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The Insider’s Guide to Visiting St. Andrews & Playing The Old Course

Insider secrets and expert advice on visiting the “Home of ” 1 of 11

Contents Contents 1 Introduction: 3 How do I get a time for the Old Course at St. Andrews? 4 How do I make a guaranteed (advance) reservation? 4 Is there any other way to get a guaranteed tee time? 5 What are the options for playing the Old Course without a guaranteed tee time, and what are my chances? 6 Where else should I play while in St. Andrews? 6 Where Should I Stay when visiting St. Andrews? 7 Where should I dine? 8 What is there to do in St. Andrews besides golf? 9 Should I rent a car while in St. Andrews? 9 When is the best time to visit? 10 Should I Use a ? 10 Can I plan a St. Andrews trip myself or should I work with a travel agent? 11

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Introduction:

One of the greatest thrills in golf is taking a journey to St. Andrews and playing a round on the Old Course. The palpable aura of the game rooted on such hallowed ground, the memories of watching so many of golf ’s greatest players traverse the en route to claiming their Open Championship victory, the wonderful passing parade of people, and the history, architecture, and vibe of this historic university town make a visit to the “Auld Grey Toon” a required pilgrimage for every golf enthusiast. Planning a visit to St. Andrews, on the other hand (especially for first-time visitors), can be somewhat complicated and, if you don’t plan early and carefully, extremely expensive. This results primarily from the somewhat arcane process for getting tee times on the Old Course. The course is managed by the St. Andrews Trust (somewhat akin to municipal ownership in the à la Bethpage Black and its sister courses). The Links Trust also governs tee times, and familiarity with the reservation system, coupled with some local knowledge, can go a long way toward maximizing your enjoyment and minimizing your expenses. If you don’t know what you’re doing, it’s easy to spend hundreds, even thousands, more on a trip than necessary. With this in mind, we’ve compiled priceless advice and answers to some of the most frequently asked questions (and some that should be) about visiting St. Andrews and playing the Old Course in particular. We hope you enjoy this definitive guide, which is designed to give you home field advantage when visiting The Home of Golf.

The Golf Advisor Editorial Team Questions? Updates? [email protected]

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THE OLD COURSE AT ST. ANDREWS IS KNOWN FOR ITS EXPANSIVE FAIRWAYS.

Not only can planning ahead assure you access How do I get a tee time for the to the Old Course, it can save you hundreds, Old Course at St. Andrews? even thousands, of dollars on your trip. You have two options: make a guaranteed The key date to remember is the first (advance) reservation, or try to get on the Wednesday of September at 10 a.m. BST course without one (using the daily ballot or as (British Summer Time). That is when the Links a “walk on”). We’ll explain each of these in Trust begins accepting advance tee time further detail below. reservations for the upcoming season. Provided you are not a single, the leader .of your How do I make a group must fill out the guaranteed application available at standrews.org.uk and (advance) submit it via e-mail or post. reservation? Groups may range from two to eight players during A small number of Old the peak season of April Course tee times are set through October; there’s no aside for advance limit at other times. reservations, and only a portion of those are offered Please note: the Links directly to the public Trust provides a strict set through the St. Andrews of guidelines that must be Links Trust, the followed to the letter. organization which Pay particular attention to manages the town’s seven courses and their the provision regarding the participating golfers tee times. and any changes to the list of golfers. Competition for these Old Course tee times is The allocation process is first-come, first- intense, so it is imperative that you plan your served. trip far in advance. We highly recommend providing a range of How far? As you will soon understand, we acceptable dates as opposed to a single date, recommend at least a year out. which will markedly improve your chances of success.

