St Andrews Old Course: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The Old Course is the Home of Golf and the single most requested tee time in the world, which is why getting on it takes a strategy rather than luck alone. Here is exactly how access works in 2026, what a round costs, and the smartest way to play it.
The news: the same demand, the same routes in
The Old Course heads into 2026 as busy and as coveted as ever, and the message for anyone hoping to play it is to plan early and understand the system. The St Andrews Links Trust runs the course on behalf of the public, and access is spread across an advance lottery, a daily ballot, a singles draw and authorised operator packages. None of these is a simple online booking, and that is by design, to keep the course fair and open rather than the preserve of those who pay most.
The other constant worth repeating is that there is no play on the Old Course on Sundays, when the links is rested and opened to the public to walk. Build your itinerary around that, and around the reality that a guaranteed time usually means either winning the advance lottery or buying into a package.
The four ways to play it in 2026
The advance lottery is the route to a confirmed time. Applications to the St Andrews Links Trust open roughly a year ahead, typically in late summer for the following season, with successful applicants drawn and notified in the autumn. A win usually pairs an Old Course time with a round on another Links course, and it is the only way to lock a date in long before you travel.
The daily ballot is how most independent visitors get on. Groups of two to four enter 48 hours before the day they want to play, submitting each player's name, home club and handicap online, by phone or in person before 2pm, with results published after 4.30pm that day. Single golfers have their own daily singles draw, joining a waiting list and slotting into times as they become available. Finally, authorised tour operators and some local hotels hold guaranteed times that come as part of a package, which is the surest option for anyone unwilling to leave the trip to chance.
What it costs and what to know
The peak season single round green fee on the Old Course has been around 340 pounds, with notably lower rates in the shoulder and winter seasons. Treat that figure as indicative for the 2026 season and confirm the current fee with the Links Trust before booking. A handicap limit applies and a certificate or evidence of handicap is required, so carry your documentation.
A caddie is strongly worth taking on a first visit. The Old Course hides its lines, its shared double greens and its devilish bunkers from the untrained eye, and a caddie turns a bewildering walk into the round of a lifetime. If the ballot does not fall your way, the other St Andrews Links courses, the New, the Jubilee and the Castle Course, are excellent in their own right and far easier to book.
Our take
Our take is that the Old Course is worth every ounce of the effort it takes to get on, but only if you go in with a plan rather than a hope. Enter the advance lottery the moment it opens, and if that fails, give yourself several days in St Andrews so you can enter the ballot more than once and keep the odds on your side. A multi day stay is the real secret to playing it.
If certainty matters more than spontaneity, a package with a guaranteed time removes the stress entirely and lets you build the rest of a Fife trip around a fixed Old Course date. Either way, take a caddie, avoid pinning everything on a single ballot entry, and treat the surrounding Links courses as a genuine reward rather than a consolation.
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Questions
How do I get a tee time on the Old Course in 2026?
There are several routes. You can apply for an advance tee time through the St Andrews Links Trust lottery, which opens roughly a year ahead. You can enter the daily ballot as a group of two to four, submitted by 2pm two days before you wish to play. Single golfers can join the daily singles draw. Many visitors also use an authorised tour operator package for a guaranteed time.
How does the Old Course daily ballot work?
Groups of two to four golfers enter the ballot 48 hours before the day they want to play, providing each player's name, home club and handicap online, by phone or in person before 2pm. Results are published after 4.30pm that day. If successful, you pay the green fee to the starter immediately before your round. There is no Old Course play on Sundays.
How much is a round on the Old Course in 2026?
The peak season single round green fee on the Old Course has been around 340 pounds, with lower rates in the shoulder and winter seasons. Treat this as indicative for 2026 and confirm the current fee with the St Andrews Links Trust before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, season and access details verified June 2026 from St Andrews Links Trust and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.