St Andrews and Fife
The traditional home of golf
For golfers of all skill levels and backgrounds, St Andrews is the epitome of a bucket list destination—and for good reason. Known as the Home of Golf (golf on The Old Course dates back to the 1400s), and with six famous links that squeeze right up against the town’s narrow streets, arriving in St Andrews always feels a little bit magical.
The Old Course is the most famous of all St Andrews tracks. Golf has been played on the Old Course’s grounds for centuries—long enough that there’s no single known architect. It’s a regular host of The Open Championship, which means that it features holes most of us have memorized from TV over the years. The Old is joined by five other courses that together compose the St Andrews Links Trust. The New (1895) and the Jubilee (1897) are fellow championship tracks, running parallel with the Old along the shoreline of West Sands Beach. The Eden (1914) is a shorter test, maxing out at 6250 yards—but one of the best price tags in all of Fife for a great design by a world-renowned architect that intersects with the Old in two places.
Balgove and Strathtyrum (1972, 1993) are two lesser known inland designs added in the late 90s that are perfect for beginners, juniors, or a 36-hole day. The Castle Course, a 2009 addition, sits on the hill just east of town and offers dramatic hole designs and aerial views of St Andrews.
Beyond the town of St Andrews and its iconic links are over 40 more golf courses scattering the Kingdom of Fife—which stretches from just across the Forth Bridge outside of Edinburgh all the way up to Dundee. Dozens of stunning classic links, like Elie (1832), Crail’s Balcomie (1786), and Lundin Golf Club (1868/1908), line the coastline. Inland treasures like Ladybank (1879) offer some heathland variety that looks a bit more like home to North American visitors. And modern additions like Kingsbarns (2000) and Dumbarnie Links (2020) create depth to any itinerary.
