A few days ago I received a dreaded email… “Thank you for your application for an Advance Old Course Tee Time at St Andrews Links in 2024. Unfortunately, your High Season application has been unsuccessful.” After waiting for a month, dreaming about the Old Course, and planning ahead, it’s a gut punch to not get an advance tee time. That said, it’s not the end of the … Read More
A Guide to the Pubs in St Andrews, Scotland (2023 Update)
You have likely heard of the concept of a “third place” in life. You have home and work, but the “third place” refers to somewhere that anchors you in a community. In a sense, it’s a home away from home. Pubs in the UK are the perfect example of a third place. The bartenders know the patrons, know their orders, … Read More
Returning to St Andrews With My Son (Ahead of the 150th Open Championship)
In June of 2019 I took a golf trip to St Andrews with two of my buddies. At the end of our trip, I slid my golf clubs into my locker at the New Club and left town for a wedding in England. Little did I know, I wouldn’t return to St Andrews (or really travel for golf) for three … Read More
St Andrews Old Course – What Makes it So Special?
I am one of the lucky few that has called the St Andrews Old Course my home course. I attended the University of St Andrews for four years and played around 200 rounds on the Old Course. No other course in the world is like the Old and nowhere else has been able to replicate what makes it special. Rather … Read More
How to Choose a Golf Tour Company & Are They Worth the Money?
To my own (and my wife’s) detriment, I’m always the guy who tries a task myself. Buy a dining table? I can make one. Faucet won’t work? Don’t call the plumber. I’ve always been the same way with my golf trips and this website is an extension of that. I’ve dedicated hundreds of hours to content about courses and how … Read More
How to Get a Tee Time on the St Andrews Old Course
Getting a tee time on the St Andrews Old Course isn’t the easiest or most straightforward process. In this post I break down the various methods to secure a tee time that include one lesser-known option! The Old Course Daily Ballot The ballot is a random drawing to determine a given day’s tee sheet on the St Andrews Old Course. … Read More
The 6 Non-Golf Reasons You Should Visit St Andrews
This post is from Alexa Hammer in her Hammer & The Links section of the site! Please excuse my long absence from writing… I returned to the United States in late May and quickly left to travel to Erin Hills, Wisconsin for an internship with the USGA at the 2017 U.S. Open. It was such a special experience to be a part … Read More
A Local Guide to the St Andrews Open Championship
St Andrews transforms drastically from the cool, dark Scottish winter to the bright, vibrant summers. That transformation is even starker in the lead up to the Open Championship, and the buzz that occurs during the event is only matched every five years. The places mentioned below were favorites of mine that I discovered during four years in St Andrews. This will offer … Read More
Returning to St Andrews
I am writing this on a flight returning from St Andrews, Scotland. This trip back to the town marks my first visit since my graduation from the University of St Andrews. My small personal to-do list during the visit included seeing old friends, a movie at the New Picture House, a curry from Jahangir Indian restaurant, and of course, a … Read More
St Andrews Jubilee Course Review
The St Andrews Jubilee course was my first choice for a quick afternoon round of golf during my four years in the town. The course flies under the radar for many golfers visiting St Andrews, and for others, including locals, it has a fearsome reputation as the hardest track in town. The course is a favorite of the University of … Read More
History of the Hamilton Grand
The building that has become the Hamilton Grand is a famous feature behind the 18th green of the St Andrews Old Course. The building features in many photos of the legendary course, and it stands in the background of every Swilcan Bridge picture. Some call it the second most photographed building in all of golf, second to the clubhouse of … Read More
St Andrews Eden Course Review
The Eden course does not immediately come to mind as a “destination course” for those on golf trips to St Andrews. The start of the course is a twenty-minute walk from the center of town, so visitors rarely stumble across the Eden. However, if you have played the Old Course, you have seen the Eden course to the right of … Read More
St Andrews New Course Review
The St Andrews New Course holds a special place in my golfing heart. It was where I played my first round in St Andrews, and I cut my links golf teeth over its slopes and bunkers. A typically fast pace of play, first-come, first-served tee time system, and very enjoyable course design have made the New a favorite of many … Read More
Where to Stay in St Andrews
There are many great accommodation options in St Andrews. The town is filled with hotels and B&Bs, ranging from very expensive options all the way down to St Andrews Tourist Hostel. Because of the wide array of choices, it would be impossible for me to review all the hotels and B&Bs. I have included places in this post which I … Read More
Where to Play Golf in St Andrews
The perfect first golf trip to Scotland uses St Andrews as a base of operations. Settle down into one of the many lodging options in town (to be discussed in a later post) and make day trips out from St Andrews to visit courses. I have witnessed, and participated in, many golf trips where people play 36 holes per day, … Read More
St Andrews Old Course Changes: Phase 2
The second round of changes to the St Andrews Old Course took place in the winter of 2013. The renovations are occurred over the 3rd, 4th, 6th, 9th and 15th holes. To see the first phase of changes which took place over the winter of 2012, view the Old Course changes phase 1 here! Martin Hawtree’s design changes have been implemented … Read More
St Andrews Castle Course Review
The St Andrews Castle Course draws mixed reactions from those who have played the course. David Kidd designed the Castle, which opened in 2008. The course is set just outside of St Andrews, a short eight-minute drive south down the coast towards Crail. The views at the course are second to none. The sea is visible from nearly every hole, … Read More
What is a Links Golf Course?
The question of “What is a links golf course?” was posed to me countless times during my four years in St Andrews. After a round on the St Andrews Old Course yesterday in 45MPH+ winds, I felt inspired to write a definitive answer to this repeated question. In addition to answering the question of what technically makes a links course, … Read More
St Andrews Old Course Changes: Phase 1
Phase 1 of the changes to the St Andrews Old Course took place over the winter of 2012. These photos were taken on a typically cold and rainy Scotland day. To view the Phase 2 of the Old Course changes, which took place over the winter of 2013, view those here! 17th Hole 2nd Hole – Two bunkers short and … Read More
The Other St Andrews Links Courses
Imagine having an older brother who always gets more attention than you. You are one of seven siblings, but people always come to your house to visit him, not any of you. You are a very interesting person yourself, but you’re never given a chance. You are overlooked by nearly everyone. Every five years tens of thousands of people come … Read More