St Andrews & Fife Golf Breaks

Why Golfers Travel to St Andrews & Fife

It is where golf began. Golf has been played on the links at St Andrews for around 600 years, and walking over the Swilcan Bridge on the 18th of the Old Course is a moment most golfers never forget.

The quality runs deep. Beyond the Old Course you have the New Course, the Jubilee and the clifftop Castle Course in town, then Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, Crail, Lundin Links and Ladybank within half an hour. You could play a different course every day for a fortnight.

The town is made for golfers. Pubs full of golf memorabilia, golf shops on every street and the beach at West Sands are all a short walk from the hotels, and the East Neuk fishing villages are close by for anyone taking a day off.

The Best Golf Courses in St Andrews & Fife

St Andrews Links Old Course - The oldest and most famous golf course in the world, and the venue that has hosted The Open more than any other. Tee times are in huge demand, so let us know early if the Old Course is on your list and we will try for an advance tee time or help you enter the ballot.

Kingsbarns Golf Links - A modern links a few miles south of St Andrews with the sea in view from every hole. It is one of the host courses for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and is many visitors' favourite round of the trip.

St Andrews Links Castle Course - The newest of the St Andrews Links courses, set on the cliffs east of the town with big, rolling greens and views back over St Andrews.

Dumbarnie Links - One of Scotland's newest links, on the coast near Elie. Wide fairways and sea views on every hole make it a great round for mixed ability groups.

Crail Golfing Society - One of the oldest golf clubs in the world, at the tip of the East Neuk. Choose the traditional Balcomie Links or the more modern Craighead Links.

The Duke's and the Fairmont courses - The Duke's is the Old Course Hotel's own inland course above the town. The Fairmont St Andrews has two clifftop courses of its own, the Torrance and the Kittocks.

When Is the Best Time to Play Golf in St Andrews?

May to September is the main season, with long days and the links at their firmest. Expect daylight until after 10pm in June, which leaves room for a second round.

April and October are quieter and often better value, and the links are playable all year. The weather on the east coast changes quickly, so pack waterproofs and layers in any month. If you want the Old Course, avoid the weeks around The Open and the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, when tee times are scarce.

Planning a Golf Break to St Andrews & Fife

Two nights are enough for a first taste. The Fairmont St Andrews two-night package from £350pp includes a round on both Fairmont courses, and the spa version from £449pp adds a spa pass and treatment for non-golfers.

For something special, the Old Course Hotel one night package from £449pp includes a round on the Duke's, and the Old Course Hotel four night package from £2,499pp adds Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie, a recovery massage and dinner at the Road Hole Restaurant.

St Andrews pairs well with the rest of Scotland's east coast. The links of Edinburgh & East Lothian are around an hour and a half south, and Carnoustie and the courses around Dundee and Perth are less than an hour north.

Travel Tips for Visiting Golfers

Getting there - Edinburgh Airport is around an hour and a quarter by road, and Dundee Airport about 25 minutes. Leuchars is the nearest railway station, 10 minutes from the town. We can arrange transfers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee or Leuchars.

Old Course tee times - advance tee times are limited and most are taken months ahead. A daily ballot releases the rest, so build some flexibility into your dates.

Handicaps - the Old Course and some other links ask for a handicap certificate. Check with us when you book.

Weather - pack waterproofs, layers and a wind shirt, even in summer.

Non-golfers - the West Sands beach, the castle and cathedral ruins, the spa at the Old Course Hotel and whisky tours keep everyone busy.