New Course, St Andrews
Old Tom Morris laid out the New Course in 1895 to give the home of golf a second championship links beside the famous Old. More than a century on it is still called the New, and many St Andrews regulars quietly rate it the best pure links in town after the Old itself: a par 71 of around 6,625 yards on the same hallowed strip of dunes, and a far easier tee time.
Photograph: New Course, St Andrews Links, via Google
The verdict
The New Course is the locals' answer to the question of which St Andrews links to play when you cannot get on the Old. Old Tom Morris built it in 1895 on the narrow peninsula of dunes that the town's courses share, and the result is a tighter, more conventional links than its quirky elder sibling, with defined fairways, gorse, classic pot bunkering and the firm, running turf that makes St Andrews golf so distinctive. It is a genuine championship quality test that has staged top amateur and professional events, and plenty of seasoned golfers prefer it to the Old.
For the traveling golfer the New is essential and, crucially, achievable. Where the Old Course requires the ballot or a hard to win advance time, the New is far easier to book, has no handicap certificate requirement and costs a good deal less, yet it delivers the real St Andrews experience: the same links land, the same sea air, the same demanding ground game. On any trip to the home of golf it deserves a place alongside the Old, and it anchors a few days of links golf in Fife.
The New Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1895
- Designer
- Old Tom Morris
- Type
- Traditional links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- Around 6,625 yds
- Access
- Public, Links Trust
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from St Andrews Links Trust and course databases. The New Course was laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1895 and plays as a par 71 of around 6,625 yards. It is a public course managed by the Links Trust with no handicap certificate requirement. Indicative 2025 high season green fees were around 150 pounds; fees change each season, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The New plays in the traditional out and back rhythm, heading away from the town along the dunes and then turning for home, and the routing keeps you close enough to the Old and Jubilee courses to feel part of the great shared expanse of St Andrews links. The fairways are more defined than on the Old, framed by whins and rough, so it asks for accuracy off the tee as much as the nerve to run the ball into firm greens, and the bunkering is the deep, revetted kind that punishes the careless.
The character of the course is in its honesty. There are no tricks here, just classic links holes that reward a low, controlled ball flight and a clear plan into greens that can be approached along the ground when the wind is up. The closing stretch tightens with the dunes and the prevailing breeze, and a steady finish takes real discipline. Because it lacks the Old Course's famous shared fairways and double greens, the New is in some ways a fairer, more strategic test, which is exactly why so many regulars love it.
What stays with you is the quality of the golf for the price of admission. The New gives you everything that makes St Andrews special, the turf, the wind, the history and the sea, in a layout that stands up to repeated play and never relies on novelty. It is a course you could play every day and keep finding new questions in, the mark of a great Old Tom Morris links.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public course managed by St Andrews Links Trust; bookable by visitors in advance and much easier to get on than the Old Course |
| Green fee | Indicative 2025 high season around 150 pounds, with lower shoulder season rates; fees change each year, so always confirm directly before booking |
| Handicap | No handicap certificate required, unlike the Old Course, which makes the New ideal for mixed ability groups |
| Walking and caddies | A walking links; caddies and trolleys can be arranged through the Links Trust |
| Season | Open year round weather permitting; April to October is prime, with the course at its firm and fast best in summer |
| Getting there | On the links north of St Andrews town centre in Fife, about an hour from Edinburgh, with the first tee a short walk from the heart of town |
Access and fees verified June 2026 from Links Trust sources; they change by season, so always confirm directly before booking. Ask about a St Andrews golf trip.
Where to stay nearby
St Andrews itself is the obvious base, a beautiful university town that lives and breathes golf, with hotels ranging from grand resorts overlooking the links to characterful guest houses within a short walk of the first tees. Staying in town puts every St Andrews course at your doorstep and keeps the restaurants, the cathedral ruins and the famous Road Hole bar all within an easy stroll, while Edinburgh is about an hour away for arrivals.
Most golfers play the New as part of a St Andrews and Fife links tour. Pair it with a tee time on the legendary Old Course if you can win the ballot, the seaside Jubilee Course on the same strip of dunes and the clifftop modern links of the Castle Course for a complete few days in the home of golf.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around St Andrews.
Build a St Andrews golf trip
The New Course is the smart play in the home of golf, a great Old Tom Morris links you can actually book. We plan trips through St Andrews and Fife, work the Old Course ballot, secure the New, Jubilee and Castle tee times, and handle the lodging and the logistics. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
New Course questions
Can visitors play the New Course at St Andrews?
Yes. The New Course is one of the public links managed by St Andrews Links Trust, bookable in advance by visitors. Unlike the Old Course it has no handicap certificate requirement, and it is far easier to get on, so it is a favorite of golfers who want a great St Andrews links without the Old Course ballot. Always confirm directly before booking.
Who designed the New Course at St Andrews?
The New Course was laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1895, with engineering input from Benjamin Hall Blyth, to give the town a second championship quality links beside the Old Course. It opened as the New and the name has stuck for more than a century.
What is the par and yardage at the New Course?
The New Course plays as a par 71 of around 6,625 yards, a traditional out and back links on the same narrow strip of dunes as the Old and Jubilee courses, with classic firm turf, gorse and pot bunkering.
Is the New Course better than the Old Course?
Many St Andrews regulars rate the New Course as the best pure links in town after the Old, and some prefer it. It is tighter and more conventional than the quirky, shared fairway Old Course, and a far easier tee time, which makes it essential on any St Andrews golf trip.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par, yardage and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.