Packed with goose-bump factor, history and drama, the Old Course is probably the favourite of more people than any other course in the world
St Andrews Old Course Review
Top 100 Ranking 2021/22 – 2
Previous Rankings
2019/20 – 02
2017/18 – 04
2015/16 – 03
2013/14 – 03
2011/12 – 04
2009/10 – 03
Summer Green Fees
Round – £195
Visitors: welcome, check website for details
Medal Tee: Par 72 – 6,721 Yards
Changes since previous ranking
Road to the right of holes 2-7 resurfaced with asphalt instead of quarry dust. It has been pushed slightly to right in places, especially on the 5th. Free relief now permitted if landing on it (NB, roads/paths on holes 1, 17 & 18 still integral parts of the course!).
The double green at the fifth and thirteenth
St Andrews Old Course Review
St Andrews is the home of golf, the Old Course its beating heart. There is only one word that describes it; unique.
Golf has been played over this rolling land since the 15th-Century, and the provenance and evolution of the Old Course is such that its architect is quite simply Nature.
Playing here is an experience unlike any other in golf. It is one where atmosphere and ambience is greater than anywhere else. Just about every legendary golfer has competed over this historic and iconic stretch of links land, and it will always be the number one pilgrimage site for lovers of the game.
With its double greens and crossovers, challenging slopes and gaping bunkers, there is nothing quite like it. Out and back past some of the most famous landmarks in the game, every hole brings back memories of past champions and championships.
The Home of Golf
While the target from first tee may seem unbelievably generous, just standing there is a humbling and nerve-racking experience. Ian Baker-Finch managed to hook his tee shot out of bounds on the left in the 1995 Open. And then there is the burn!
With bunkers hiding in the most unexpected places, a caddy here is more necessary than perhaps anywhere else. Every hole is an adventure. If you struggle, there is some hope for relief in the loop that begins and ends with the two short holes at 8 and 11.
As you head back home, there is a real feeling of the round building to a crescendo as the recognisable buildings of St Andrews draw closer.
The Road Hole seventeenth, one of the most famous holes in golf
The closing pair do not disappoint. The Road Hole 17th is one of the world’s classic, iconic holes, the scene of so much drama and despair. A blind tee shot over the corner, the world’s scariest bunker, the road itself; just so much can happen.
And then Home. Over the Swilcan Bridge, up towards The R&A clubhouse, over (hopefully!) the Valley of Sin to the sloping green. Perfect.
This is simply the most famous course in the world and it should be at the top of the bucket list for any golfer who has not played it.
Assessor Feedback
I have been lucky enough to play the course on half a dozen occasions and it has been different each and every time. It is simply an amazing course which has stood the test of time. The top of any serious golfers bucket list… period. The Old Course is the best experience in golf, enough to make any golfer dizzy on the 1st, 10th or 100th time of playing it.
GM Verdict
Packed with goose-bump factor, history and drama, the Old Course is probably the favourite of more people than any other course in the world