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Also, be sure to consult the St. Andrews website Should your group find itself shut out, there’s and check the “Busy Dates” link, as the Old still hope for procuring a tee time directly Course is frequently closed for events. through the Links Trust because it begins taking The Old Course is always closed on Sunday, applications for cancelled tee times (using when picnics and Frisbee games transform it similar guidelines) in early January. into St. Andrews’s version of NYC’s Central Note: Singles may also apply for an advance Park. tee time in 2012. Spots are quite limited. The When requesting an Old Course tee time in two-course rule is in effect, but singles are peak season, you must also request a second limited to playing the Jubilee Course on a course from the roster of Links Trust courses as consecutive day. part of the “two-course rule.” Is there any other way to get a This rule states that, if your application is guaranteed tee time? accepted, you will be assigned (and you must pay for) tee times on the Old Course and a Yes, for a price. As noted earlier, only a portion second course (the rule is waived during of the advance tee times are sold directly by the shoulder and low seasons.) Links Trust at the stated green fee (£140 in peak season for 2011). Your group may request any of the other five Links Trust eighteens as your second course. The remaining advance tee times are distributed via the Links Trust’s exclusive travel While every attempt will be made to partner, the Old Course Experience. accommodate your second course selection, if it is not available you will be assigned one of the These are referred to as “trade times” and are remaining courses wholesaled out to other specialty golf travel agents for resale. The New Course, which is not so new, heads the list. laid it out in 1895 to The wholesale price of these tee times is ease traffic on the Old Course. In fact, many St. upwards of three times what one would pay as Andrews regulars prefer the New to the Old. compared to purchasing directly from the Links The two links abut each other and provide Trust. similar games, but the New has fewer blind The Old Course Experience also sells premium shots and fewer hummocks that send balls three-, four-, and five-day packages which are unpredictably awry. in high demand each year. The Jubilee, the nearest course to the sea, is Depending on the time of year and another popular choice. accommodations, package prices for 2011 The recently opened Castle Course provides ranged from £1,795 ($3,050) to £2,885 ($4,900) the sternest challenge. Located just out of town per person. on a rugged ridge overlooking St. Andrews and Last time we reviewed the math on these the sea, it’s the only course that can be booked packages, the implied price of the round on the in advance any day of the week. (None of the Old Course was well over $1,000. other five courses can be booked in advance for Saturdays.) Most of our readers want the comfort of knowing that they have a guaranteed tee time The application process can take several for the Old Course, but don’t want to pay weeks. through the nose for the privilege.

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The best way to do so is to plan ahead and Daily Ballot, there’s always the possibility of either do the legwork yourself or work with a walking on. reputable, specialty golf travel agent. You should check in with the Starter early in the One benefit of the latter is that these agents can morning, in peak season as early as 6:00 a.m. assist with the advance reservation process You’ll be paired with the first available two- or and, to the extent such process is not three-ball. successful, they can secure contract time on your behalf. While we wouldn’t a guess about your chances in peak season, at other times of the We know of several firms that can assist you in year your odds are good. this regard. For recommendations, e-mail: [email protected]. Where else should I play while What are the options for playing in St. Andrews? the Old Course without a One of the great things about St. Andrews is the sheer number of excellent courses in the guaranteed tee time, and what immediate and surrounding area. are my chances? Where else to play is really a function of how Depending on when you are visiting and the much time you have, your willingness/desire to number of people in your group, your chances go beyond the immediate St. Andrews area, and of playing the Old Course without an advance your budget. reservation are actually pretty good. There are certainly more than enough courses The majority of tee times are reserved for a in the immediate area to round out a weeklong lottery-like system called the “Daily Ballot.” To trip. enter the ballot, you simply provide your name, Besides the Old Course, the one course we home club, and would elevate to “must-play” (maximum 24 for men, 36 status is . for women) either by Built by Americans Kyle phone Phillips and Mark Parsinen (011-44-1334-466666), at in 2003, it is universally standrews.org.uk, or in acclaimed as one of the person at one of the St. world’s finest modern links. Andrews clubhouses before 2 pm two days It is terrific fun to play, and it before you wish to play. is all of 10 minutes from the Old Course. You must enter as a group of at least two. The results Virtually next door to are then posted at several Kingsbarns (as well as the locations in town and on Castle Course) are the two the Internet at around 4 eighteens of the Fairmont p.m. St. Andrews resort. The game on both courses is If you get shut out of the quite worthy, and if you JamesSteid

