St Andrews Old Course Tee Times: How to Get One

St Andrews Old Course tee times come through four realistic routes: the official advance application, the 48-hour daily ballot, the singles draw, or a guaranteed package through an authorised provider. The right route depends on one thing: whether your trip can absorb uncertainty.

If the Old Course is a nice-to-have, use the ballot and build a flexible Fife itinerary around it. If the Old Course is the reason you are flying to Scotland, do not leave it to a two-day lottery. Use advance booking or a guaranteed package, then build the rest of the trip around the confirmed date.

That is the mistake most visitors make. They treat every route as if it solves the same problem. It does not.

The four ways to get an Old Course tee time

1. Official advance application

The most sensible route for organised groups is the official St Andrews Links Trust advance process. It opens well before the playing season, asks you to nominate preferred dates, and normally requires you to include another St Andrews Links course as part of the booking.

Use this route if:

• You have a group of two to four golfers
• You know the season you want to travel
• You can give several possible dates
• You are happy to play another Links Trust course, usually the New, Jubilee, Eden, or Castle

The advantage is obvious: you are not waiting until 48 hours before play. The drawback is that demand is heavy, especially for peak summer. You still need a backup plan.

2. The daily ballot

The daily ballot is the famous public route. You apply online up to two days before the day you want to play, and successful entries are drawn shortly before play. The Old Course is closed on most Sundays, so do not build a Sunday ballot plan.

The ballot works best when you are already staying in St Andrews or Fife for several nights. If you miss out, you can play the New Course, Jubilee, Castle, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, Crail, Lundin Links, or Leven instead. That is not a bad consolation prize.

The ballot works worst when you arrive in St Andrews for one night, with flights, hotels, and the whole emotional weight of the trip resting on one entry. That is gambling, not planning.

3. The singles draw

Solo golfers have a different route. The singles draw fills odd spaces on the tee sheet. If you are travelling alone, or if your group is willing to split, this is often more realistic than trying to land a full fourball in the ballot.

This is where flexibility matters. A solo golfer who is ready to play with strangers, at an awkward time, in mixed weather, has a much better chance than a fixed fourball wanting 10:20 on a June morning.

4. Guaranteed package access

Guaranteed Old Course tee times usually come through authorised providers or hotel packages. They cost more because you are not buying only a green fee; you are buying certainty, accommodation, and often a fuller itinerary.

For many US golfers, this is the correct answer. Not because it is cheap. It is not. But if the Old Course is the centrepiece of a once-in-a-lifetime Scotland trip, certainty has value.

What Google is showing for this search

The current search results for "St Andrews Old Course tee times" are mostly transactional and practical: St Andrews Links, authorised provider pages, operator guides from Golfbreaks and Haversham & Baker, Reddit threads, and People Also Ask questions about difficulty, cost, and the booking process.

That tells you what searchers actually need: not a romantic history of the Old Course, but a clear decision framework. Which route should you use, how risky is it, and what should you do if it fails?

Which route should you choose?

| Situation | Best route | Why | |---|---|---| | Four golfers, fixed dates | Guaranteed package or advance application | The ballot is too uncertain for a fixed group | | Two golfers, flexible Fife stay | Advance application plus daily ballot | Good balance of planning and upside | | Solo golfer | Singles draw plus ballot | Odd spaces are easier to fill than a fourball | | First Scotland trip built around St Andrews | Guaranteed access | Certainty matters more than saving money | | Golfers happy with any St Andrews course | Ballot with New/Jubilee backup | You can still have an excellent day |

How much does the Old Course cost?

The Old Course green fee changes by season. Caledonia's course database currently uses approximately GBP355 as the peak figure, while shoulder-season prices can be lower. Always check the live St Andrews Links pricing before booking, because St Andrews updates seasonal rates and special-access offers.

The important budgeting point is this: the green fee is only the lowest possible cost. A guaranteed package can be much more expensive because it includes accommodation, other rounds, operator margin, and the certainty of a date.

For the wider trip budget, use the Scotland golf trip cost guide. The Old Course is only one line item; accommodation in St Andrews, transport, and the backup courses often matter just as much.

The backup plan if you miss the ballot

Do not treat "no Old Course tee time" as a failed trip. Treat it as a routing question.

The best immediate backup is the New Course. It sits on the same linksland, opened in 1895, and gives you proper St Andrews golf at a much lower price and lower stress level. Many golfers enjoy the pace and shape of the New as much as the Old, even if it does not carry the same mythology.

The Jubilee is tougher and more exposed. The Castle Course gives you clifftop views and a different kind of St Andrews day. If you want to leave town, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie Links, and Crail Balcomie all sit within the wider Fife circuit.

Our St Andrews golf visitor guide covers all seven Links Trust courses. The Fife golf trip planner shows how to turn those backup options into a proper route.

Common mistakes

Building the trip around the ballot. The ballot is useful, but it is not a plan if your dates are fixed.

Ignoring the New Course. If you only care about the photograph, the Old Course is irreplaceable. If you care about golf, the New deserves serious attention.

Staying too briefly in St Andrews. One night gives you almost no room to recover if the ballot fails. Two or three nights gives you options.

Assuming a package is bad value. It depends what you are buying. If certainty is essential, the package may be the rational choice.

Forgetting group size. A single golfer, two-ball, and fourball are not playing the same odds game.

FAQ

Is it hard to get a tee time at St Andrews Old Course?

Yes. It is the most requested tee time in Scotland. The daily ballot gives public access, but it is not reliable enough for fixed-date trips.

How do you get a St Andrews Old Course tee time?

Use the official advance process, enter the 48-hour ballot, use the singles draw if travelling alone, or book a guaranteed package through an authorised provider.

How much is a tee time on the Old Course?

Peak green fees are approximately GBP355 in Caledonia's current course database, with lower seasonal pricing at other times. Guaranteed packages cost more because they include more than the green fee.

Can a single golfer play the Old Course?

Yes. Singles can use the singles draw and may have better practical odds than a fourball because they can fill odd spaces on the tee sheet.

What should I play if I miss the ballot?

Start with the New Course, then look at the Jubilee, Castle, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, and Crail depending on your route and budget.

Ready to plan the rest of the trip around your St Andrews dates? Build your route on Caledonia Golf.