St Andrews Jubilee Course
The Old Course gets the cameras, but the Jubilee gets the respect. Laid out in 1897 and rebuilt by Donald Steel in 1988, it runs along the seaward edge of the St Andrews links, the longest and most exposed of the public courses, and the one regulars name when you ask which is the hardest test on the Home of Golf. It is also, blessedly, far easier to get a tee time on.
Photograph: Jubilee Course, St Andrews Links, via Google.
The verdict
The Jubilee is the course the locals quietly rate, and it earns the reputation. It opened in 1897 as a gentle 12 hole layout for ladies and beginners, named for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, grew to 18 holes by 1905, and was then transformed by Donald Steel in 1988 into a full length championship links that bears no resemblance to its modest beginnings. Sitting on the far side of the links from the town, closest to the sea, it catches the wind first and hardest.
What you get is honest, exposed links golf without the queue. At a par 72 of around 6,742 yards it is longer and tougher than the New and the Eden beside it, with humps, hollows and gorse that demand a thinking line off every tee. For the travelling golfer who wants the genuine St Andrews links experience, plays it for the golf rather than the selfie at the Swilcan Bridge, and wants a tee time without the lottery, the Jubilee is the smart pick.
The Jubilee at a glance
- Opened
- 1897
- Redesign
- Donald Steel, 1988
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,742 yds
- Green fee
- Near £155 high season
Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026 from St Andrews Links and course databases. The Jubilee plays to a par 72 of around 6,742 yards from the back markers, with a par 75 ladies set up near 6,043 yards. Green fees are indicative, around 155 pounds for a single high season round in 2026, roughly mid April to mid October, with cheaper shoulder, winter and Links Ticket rates. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The golf worth the trip
The Jubilee is the most natural of the St Andrews public courses, a true seaside links that rises and falls over rumpled ground with the West Sands and the bay close on your right. There is little flat lying, so the ball rarely sits as you would like, and the greens are firm, subtle and quick to send a loose approach scuttling away. Donald Steel's 1988 rebuild added length, shape and teeth, turning a friendly old layout into a course that can defend a good score in any breath of wind.
And there is almost always wind. Being the course nearest the sea, the Jubilee feels every shift of the breeze before its neighbours do, and the exposed back nine in particular can turn a benign morning into a proper examination by lunchtime. Club selection becomes guesswork until you learn to trust the low, running shot that links golf rewards, and the gorse waits for anything that drifts off line. It is not long by modern numbers, but on the wrong day it plays every yard and then some.
Play it and you understand why St Andrews regulars hold it in such regard. The Jubilee asks you to flight the ball, read the ground and manage the wind, the three skills the great links demand, without a single weak or contrived hole. It is the connoisseur's round on the Home of Golf, and a perfect partner to the Old Course on a St Andrews week.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A public course managed by St Andrews Links Trust; visitors welcome with a tee time, and far easier to book than the Old Course |
| Green fee | Around 155 pounds for a single high season round in 2026, less in spring, autumn and winter, with good value on a multi course Links Ticket (indicative) |
| Booking | Reserve directly through St Andrews Links online in advance, or try the daily ballot; no handicap certificate is required on the Jubilee |
| On the day | A walking links from the Links Clubhouse; caddies and clubs can be arranged with notice |
| Getting there | On the seaward side of the St Andrews links in Fife, about a 90 minute drive north of Edinburgh, a short walk from the town centre |
| Best months | May to September for the firm, fast running turf and the longest daylight |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from St Andrews Links; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the Links Trust or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
You are in the town that invented golf, so the choice is wide. The Old Course Hotel overlooks the Road Hole and sits a short walk from the Links Clubhouse where the Jubilee starts, while the smaller hotels and guest houses along The Scores and the town centre put you minutes from the first tee and the restaurants. For a grander base, Fairmont St Andrews and Rusacks both keep you close to the links.
Most golfers build a St Andrews week here and play the Jubilee alongside the Old, New and Eden courses, with Kingsbarns and Carnoustie an easy drive away. The town is compact and walkable, so once you are in, the golf, the food and the history are all on your doorstep.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near St Andrews.
Build a St Andrews golf week
We pair the Jubilee with the Old Course, the New, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, book the tee times in the right order and handle the hotel and the transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
St Andrews Jubilee questions
What is the par and length of the St Andrews Jubilee Course?
The Jubilee is a par 72 links that measures around 6,742 yards from the back tees, with a par 75 set up of about 6,043 yards for ladies. It is the longest and most exposed of the public courses at St Andrews and is often rated the hardest of them.
Who designed the St Andrews Jubilee Course and when?
The Jubilee opened in 1897 as a 12 hole course for ladies and beginners, named for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee, and grew to 18 holes by 1905. It was rebuilt into a full championship test by Donald Steel in 1988, and it sits on the seaward side of the St Andrews links beside the Old and New courses.
How do you book a tee time on the Jubilee Course?
The Jubilee is a public course run by St Andrews Links Trust, so you book directly through the Trust, online in advance or through the daily ballot, and it is far easier to get on than the Old Course. Advance reservations open well ahead of the season. Always confirm current booking rules and availability directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play the Jubilee Course?
The indicative 2026 high season green fee on the Jubilee is around 155 pounds for a single round, roughly mid April to mid October, with cheaper shoulder and winter rates and good value on a multi course Links Ticket. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.