Planning the Ultimate St. Andrews Golf Vacation 7 of 11 want to give your feet a the golf there is quite break, this is one of the few strong, it, like the Duke’s, is locations that actually purely an inland affair. allows use of golf carts. A full two hours from St. As noted earlier, of the Andrews is the realm of Links Trust courses, the East Lothian, which boasts New, Jubilee, and Castle fabulous but hard to courses are strongly access Muirfield, as well as recommended. stalwarts such as Gullane, The Dukes Course, the golf the West Course at North amenity of the Old Course Berwick, and Dunbar. Hotel, is a very fine The Renaissance Club, a parkland course, but alas, Tom Doak creation, that’s our caveat. KINGSBARNS IS A “MUST PLAY” NEAR borders Muirfield. Though ANDREWS. the Renaissance is an When in , most James Box golfers prefer to play a exclusive, private club, links course rather than the type of course they subscribers to Golf Odyssey can play any day back home. can gain access to it. Beyond two hours on the road opens up Aberdeenshire to the north We are also advocates of some lesser-known (home to Royal Aberdeen, Murcar, Cruden Bay, local courses, such as Lundin, Elie, Leven, and and, as of July 15, 2012, Trump International , the seventh-oldest in the world Golf Links) and Ayrshire to the west (home to and boasting eighteens by Old Tom Morris and Prestwick, Troon, and ). Gil Hanse. All of these courses are highly enjoyable and their green fees are quite reasonable. Where Should I Stay when Access is generally pretty easy and provides visiting St. Andrews? visitors with a window into the private club If money is no object, the marquee experience of Scotland. Make sure to allow time accommodation is the , with its to linger for a meal, or at fabulous Kohler Waters least a pint. Spa. This spectacular five- If you’re willing to travel an star property sits adjacent hour from St. Andrews, you to the Road Hole and could put your game to the overlooks the Old Course. test on , site of The other resort-style seven Open property in the St. Andrews Championships and vicinity is the Fairmont St. acknowledged to be the Andrews with its 209 toughest of the eighteens rooms. All rooms overlook in the Open rotation. golf holes and many Gleneagles, one of the provide sea views. It’s just world’s great resorts, is a 10-minute shuttle ride from the Old Course and also an hour away. While IT’S HARD TO BEAT THE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE OF THE KOHLER COMPANY’S the center of town, but for OLD COURSE HOTEL.

Planning the Ultimate St. Andrews Golf Vacation 8 of 11 many, that makes all the difference in the world. outstanding array of links. This may well be the One of the joys of a visit to St. Andrews is most economical option. walking out your door and strolling through the As in the case with securing tee times, you may ancient, highly atmospheric city core. find that booking your accommodations early You’ve probably seen in pictures yields dividends. or on television since it boasts a phenomenal One of the travel agents that frequently assists location right off the 18th hole of the Old our readers is able to secure room upgrades for Course. Fifteen or so of the 70 chambers rooms booked up to a year ahead of time. Such overlook the golf course and command a upgrades are generally not available once the premium price. Our experience with the other hotels start to fill up. rooms is mixed, at best, as many are quite small and others offer nothing in the way of a view. Nonetheless, its superb location makes Where should I dine? Rusacks a good choice for larger parties, especially considering the relatively small By and large, you don’t go to Scotland for the amount of time one usually ends up spending in food, but there are a number of notable the room. exceptions to the general culinary mediocrity. St. Andrews also offers a large number of more than Our favorite restaurant by adequate guesthouses and far is the Peat Inn. This B&Bs, at a wide range of celebrated Michelin-star prices. restaurant, housed in a whitewashed cottage in The most exclusive of open countryside five miles these is Waldon House, south of St. Andrews, located right beside provides a true Rusacks Hotel. gastronomical experience The aristocratic Royal & highlighted by the six- Ancient Golf Club itself course tasting menu. Be owns this stately eight- advised that reservations bedroom house. When ST. ANDREWS’ VERY RECOGNIZABLE RUSACKS must be made months in HOTEL. club members aren’t using advance. all the rooms, the Another culinary treat is the remaining chambers are Road Hole Restaurant on the top floor of the made available to the public. Old Course Hotel. This bright and formal room One last point: If you’re planning on playing in features floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing St. Andrews and East Lothian and are willing to tremendous panoramic views of the Old every day, you might consider staying in Course, the sea, and the coastline. , Scotland’s capital. At the back of the room, chefs work busily in the Most US golfers fly into and out of Edinburgh open kitchen using organic ingredients when Airport on their golf excursions to Scotland. The possible. One of the two tasting menus is city is also centrally located, just 75 minutes to vegetarian. St. Andrews and 40 minutes to East Lothian’s The Seafood Restaurant boasts an exhibition kitchen and a contemporary vibe reminiscent of

