How to get a tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews — the complete guide

Every serious golfer in Britain has the Old Course on their list. Most of them spend years not quite getting there. Here is how to actually do it.

There are four routes onto the Old Course: the ballot, the singles queue, a Links Trust hotel package, or through a specialist operator. I'll explain all four.

The ballot: The Links Trust runs an online ballot system at standrews.com. You enter your preferred dates up to two years in advance. Demand vastly exceeds supply for summer and weekend dates. The ballot works well for weekday autumn or winter rounds. For peak summer, don't rely on it.

The singles queue: Show up at the starter's box at Pilmour Cottage before 7am. There is a daily allocation of single spots to fill out incomplete groups. This is genuinely available but requires flexibility — you'll be paired with strangers, and there's no guarantee you'll get out, particularly in summer. I have clients who have done this successfully. I also have clients who queued for three mornings and didn't get on. It's a lottery.

The Links Trust hotel packages: The Old Course Hotel and Fairmont St Andrews both hold allocations of guaranteed tee times for their guests. These are not cheap — room rates at the Old Course Hotel during summer start at £450 per night — but if you want guaranteed access and are happy to stay on the property, this works reliably.

The specialist route: This is what we do at Dormie. We have a relationship with the Links Trust and work with them to secure tee times as part of broader Scotland itineraries. I will be honest: this does not give us magic access to any date at any time. What it gives us is a reliable channel, advance notice of availability, and the ability to build a full itinerary around confirmed tee times rather than hoping.

Best times to target: October and November are significantly more accessible than June and July. The course plays beautifully in autumn — the rough is golden, the greens are fast, and you'll share the course with a fraction of the summer crowds.

What to expect when you're there: The Old Course is not the hardest course you'll play. It is not the most beautiful. What it is, is unlike anything else in golf. The shared fairways, the ancient geography, the Road Hole — these things do not photograph well. They reveal themselves as you walk them. I've played it twelve times and I still feel something different on the first tee.

My recommendation: if you are planning a Scotland links trip, book it through us or another specialist who can confirm the Old Course tee time before you commit to flights and hotels. Arriving in St Andrews without a tee time is like going to Edinburgh without booking the Castle. You can get in eventually. But why leave it to chance?