5 Day St Andrews and Fife Itinerary
Five days, five of the finest links in the world, and one hotel all week. This route stays in the Kingdom of Fife, the richest seam of classic links golf anywhere, with St Andrews as your base. From Old Tom Morris's Crail to the great modern Kingsbarns, the Home of Golf itself and the cliff top Castle Course, every round sits within about forty minutes of the first tee. Here is the week, with indicative 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: Old Course, Richard Grobben, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the St Andrews pilgrimage done properly, built for the golfer who wants the Home of Golf and the great links around it without spending the week in the car. The whole of this itinerary sits inside the East Neuk of Fife, a tight cluster of world class courses gathered around one small university town, so you set up in St Andrews, play five rounds and never move hotel. It suits a serious golf group or a couple for whom the golf is the holiday, and it flexes easily: trade Kingsbarns for a value links when the budget demands it, and the quality barely dips.
The two decisions that shape the week are the Old Course and the season. Enter the St Andrews ballot or apply well ahead, keep a backup such as the New or Jubilee in your pocket, and aim for May to September for the firmest turf. Get those right and the rest of the week falls into place around one comfortable base.
The 5 day plan
Crail Golfing Society, Balcomie Links
Open the week where the game's roots run deepest, at one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, on an Old Tom Morris links wrapped around a rocky point at the eastern tip of Fife. Short, scenic and played with the sea on three sides, Balcomie is pure joy and the perfect gentle, characterful start, and at an indicative 90 pounds it is a reminder that the best of Scottish golf need not cost the earth. About twenty five minutes from St Andrews.
Kingsbarns Golf Links
The great modern links, a Kyle Phillips design from 2000 that runs for nearly two miles along the North Sea with the water in view almost throughout. A walking course where a caddie earns the fee, it is the most expensive round of the trip at an indicative 486 pounds in peak 2026, and worth every yard. Book the moment the season opens, and play it on a still morning if you can. About fifteen minutes from St Andrews.
Old Course at St Andrews
The heart of the week and the home of the game, played over the Swilcan Bridge, the Road Hole seventeenth and the closing walk up the eighteenth into the grey town. The Old Course is allocated by advance application and a daily ballot rather than simply paid for, so treat a confirmed time as the real prize and keep the New or Jubilee as a backup. Indicative 2026 green fee around 340 pounds, with a caddie strongly advised on a first visit.
The Castle Course, St Andrews
A modern contrast on the cliffs just east of the town, the newest of the seven St Andrews Links courses, designed by David McLay Kidd and opened in 2008. Bold, tumbling and set high above the sea with the spires of St Andrews on the horizon, it has wild greens and a sense of theatre all its own. At an indicative 180 pounds it is fine value beside the marquee names, and a short drive from the first tee.
New Course at St Andrews
Close the week with a local favourite that many St Andrews regulars quietly prefer to the Old. Laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1895 on the same stretch of linksland, the New Course is a pure, classic test of sharing fairways, double greens and firm running turf, with none of the fanfare and all of the substance. At an indicative 150 pounds it is the value pick of the St Andrews Links, and a relaxed, fitting finish on foot from the town.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crail, Balcomie Links | Around 90 pounds | About 25 minutes from St Andrews |
| Kingsbarns | Around 486 pounds | About 15 minutes; walking course |
| Old Course, St Andrews | Around 340 pounds | By ballot or advance application; in town |
| Castle Course, St Andrews | Around 180 pounds | About 10 minutes east of the town |
| New Course, St Andrews | Around 150 pounds | Walkable from the town centre |
Green fees and drive times verified indicatively in June 2026 from course and ranking listings; they vary by season and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a St Andrews base.
When to go and where to stay
Play the trip between May and September for firm turf, long daylight and the best chance of dry links weather, accepting peak fees and busy tee sheets, or take the April and late September shoulder for lower prices, quieter courses and far cheaper rounds on the St Andrews Links. Base yourself in St Andrews for all five nights, where the town puts you on foot from the Old Course and the New, and within about forty minutes of Kingsbarns and Crail. Choose from the grand Old Course Hotel and the Rusacks above the eighteenth to smaller inns in the old town. A hire car or a driver makes the short hops simple, and leaves the evenings for the clubhouses, the seafood and the whisky.
Plan your St Andrews and Fife week
We navigate the Old Course ballot, hold the Kingsbarns and Castle Course tee times, match your St Andrews base to the golf, and arrange caddies and transfers so the week runs smoothly. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
St Andrews and Fife itinerary questions
What is the best 5 day golf itinerary in St Andrews and Fife?
A five day trip based in St Andrews can cover the heart of Fife golf without a single long drive. Open with Old Tom Morris's Balcomie links at Crail, then play the modern masterpiece Kingsbarns, the Old Course at St Andrews itself, the cliff top Castle Course and finally the New Course. Every round is within about forty minutes of the town, so you stay in one base all week. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much does a 5 day St Andrews golf trip cost in green fees?
Five rounds on this route add up to roughly 1,250 pounds per golfer in green fees alone in peak 2026 season, led by Kingsbarns at around 486 pounds and the Old Course at around 340. You can cut the total sharply by swapping Kingsbarns for one of the value links nearby, or by travelling in the shoulder season, when the St Andrews Links courses in particular are far cheaper. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Do you need to book the Old Course in advance?
Yes. The Old Course at St Andrews is allocated by advance application and by a daily ballot rather than simply paid for, so a confirmed tee time, not the fee, is the prize. Enter the ballot two days ahead or apply well in advance, and always keep a backup such as the New or Jubilee in case the ballot does not come through. A trip planner can hold the rest of the week firm around the Old Course uncertainty.
Where should you stay for a St Andrews and Fife golf trip?
Stay in St Andrews itself. The town puts you minutes from the first tee of the Old Course and within about forty minutes of Kingsbarns, Crail and the rest, so you never change hotel. Options range from the grand Old Course Hotel and the Rusacks overlooking the eighteenth to smaller inns and guest houses in the old town. A hire car or a driver makes the short hops to Crail and Kingsbarns simple. Always confirm rates and availability before booking.
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. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.