Planning the Ultimate St. Andrews Golf Vacation 9 of 11 a New York City eatery. The floor-to-ceiling umbrella-like oak tree. Just east of the windows overlook the Old Course and the North Cathedral, on The Scores, sits the Castle, Sea. While very good, it’s a notch below the begun in 1200 and, like the Cathedral, another Peat Inn and the Road Hole Restaurant. evocative ruin. It was long the seat of the Of note in the St. Andrews Links Trust Archbishop of St. Andrews. Clubhouse is the Swilcan Restaurant. And if In addition to the very tempting shops located you’re looking to stay casual, try the pub at the near the Old Course, you will also find a couple American-owned Dunvegan Hotel around the other worthy temptations. corner from the Old Course and right next to The Ladies Putting Club of St. Andrews (a.k.a. Rusacks. It’s a fun little place that serves a the Himalayas) was founded in 1867, changing great cheeseburger and other comfort food. its name to the Ladies Putting Club in 1948. Its Finally, St. Andrews enjoys a cosmopolitan aura members play on the famous “Himalayas” due to its being a university town. putting green, so-called for its hummocky nature Scattered about town is a wide variety of ethnic laid out as it is on ancient sand dunes alongside restaurants. Among the more notable cuisines the second tee of the Old Course. If you find are Italian, Indian, and some time during your stay Thai. in St. Andrews, putt 18 holes on the Himalayas—it makes for a very pleasant What is there to hour. Right behind the starter’s do in St. Andrews hut on the Old Course is besides golf? The British Golf Museum. It brings 500 years of golfing If you are at all a history history to life and rekindles buff, St. Andrews is an memories of the many interesting place to Open Championships that explore. have been held at the Old Of the town’s three Course. principal thorough-fares— DON’T LET THE PEAT INN’S UNDERSTATED Finally, you might want to North, Market, and South EXTERIOR FOOL YOU: THE FOOD HERE IS PHENOMENAL. visit the St. Andrews Golf streets—South Street most Co. Here they still make fully embodies the heritage authentic hickory clubs and antiquity of St. exactly as it was done in Old Andrews. You will want to enter it through the Tom Morris’s day. Call ahead for a interesting West Port, carved out of a still-intact section of and educational factory tour. the 14th-century wall. As you stroll up the spacious cobbled street, you’ll note landmarks along the way: the Should I rent a car while in St. roofless remains of Blackfriars Chapel (1525); , a coed preparatory school Andrews? founded in 1832; Holy Trinity Church, dating to Again, this is a function of where you stay and 1410; and the tranquil old quadrangle of St. where you intend to play. Mary’s College, dominated by a splendid

