Cut-price St Andrews rounds for Scottish golfers tripled for 2026

Through The Drive initiative being repeated by St Andrews Links Trust on the back of its huge success last year, golfers resident in Scotland are being granted the opportunity to tackle the Old Course for just £45.

On this occasion, that will be part of a whole day’s play in July, meaning a total of 224 spots will be up for grabs on the most-iconic course on the planet.

That figure represents five times the number of green fees offered in 2025 on the Old Course, where the 155th The Open will be played next summer, and it will be decided by a random ballot which is free to enter.

The normal price to play the Old Course is £355 and, though this year’s reduced rate is £2.50 more than last year, it still represents a dream opportunity.

The remainder of the tee times will be spread across the newly-added Craigtoun, Castle, Jubilee, Eden and Strathtyrum courses, which are also run by the Links Trust, with discounts of up to 88 per cent on offer.

Providing a ‘bucket-list experience’

“Our vision for The Drive is not only to provide a bucket-list experience to thousands of people across Scotland, but to widen access to golf and encourage people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences to play,” said Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust.

“To say The Drive’s first year was a success would be an understatement, with more than 22,000 applications made to play our historic courses over two phases. For many, it was their first time playing at the Home of Golf.

“We’re building on that momentum by making a significant investment in the initiative for 2026, tripling the number of opportunities available and opening it up to a more diverse range of courses in our portfolio, including our new heathland course, The Craigtoun.”

The Drive initiative, which is part of a number of exciting developments at the Home of Golf in the past year or so, aims to widen participation in golf by encouraging players of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to get involved in the sport.

“St Andrews is welcome to all and this expansion reinforces our commitment to ensure anyone who wants to play golf, can do so,” added Coulson, who is leaving his post with the Links Trust in the spring to take up a new post overseas.

“We will continue to provide ticket holders and visitors with the best experience possible, while ensuring that one of the country’s most precious golfing assets is available for the public, too.”

Sam Bunce, a 68-year-old from Glasgow, was among the 44 golfers who got to experience the Old Course through last year’s initiative and played with his partner, Christine.

“I’ve been playing golf for over 40 years, but the Old Course is so iconic,” he said. “I couldn’t believe my luck when I saw the email from St Andrews Links telling me I had been selected out of thousands of people to play as part of The Drive, it was such an incredible opportunity. I had to phone them to check it was real.

“Standing at every single tee was a pleasure, knowing that all the greatest players like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus had been there too waiting to tee off on the world’s oldest course. It was a day I will never forget, I even managed to get a couple of birdies which made it extra special.”

Just £7.50 to play Strathtyrum Course

Applications will open on Friday, with a separate application link to enter the ballot for each course. There will be an extra day added to the initiative to celebrate St Andrews Links’ new course, The Craigtoun. Up to 208 players can try it out for £20 compared to the normal rate of £155.

For a £7.50 green fee, 78 tee times will be available on the Strathtyrum on 26 April while 118 tee times on the Eden Course are up for grabs for a £10 green fee on 13 June or 25 October. A number of tee times on these two courses will be reserved for applications made by disabled groups and families.

More information and details of how to apply can be found at https://standrews.com/drive