How to play the Old Course
A group hits their approach shots into the first hole on the Old Course in St Andrews
The #1 question we get when people start planning a golf trip to Scotland is “how can we play the Old Course?” And for good reason: as much as we advocate for off-the-beaten-path experiences, the Old is an absolute must for golf fanatics.
There’s a reason (or more like 100) that it holds a spot in our top 3 favourite courses of all time.
There are 5 ways you can play the Old Course:
Enter the lottery 1 year in advance
Book with an authorized tour provider
Ballot 48 hours out
Befriend an R&A member
Enter the singles daily draw
We’ll explain all of them in detail to give you the best shot at completing this bucket list item.
Nick and Haley pose with a group on the 18th hold of the Old Course
If you’re prepared: Enter the advanced booking lottery
The official Old Course lottery opens every fall. This lottery fills the majority of the tee sheet for the year ahead (outside of tee times held for the R&A, or any tournaments taking place on the Old Course).
What to do
Bookmark this webpage
Subscribe to email reminders and/or follow @thehomeofgolf on Instagram to watch for the upcoming year’s advanced booking window
Enter a ballot for your group as soon as advanced bookings open
Wait to see if you get it! The lottery is drawn in mid-October
A group lines up their final putts on the 18th hole of the Old Course.
If money is no object: Book with an authorized tour provider
Some tour operators have an agreement with the St Andrews Links Trust to sell pre-booked tee times at a higher rate—typically about $2,000USD compared to the usual $360USD. If you would pay anything to play the Old Course, this option could be for you.
Sometimes these authorized providers let you hold a pre-paid tee time, while you enter the advanced lottery. That way if you get a spot on your own, you can pay the regular visitor rate. And if not, a pre-booking is waiting for you.
The Rusacks Hotel also holds a few pre-authorized times for guests. If you’re really willing to splurge, a minimum 2-day night stay at this beautiful hotel just might come with a promised tee time on the Old. Be sure to ask about this when you book!
What to do
Find an authorized tour provider
Book your trip with them to guarantee a spot
Consider still entering the advanced booking lottery to save some money
A player and her caddie get a yardage into the 18th green on the Old Course
If you have some flexibility: Ballot 48 hours out
A ton of tourists land in Scotland without a tee time on the Old Course, and still manage to play it. The first way to do this is through the 48-hour ballot. Every day, a ballot is drawn to fill remaining gaps in the tee sheet 2 days out.
This option requires some flexibility in your itinerary. After all, if you successfully get in through the 48-hour ballot, you’re probably going to want to move other tee times around to accommodate it! Local courses typically anticipate this, and are willing to move you around as possible… they’re used to playing second fiddle to the Home of Golf 😉
What to do
Enter the 48 hour ballot up to 2 days before any date you could play the Old Course (the deadline is 2pm local time, 2 days before you want to play)
Watch your email to see if you are successful
If so: move any other tee times to accommodate
If not: enter the ballot again, if you have additional flexibility
A group walks up the 18th fairway on the Old Course
If you’re popular: Play with an R&A member or Links Ticket holder
The sneaky best move to play the Old Course with some upfront planning (and at a much reduced rate), is with a member of the Royal & Ancient. Since the Old is the official home course for the R&A, members get booking access up to a week in advance. Meanwhile, Links Ticket holders get priority in the 48 hour ballot.
If you or someone in your group happens to be an R&A member, congrats. Also, can we be your friend?
What to do
R&A members and links ticket holders will know the drill
Don’t take it for granted—you definitely owe your host lunch and a pint at the Jigger Inn!
A group of diehards outside the Old Course Pavilion at 2am in late 2022
If you're last minute: Enter the singles daily draw
Didn’t luck out in the advanced lottery, or the 48-hour ballot (and not quite willing to shell out $2k for one round)? You still have one more option: you can enter the singles daily draw for any remaining gaps in tee times one day ahead.
R&A members and Links Ticket holders who aren’t a four-ball have the option to fill their group with last-minute hopefuls. Traditionally, these groups were filled by golfers who lined up overnight outside of the Old Course Pavillion in a first-come-first-served queue—but it changed early this year with the introduction of a new digital draw system. To enter the singles daily draw, you do still need to be able to prove you’re on site in St Andrews and ready to fill any last minute spot the next day.
Since you’re joining a group who are already planning to have an epic day, you do need to prove you’re an 18 cap or better—they don’t want total beginners to join a group and negatively impact someone’s experience.
What to do
Visit the Old Course Pavillion (next to the first tee on the Old Course) or the St Andrews Links Clubhouse (by the New and Jubilee courses) between 9am–5pm the day before you’d like to play.
Use one of the devices on site to sign up. You’ll need to share your name, contact information, and handicap.
Submit your photograph—this will be your primary means of identification the next day—and receive confirmation by email or SMS message.
Wait for the draw results at 5pm. Any open spots will be assigned in chronological order, and you’ll be notified either way by email or SMS message.
If you’re lucky enough to get a spot, be sure to accept your tee time offer! You’ll be given a specified timeframe, so don’t miss it or your spot will go to the next person on the list.
Check in for your tee time the next day. You’ll need to be at least 20 minutes early, and have proof of handicap (your USGA, GolfCanada, or TheGrint app will do the trick).
The beauty of the Old Course is that despite being the most famous course in the world, with a bit of planning (and/or luck!) anyone can play it. If only we could say the same about Augusta or Fisher’s Island.
