How to Play Kingsbarns: Tee Times and Booking
Kingsbarns is the great modern links of the Fife coast, a Kyle Phillips design from 2000 that plays as though it has been there for a century. There is no members' ballot to navigate and no invitation required: this is a pure visitor course you can simply book, if you know when the tee sheet opens and how the last minute pool works. Here is exactly how to play it in 2026, what it costs, and when to go.
Photograph: Kingsbarns Golf Links, via Google
The short answer
Book directly with Kingsbarns. Tee times for the coming season are released on 1 June each year, and you reserve a specific time rather than entering any ballot. Confirm your time, settle payment within 48 hours, and you are on the sheet. If you are organising late, a small pool of times is released online at the standard rate up to three days ahead, so it is always worth a look for a last minute opening. The indicative 2026 green fee is around 399 pounds in the spring shoulder and 486 pounds in peak summer, including practice and clubhouse facilities. Always confirm current fees and availability directly before booking.
How to book, step by step
| Route | When | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Advance booking | Tee sheet opens 1 June for the next season | Reserve a specific time with the reservations team; payment taken within 48 hours of confirmation |
| Last minute online pool | Up to three days ahead | A small pool of times released online at the standard rate; good for late openings and singles |
| Through a trip planner | Any time, subject to availability | We hold and confirm the time as part of a wider Fife itinerary, with the Old Course and Carnoustie |
| Replay round | Within seven days of your first round | Reduced replay fee, ideal if you want a second look at the course |
Booking windows verified in June 2026 from the course's published reservations information; processes and dates can change, so always confirm directly with Kingsbarns or your trip planner before booking. Check tee time availability.
Kingsbarns green fees, 2026
| Period | Indicative 18 hole fee | Replay within 7 days |
|---|---|---|
| 28 March to 30 April 2026 | Around 399 pounds | Around 240 pounds |
| 1 May to 8 November 2026 | Around 486 pounds | Around 292 pounds |
| Juniors, 17 and under | Around 110 to 130 pounds | Confirm directly |
| Golf professionals, PGA and BIGGA | Around 130 to 150 pounds | Confirm directly |
Green fees verified indicatively in June 2026 from the course's published rates; they change without notice, so always confirm current fees directly before booking. The fee includes full use of the practice ground and clubhouse.
Caddies, walking and what to expect
Kingsbarns is a walking links, and a fine one to walk, draped along nearly two miles of the North Sea shore with the water in view on most holes. Caddies and trolleys are available, and a caddie earns the fee on a first visit, reading the borrows on firm, fast greens and showing you lines that the course deliberately conceals from the tee. Buggies are limited and generally offered only on medical grounds, so plan to walk. Book a caddie when you book your time, allow time for the range and the clubhouse, and bring a layer for the wind, which is the course's true defence.
When to go and what to pair it with
Play Kingsbarns from May to September for the firmest turf and the best weather, accepting that this is also peak price, or take the drier April shoulder for a lower fee. The course shares the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship stage with the Old Course at St Andrews and Carnoustie, and those three make the obvious spine of a Fife and Angus trip. A morning tee time catches the calmest wind and the emptiest course. Build the rest of the week around St Andrews, and Kingsbarns becomes the highlight of one of the best golf trips in the world.
Plan a Kingsbarns and Fife trip
We hold the Kingsbarns tee time you want, secure the Old Course through the ballot and advance booking, and build the week around Carnoustie, Crail and the wider Fife coast. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Kingsbarns booking questions
How do you book a tee time at Kingsbarns?
You book directly with the Kingsbarns reservations team, not through a ballot. Tee times for the next season open on 1 June each year, and the prime summer dates go quickly, so the marquee names apply early. Once a time is confirmed, payment is taken within 48 hours. A small pool of last minute times is released online at rack rate up to three days ahead for anyone chasing a late opening. Always confirm current availability directly before travelling.
How much does it cost to play Kingsbarns in 2026?
The indicative 2026 green fee is around 399 pounds in the spring shoulder, from 28 March to 30 April, with a replay within seven days at 240 pounds, and around 486 pounds in peak season from 1 May to 8 November, with a replay at 292 pounds. Juniors aged 17 and under and golf professionals pay reduced rates. The fee includes full practice and clubhouse facilities. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Is Kingsbarns a walking course, and do you need a caddie?
Kingsbarns is a walking links. Caddies and trolleys are available and a caddie is well worth booking on a first visit, both to read the run of the firm coastal greens and to point out the lines on a course that hides plenty from the tee. Buggies are limited and generally provided only on medical grounds. Book a caddie in advance with your tee time.
When is the best time to play Kingsbarns?
May to September brings the best weather and the firmest, fastest links conditions, which is also peak season and peak price. The spring shoulder in April is cheaper and often dry, while late season into October pairs well with the Alfred Dunhill Links week. Book a morning time for the calmest wind and the lowest field, and pair the round with the Old Course and Carnoustie for a complete Fife and Angus trip.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time releases, green fee changes and the booking windows that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Booking process and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.