Welcome to UK-GolfGuide's page which contains feedback from site users who have played at Old Course.

Whilst UK-GolfGuide.com attempts to turf out the more unhelpful or just plain daft contributions, some may slip through. If you have played the course or hold a different opinion to those of the contributors, feel free to use the Add your Comments icon to provide a broader spread of views. If you have a gripe with the club then take it up with them directly - please don't use this facility for airing grievances!.

If you have played this course and would like to add your comments then feel free to Add a Report.

Paul Watkins (England) 18/07/07

I played this course in the middle of June as a surprise for my 21st birthday including rounds on the Jubilee and New Course on a 4 day break.

This course must be played by every serious golfer in there lifetime. The course was in excellent condition considering the amount of rain we'd had at the time. Before playing the old ive heard the New course was supposedly tougher. I don't agree. The split greens and undulating fairways on the old are immense. I came and watched the 2005 Open on the old for the week and to play the same course as such greats was truely memorable. To play holes like the Road Hole, make par get up and down out of the valley of sin for a par and smash a drive down the 1st makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up!

The course is fairly short of the the yellow tees good drives will leave 8 iron to wedges in however birdies are hard to come by due to the severatity of the greens and bunkers surrounding them. Greens were nice and firm and we were the best out of the 3 courses.

All in all as the yanks would say and awesome occasion!

Value for Money	8
Challenge	8
Off Course	7

Richard Lupton (England) 23/03/07

Had the great pleasure of playing the Old Course at the back end of last season as a result of qualifying for a final on a corporate day. We had the pleasure of staying in the hotel as well, which was out of this world, but made even better by the fact it was free!

Was fortunate to tee off on a lovely, mildly windy day. We were lucky, the following day it was howling and coming down in stair-rods.

The course itself was in terrific condition, just as I'd expected. My only aim on the day was to get off the first tee at the home of golf with so many people stood watching - thankfully, I achieved my aim.

I was delighted to play exceptionally well on the day, managing to avoid all bunkers all the way around. At the turn I was actually one under gross, though the back 9 played a lot harder as the wind really did get up and saw me play to my handicap. But overall I genuinely didn't really see where the difficulty of playing the course was provided you could (a) hit straight and (b) were a reasonable reader of greens. That said, looking at where some of the pro tees were i know that would be a different ball game!

Some of the greens were huge - far bigger than I'd imagined. The roadhole was all I'd imagined and it was a great feeling to hit one straight over the corner of the Clubhouse just as I'd dreamt of doing during the week, and walk off with a straightforward par.

The history, pomp and ceremony that go with playing the Old Course make it well worth the visit, but is it worth the fee and is it all it's made out to be in terms of the actual golf?

Personally, I'm not sure - a great course, don't get me wrong, but given a choice of the Old Course or Royal Dornoch, the latter would win hands down every time.

Value for Money	6
Challenge	8
Off Course	10

Owen Neville (England) 30/01/05

forget what anyone says about this not being a difficult test of golf blah blah blah etc etc

tee off in front of the clubhouse (600 years of history on that first tee)

play at golfs equivilent of the Maracana, wembley, the arms park, lords, old trafford, gresty road crewe: all of which you'll never play at

walk and play where the gods have played

play the road hole

hit a second into the 18th over the valley of sin in front of the biggest gallery you will ever play before

shake hands

and then tell me its not worth the ton

if you are a golfer and its not in your top ten to do before you die then please change your list

if you have played at gresty road them I'm sorry and I take it all back

James Mccann (Scotland) 20/12/04

Played the course 12/6/2003 with a Links Trust member (still had to pay the £105 greenfee)who was useful with yardage advice.

Great clubhouse facilities for visitors - revenue is obviously ploughed back into providing a wonderful setup for visiting golfers. Still feel SGU members should have some discount on greenfees like St.Andrews residents, though at a less advantageous rate (wrote to the Links Trust about this but they gave me short shrift).

The course is weak about the turn where fairways crossover and greens can be driven at par 4s but the town looms large in the background as you play the last half dozen holes and it really is a memorable experience. Can see how some might not think its all its cracked up to be (especially when you are paying a fair whack to play). And if one more commentator says you have to play it several times to fully appreciate it, I'll scream! Yeh, I'll just keep paying over a ton at a time until I get the hang of the place...

Gordon adam (scotland) 08/07/02

Mr Booths comments with reference to the Old Course display a clear lack of understanding as to what constitutes a great golf course. Admittedly it takes several rounds on the course to appreciate the classic nature of this unique links, but with it's fine natural contours, intimidating bunkers and massive greens, nothing matches the Old in world golf. I realise that it has it's detractors but they are simply missing the point.

Wallace Booth (Scotland) 03/04/02

St Andrews is quite possibly the most over rated course in the whole of Scotland. Greens are absolutely dreadful and is really not all that difficult. Why the Americans bother to play this course at all is beyond me when you think of all the other courses we have in Scotland. They should take a visit over the Tay Bridge and a play a mans golf course. The one and only Carnoustie Championship which is by far and away the best golf course in Scotland.