St Andrews Old Course Tee Times and Booking
The Home of Golf is the most coveted tee time in the game, and there is no single booking button. Groups go through the daily ballot, singles enter a draw in person, and the planners apply almost a year ahead, while authorized operators sell guaranteed times. Here is exactly how each route works, the 2026 green fee, the handicap rule and why the course never opens on a Sunday.
Photo: Old Course at St Andrews via Google, by Richard Grobben.
The short answer
The Old Course is managed by the St Andrews Links Trust, and most visitors get on through the daily ballot. Groups of two to four enter online with their names, home clubs and handicaps before 2pm two days before they want to play, and the result is released about 48 hours ahead. Single golfers cannot enter the group ballot, so they use the singles daily draw, entered in person at the Old Pavilion by the first tee or the St Andrews Links Clubhouse, between 9am and 5pm the day before play, with a photograph taken to confirm identity. Neither route is guaranteed, so build flexibility into the trip.
The planners book ahead instead. Advance tee times for the following season are applied for in a short window in late August and early September each year, while authorized tour operators sell guaranteed Old Course times bundled into golf packages with accommodation and other Links courses. On cost, the standard high season green fee is around 355 pounds per person in 2026, with lower shoulder and winter rates, plus any caddie fee. The course is closed every Sunday, when it becomes public open space. Plan for Monday to Saturday, and have a backup plan for the days the ballot does not come in.
Old Course tee times, fees and booking, 2026
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Daily ballot | Groups of two to four enter online with names, home clubs and handicaps before 2pm two days ahead; result released about 48 hours before play |
| Singles draw | Solo golfers enter in person at the Old Pavilion or the Links Clubhouse, 9am to 5pm the day before; photo taken to confirm identity |
| Advance booking | Applications for the following season open in a short window in late August and early September |
| Guaranteed times | Authorized tour operators sell guaranteed Old Course times within golf packages including lodging and other courses |
| High season fee | Around 355 pounds per person in 2026 (indicative); lower shoulder and winter rates apply |
| Handicap | Valid handicap certificate required at the starter; limits 24 for men and 36 for women |
| Sundays | Closed to play; the links becomes public open space |
Tee time routes, green fees and rules verified June 2026 from St Andrews Links Trust information; they are seasonal and change year to year, so always confirm the current 2026 detail and availability directly before booking. Check Old Course tee time availability.
How the booking works
For most groups the realistic plan is the daily ballot plus a guaranteed backup. The ballot is free to enter and gives every group a fair shot at a time, but demand in high summer is enormous and many entries miss out, so it works best when you are in St Andrews for several days and can enter repeatedly. The smart move for a once in a lifetime trip is to secure a guaranteed time through an authorized operator or the advance application, then treat any ballot success as a welcome bonus round. A confirmed Old Course time is usually the fixed point the rest of a Scotland itinerary is built around.
Single golfers should know the group ballot is closed to them and the singles daily draw is the route, entered in person the day before. It is a charming, old fashioned process and often surprisingly fruitful, since the starter slots singles into gaps through the day. Whichever route you use, the handicap certificate is non negotiable at the first tee, and a caddie, booked ahead, is the way to read a course you cannot see all of from the tee. For the full cost picture and what to wear, see our guides to St Andrews Old Course green fees and the St Andrews Old Course dress code.
When to play, and what to expect
The Old Course is a par 72 of around 6,721 yards, but the yardage barely hints at it: this is the original links, a ground of shared double greens, the Swilcan Bridge, the Road Hole and bunkers with names and reputations, where the wind decides everything. It is strategic, quirky and utterly compelling, a course every traveling golfer wants on the card. A caddie's lines and local knowledge are genuinely worth the money here, finding the safe side and the run the card cannot show you.
The season runs through the year with high summer the busiest and most settled, and the spring and autumn shoulders quieter and often firm and fine between the fronts. Pack for wind and rain whatever the month, because this is exposed Fife links golf. Most visitors pair the Old with the New, the Jubilee and the other Links courses, and with the wider treasures of Fife and the East Coast. For how the holes play and where it sits among the greats, see the Old Course profile and the St Andrews New Course.
Plan a St Andrews golf trip
We secure the Old Course time, whether by guaranteed booking or by playing the ballot for you, arrange the caddies and build the round into a wider Fife and Scotland itinerary with the other Links courses, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
St Andrews Old Course tee time questions
How do you get a tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews?
There are three main routes. Groups of two to four can enter the daily ballot through the St Andrews Links Trust, submitting names, home clubs and handicaps online before 2pm two days before the day you want to play, with the result released about 48 hours ahead. Single golfers enter the singles daily draw in person at the Old Pavilion or the St Andrews Links Clubhouse the day before. Advance tee times can be applied for in the application window in late August and early September for the following season, and authorized tour operators sell guaranteed times within golf packages. Always confirm current arrangements directly before booking.
How much is a round on the Old Course in 2026?
The standard high season green fee on the Old Course is around 355 pounds per person in 2026, with reduced rates in the shoulder and winter months. Caddie fees and any extras are additional. The St Andrews Links Trust also runs limited discounted ballot schemes for Scottish residents, but the headline visitor rate is the seasonal green fee. These figures are indicative and change year to year, so always confirm the current 2026 pricing directly before booking.
Do you need a handicap to play the Old Course?
Yes. All golfers playing the Old Course must present a valid handicap certificate to the starter before play, with handicap limits of 24 for men and 36 for women. The handicap detail is also part of the ballot entry. Bring proof, as it is checked at the first tee. The requirement helps keep the pace and the standard on the busiest tee sheet in golf. Always confirm the current requirement directly before booking.
Can you play the Old Course on a Sunday?
No. The Old Course is closed to play on Sundays, when it becomes public open space and the people of St Andrews walk the links, a tradition that goes back generations. Plan your round for Monday to Saturday within the season, and use the Sunday to play one of the other St Andrews Links courses or to explore the town. Always confirm current opening and access directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Tee time routes and green fees verified from St Andrews Links Trust information in June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.