St Andrews vs Carnoustie: Where Should You Play?
An hour of the Fife and Angus coast separates them, but they are very different propositions. St Andrews is the home of golf and a whole golfing town, with seven public links and the Old Course at its heart, a place to spend days. Carnoustie is one supreme championship course, golf's hardest test, played in a round. Here is the honest head to head, with our verdict up front, and why most golfers should do both.
Photograph: Old Course, St Andrews, Richard Grobben, via Google
The verdict
For most golfers, St Andrews is the destination and Carnoustie is the day trip. St Andrews is not one course but a golfing town, with seven public links run by the Links Trust, the cobbled streets of the old university city, the R&A clubhouse and the Old Course finishing across the Swilcan Bridge in front of the shops. You can build three or four days around it, mixing the Old Course pilgrimage with the underrated New, Jubilee and Castle courses, all at a fraction of the Old's price. As a base and an experience, nothing in golf matches it.
Carnoustie is the better single course for the purist and the low handicapper. The Championship links is widely called the hardest in the Open rota, longer and more relentless than the Old Course, with the Barry Burn and a closing stretch that has broken champions, most famously Jean van de Velde in 1999. It is also far easier to book than the Old Course ballot. The honest answer is that they sit an hour apart and pair perfectly, so the real choice for most is both, with St Andrews as the trip and Carnoustie as the examination within it.
Head to head
| St Andrews | Carnoustie | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | The home of golf and a golfing town, with seven public links led by the Old Course | One supreme championship links, the Championship course, played in a round |
| The headline round | The Old Course, par 72, around 7,300 yards; the Swilcan Bridge and the Road Hole 17th | The Championship, par 72, around 7,400 yards, playing to par 71 for The Open; the Barry Burn |
| Difficulty | Old Course slope around 129; varied, from gentle in calm to ferocious in wind | Slope around 135; harder more of the time and widely called the toughest in the Open rota |
| Open history | 30 Opens at the Old Course, more than any venue; next staged here in 2027 | Eight Opens, won by Hogan 1953, Watson 1975, Harrington 2007 and Molinari 2018 |
| Variety | Seven courses for all levels, plus Kingsbarns and the Fairmont nearby; days of golf | One great course, with the shorter Burnside and Buddon links alongside |
| Green fee, indicative 2026 | Old Course around 340 pounds at peak; the other links from around 40 to 200 pounds | Championship around 285 to 300 pounds at peak, conventional advance booking |
| Getting a tee time | Old Course is hardest in golf, by ballot and advance application, closed Sundays; the others bookable | Far more attainable; books in advance like most clubs |
| Who it suits | The golfer who wants a multi day pilgrimage and variety as well as the Old Course | The better player chasing the purest, hardest single links test |
Par, yardage, slope and Open records verified June 2026; indicative fees move with season, so always confirm current rates and the booking process directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Choose St Andrews if
You want a golfing trip, not just a round. The town, the history, the seven public links and the chance to walk the Old Course make it a place to spend days, mixing the pilgrimage with the excellent and far cheaper New, Jubilee and Castle courses. Accept that the Old Course is allocated by ballot and plan ahead, then enjoy the deepest golfing experience in the game while you wait for your time.
Choose Carnoustie if
You are a keen player who wants the toughest, fairest links test in Scotland and a round you can actually book without a lottery. Longer and more relentless than the Old Course, with a closing stretch that has decided Opens, it rewards precise, brave golf and punishes the loose shot. It is the connoisseur's single round, and the better pure examination of your game.
Plan a Fife and Angus golf trip
We manage the Old Course ballot and advance application, secure Carnoustie and add Kingsbarns and the wider St Andrews links into one seamless week. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
St Andrews and Carnoustie questions
Should I play St Andrews or Carnoustie?
If you can, play both, as they sit about an hour apart and pair naturally. As destinations they offer different things. St Andrews is the home of golf and a whole golfing town, with seven public links including the Old Course, a place to spend several days. Carnoustie is one supreme championship course, golf's hardest test, played in a day. Choose St Andrews for the pilgrimage and the variety, Carnoustie for the single greatest examination of your game.
Is Carnoustie harder than St Andrews?
Yes, the Championship course at Carnoustie is the harder test than the Old Course at St Andrews. Carnoustie carries a higher slope, around 135 against the Old Course's 129, plays longer and more relentlessly, and finishes with the Barry Burn and one of the toughest closing stretches in golf. The Old Course can be gentle in calm and ferocious in wind, defended by its double greens, hidden bunkers and the Road Hole. Carnoustie is harder more of the time.
How many golf courses are there at St Andrews?
St Andrews has seven public courses run by the St Andrews Links Trust, the Old, New, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgove and the newer Castle Course on the cliffs east of town, plus other clubs nearby such as Kingsbarns and the Fairmont. That variety is a key reason it works as a multi day destination, where Carnoustie is essentially one great championship links played in a single round.
How much does it cost to play St Andrews and Carnoustie?
Both top out at premium rates. The Old Course peak green fee is indicatively around 340 pounds for 2026, by advance application and daily ballot, while the other St Andrews links are far cheaper, from around 40 to 200 pounds. Carnoustie's Championship course is indicatively around 285 to 300 pounds at peak in 2026 and is generally easier to book. Winter and shoulder rates are lower at both. Always confirm current fees and the booking process directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.