar in speed to a lot of courses in the US.

Have Fun:  This is an incredible experience.  Arrive early to take it all in, adjust your putting on the practice green, and let your nerves settle.  There is plenty of free parking down by the St. Andrews Links Clubhouse down past the British Golf Museum along the beach.  They will shuttle you back to the starter’s box.  Watch a few others tee off so that you can be ready and know what to expect.  You will enter the surreal world at some point, but try to focus on being in the moment, just relax, go through your normal pre-shot routine, and you will be fine.  I particularly enjoyed the layout of the course and seeing all of the historic areas of the course where I’ve seen all of the greats at some time or another on television.  The course condition is much better than I expected and it is just an indescribably awesome experience.  Had I not been on a budget, I would’ve stayed and played it again the next day as well.

Stick Around:  The town of Saint Andrews is awesome as well.  Enjoy a stroll down The Scores, through the back alleyways and residential gardens, the University quad, the old ruined cathedral, the British Golf Museum, and the West Sands beach to name a few.  It is well worth another day or so to be in the town.

This experience exceeded my expectations and was well worth the effort to make it happen.  I would highly recommend it to anyone with an appreciation for golf and its history.