St Andrews New Course
In the home of golf, the locals will tell you the best honest test is not the Old Course but the one next door. Old Tom Morris laid out the New Course in 1895 to ease the crowds on its famous neighbour, and despite the name it is one of the oldest links in the world, a pure out and back run through the dunes that many St Andrews regulars rate above all the others. Here is the verdict, the facts, the holes and how to get on.
Photograph: New Course, St Andrews, via Google.
The verdict
The New Course is the connoisseur's St Andrews. It shares the slender strip of duneland between the Old Course and the West Sands with the Jubilee, running out toward the Eden estuary and back, and it asks all the same questions as its celebrated neighbour, the firm ground, the gorse, the wind off the bay, but without the history, the crowds or the premium. For a great many St Andrews regulars it is simply the better, fairer test of links golf, and that is high praise in this town.
For the travelling golfer the appeal is twofold. It delivers the genuine St Andrews links experience, the same turf and the same sky as the Old Course, and it is far easier to get on and gentler on the wallet. Pair it with the Old Course, the Jubilee, the nearby Castle Course and Kingsbarns down the coast, and you have one of the great golfing weeks anywhere, with the New Course quietly the round you remember most fondly.
St Andrews New Course at a glance
- Opened
- 1895
- Designer
- Old Tom Morris
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,625 yds
- Green fee
- Around £155
Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; the New Course was laid out by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1895, and plays par 71 at around 6,625 yards from the back tees. For 2026 the St Andrews Links Trust reduced the full price summer visitor green fee to an indicative 155 pounds, in line with the Jubilee Course, with lower rates for residents and shoulder seasons. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The New Course is a traditional out and back links, the front nine running away from the town along the dunes toward the Eden estuary and the back nine returning, so the wind that helps you out will test you on the way home, or the reverse. There is no single signature postcard hole in the manner of the Swilcan Bridge next door, and that is rather the point: the New rewards consistent, thoughtful links golf rather than one set piece moment.
The strength is the run through the gorse and the humps of the shared dune ridge, where accuracy off the tee matters and the firm, rumpled fairways feed the ball in ways you must learn to read. The greens are true, traditional and well guarded by the deep links bunkering you expect in St Andrews, and the closing stretch back toward the town, into the prevailing wind on many days, asks for control and a cool head to bring a good card home.
Played as it usually is, in a stiff breeze off St Andrews Bay, the New is a genuine examination of the links game from first tee to last green, and golfers who slow down and appreciate it often leave saying it was the round of the trip.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A public course run by the St Andrews Links Trust, far easier to book than the Old Course |
| Green fee | An indicative 155 pounds full price summer visitor fee for 2026, reduced to match the Jubilee, with lower resident and shoulder season rates |
| Booking | Book in advance through the Links Trust, or enter the daily ballot for the Trust courses; advance summer times go early |
| On the day | A walking links sharing the dunes with the Jubilee; caddies and clubs available through the Links Trust |
| Getting there | In St Andrews, Fife, around an hour from Edinburgh by car, steps from the Old Course and the town |
| Best months | May to September for firm turf and long days, with quieter, better value rounds in the spring and autumn shoulders |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the St Andrews Links Trust; 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
St Andrews itself is the obvious base, a handsome university town with hotels, guest houses and restaurants a short walk from the first tee of every Links Trust course. The Old Course Hotel overlooks the Road Hole next door, while the town's smaller hotels and the rooms around the auld grey toon put you minutes from the golf, the cathedral ruins and the West Sands.
For a full Fife week, base yourself in or near St Andrews and play out along the coast, the Castle Course on the cliffs, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie down the road and Carnoustie a drive across the Tay, with Edinburgh close enough to bookend the trip with a city stay.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in St Andrews and Fife.
Stay and play in St Andrews and Fife
We hold the New Course and Old Course times, build the week around the Jubilee, the Castle Course, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie, and sort a base in St Andrews with transfers. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
St Andrews New Course questions
Who designed the New Course at St Andrews and when did it open?
The New Course was laid out by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1895, built to take some of the demand off the Old Course as golf boomed. Despite its name it is one of the oldest courses in the world, and it remains one of the most traditional links the St Andrews Links Trust operates.
What is the par and yardage of the St Andrews New Course?
The New Course plays as a par 71 of around 6,625 yards from the back tees. It is a classic out and back links sharing the strip of dunes between the Old Course and the sea with the Jubilee Course, with gorse, traditional links turf and the ever present St Andrews wind its main defences.
How much does it cost to play the New Course at St Andrews?
For 2026 the St Andrews Links Trust reduced the full price summer visitor green fee on the New Course to an indicative 155 pounds, bringing it in line with the Jubilee Course, with lower rates for Fife and Scottish residents and in the shoulder seasons. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Is the New Course easier to book than the Old Course?
Generally yes. The New Course is run by the St Andrews Links Trust and can be booked in advance or through the same daily ballot system as the other Trust courses, and it is usually far easier to secure than the Old Course. Many St Andrews regulars rate it the better honest test of golf, and it is a superb round in its own right.
Is the New Course worth playing on a St Andrews trip?
Absolutely. The New Course is a pure, traditional links and a local favourite, often played alongside the Old Course, the Jubilee and the nearby Castle Course and Kingsbarns on a St Andrews and Fife trip. It offers the genuine St Andrews links experience with easier access and a gentler fee than the Old Course.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Opening year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.