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If you choose to stay in St. Andrews and your without reservations and hope to score an Old golf itinerary is confined to that area, you won’t Course tee time through the Daily Ballot or as a need a car. You can get along fine with taxis. walk-on, June, July, and August can be Depending on where problematic. You are much you’re staying, you can more likely to succeed in even walk to most of the the shoulder and off- places you want to go off season. the links. Finally, a word of caution To the extent that you need about planning a June or to travel outside the St. September visit: In addition Andrews realm, you will to being the birthplace of either need to rent a car or golf, St. Andrews is a arrange for escorted university town. Graduation transportation. usually takes place in late Getting around isn’t June and every room and particularly difficult, but you restaurant in town is booked solid. must drive on the opposite THE BRITISH GOLF MUSEUM DOES A FINE JOB (left) side of that road. OF ILLUSTRATING ST. ANDREWS AS THE HOME Likewise, September is OF GOLF. Keep in mind that rental when the Royal & Ancient vehicles tend to be holds its annual fall relatively small and fitting in clubs, luggage, meeting. And because so many Royal & Ancient travel bags, and passengers can be a members play the Links Trust courses at that challenge. time, they’re hard to get on. Most specialty travel agents can arrange for In fact, no advance bookings for the Old Course escorted transportation (i.e., man with a van) for are available in September. your side adventures. Should I Use a Caddie? When is the best time to visit? The first time you play the Old Course, definitely The weather tends to be best in June, July, and take a caddie. There are generally plenty of August, followed by spring and fall, but the fact them on hand. is, the weather in St. Andrews and throughout Your memories of the round will be that much Scotland is unpredictable at all times of the richer, especially if you wind up with a veteran year. who is inclined to share colorful stories. On our recent trip, one moment it was pouring As for your game, a caddie will save you and the next the sun shone brilliantly. several strokes. Between the quirky routing and No matter when you go, be prepared for the blind shots, you’ll have a heck of a time inclement weather. Bring a good rain suit, a trying to play to the proper line if you’re on your windbreaker, a sweater (for the biting North Sea own. A caddie will keep you on track by picking wind), and an efficient rain cover for your clubs. out a target such as a church steeple or a cloud. A caddie can also be an invaluable aid in Bear in mind that summertime brings more helping you with club selection as you often play crowds and higher prices. If you’re going in a three- or four-club wind.

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There is one other great reason to take a caddie And the best agents can customize an itinerary (whether at the Old Course or elsewhere in the to your desires, timeframe, and budget. They UK): a caddie is invaluable when the weather is also offer supreme knowledge of the intricacies bad. He can keep your clubs dry and allow you on the ground at St. Andrews and elsewhere in to focus on keeping yourself dry and Scotland. They can arrange your airport comfortable. Without one, you will inevitably be transfers, your transportation, dining walking with your clubs (head down) trying to reservations, etc, all of which allows you to keep both yourself and your clubs dry. In all simply relax and enjoy your trip. likelihood, you will have trouble keeping your While you may be able to save a little money by mind on the game, let alone remembering the planning a trip on your own, the vast majority of course afterward. our readers find the services of a travel agent well worth it. Can I plan a St. Andrews trip Note: When we refer to travel agents, we are referring to specialty golf travel firms, not myself or should I work with a traditional travel agents. We (and many of our travel agent? subscribers) have traveled with many of these firms, all of which have extensive experience. This is a matter of personal preference. If you feel confident in navigating your way through Again, for recommendations, email: the Links Trust reservation system and if you [email protected] also have a firm idea of your travel plans, you certainly can plan things yourself. On the other hand, we’ve found many benefits to using a travel agent, even if you’re lucky enough to secure an Old Course tee time on your own. For starters, travel agents can help you through the advance reservation process, and, as a backup, they can secure contract time on the Old Course. In fact, many of the travel agents we have worked with will actually handle the Daily Ballot process during your trip, making backup plans “on the fly” in the event you don’t have an advance tee time. Travel agents can also spare you the ordeal of trying to arrange tee times and hotel reservations for a number of people at multiple places (the best travel agents have established relationships which often result in room upgrades, access to special rates, and preferred tee times).

Planning the Ultimate St. Andrews Golf Vacation