News Stories

The August/September edition of Links News is now available.

St Andrews Links received a record-breaking number of tee-time applications for the Old Course yesterday following the staging of the 2010 Open Championship at the venue earlier this year.

St Andrews Links Trust has announced its 2011 visitor green fees for the seven courses at the Home of Golf.

The Advance Reservation application forms for tee times on all courses in 2011 are now online. Applications will be accepted from 10:00 BST on Wednesday, 1 September 2010.

Australian Chris Akers is the 2010 Eden Trophy champion and Karen Marshall from Baberton notched up her fourth victory in the Strathtyrum Trophy.

St Andrews Links Golf Practice Centre will re-open on Saturday 14 August at 7am following the removal of the Open infrastructure from the landing area.

There will be a strong Angus presence in the finals of the Eden and Strathtyrum trophies on the Eden Course today.

Two Australians reached the semi-finals of the Eden Trophy continiung a fine tournament for the contingent from down under. A three time former champion and a two time former runner-up progressed to the semi-finals of the Strathtyrum Trophy.

The Eden and Strathtyrum tournaments moved into the matchplay stages today in damp and showery conditions on the Eden Course.

The second qualifying rounds for the Eden and Strathtyrum tournaments were played on the Eden and New courses today.

The 2010 Eden and Strathtyrum tournaments got underway today. The 36 hole strokeplay qualifying rounds for both tournaments take place on the Eden and New courses at St Andrews Links.

Thomas Rowland won the 2010 St Andrews Boys' Open on the Old Course today. The 17 year old from Prudhoe clinched victory over Calum Hill from Tantallon on the 15th green. Olivia Jordan-Higgins from Royal Jersey (pictured) triumphed over Emma Harris from Peel in the St Andrews Junior Ladies' Open.

The finals of the 2010 St Andrews Boys’ and Junior Ladies' will see Thomas Rowland face Calum Hill and Emma Harris take on Olivia Jordan-Higgins on the Old Course this afternoon.

A healthy array of young Scottish golfers took their places in the semi-finals of the St Andrews Boys' and Junior Ladies' opens today. Cameron Farrell from Cardross and Calum Hill from Tantallon will contest one of tomorrow's semi-finals on the Old Course in the Boys' Open. Rebecca Wilson from Grange in Monifieth (pictured with the leading qualifier trophy) and local favourite Lauren Whyte from St Regulus will feature in the last four of the Junior Ladies' Open.

The St Andrews Boys' and Junior Ladies' opens moved in to the matchplay stages on the Eden Course today. Leading the way in the Merchants' Cup was scratch medal winner Thomas Rowland (pictured) with a 3 and 2 victory over Willem Kerr from Craigmillar. In the Golf Monthly Trophy, scratch medal winner Rebecca Wilson won by the same margin against Nicola Haynes from Gosforth Park Ladies.

The qualifying rounds of the St Andrews Boys' Open and the St Andrews Junior Ladies' Open got underway today in overcast but calm conditions. The tournaments have attracted an international field of competitors from as far as South Africa, Australia and the USA.

North East of England golfer Thomas Rowland from Prudhoe won the scratch medal for the lowest score in the qualifying round for the 2010 St Andrews Boys' Open today.

This is the last chance to buy merchandise from St Andrews Links featuring the official 2010 Open logo with only limited stock remaining.

Montegrappa, the manufacturer of superior writing implements, is celebrating its relationship with St Andrews Links by launching a new series of pens commemorating The Home of Golf.

A consultation exercise on the Old Course Daily Ballot has been launched this week by St Andrews Links Trust which manages the seven public courses in the town.

The newly crowned Open champion Louis Oosthuizen recalled his first experience of playing golf in Scotland in the 2002 St Andrews Links Trophy at a press conference on the Old Course today.

South African Louis Oosthuizen coasted to victory in the 2010 Open Championship on the Old Course after a one under par 71 left him at 16 under par overall, seven shots clear of Lee Westwood in second place.

A stiff breeze greeted the third round of the Open Championship on the Old Course today but the conditions stayed steady throughout the afternoon enabling the likes of Henrik Stenson, Paul Casey, Martin Kaymer and Sergio Garcia to make a run on the leaderboard.

Strong winds temporarily disrupted play in the second round of the Open Championship on the Old Course today. Gusts of up to 40 miles per hour forced the R&A to bring play to a halt until the wind subsided. Play resumed at 3.40pm but the delays meant some of the leaders would be playing late into the evening.

Rory McIlroy blazed a trail on the first day of the 2010 Open to set the course record and take an early lead in the championship.

Strong wind and rain affected the final practice day for the 2010 Open Championship on the Old Course today. The eagerly awaited Champions Challenge celebrating the 150th anniversary of the championship had to be cancelled due to the weather.

A special presentation will take place at the Champions’ Challenge at the Open Championship on Wednesday afternoon (July 14) when each of the champions taking part will receive the Freedom of St Andrews Links.

Two-time St Andrews Open winner Tiger Woods took time out from practising for the Open Championship this week to hail the "brilliancy" of the design of the Old Course.

The July issue of Links News is now available.

The build-up to the 150th anniversary Open Championship continued today as many of the players spent the day practising on the Old Course.

The final stages of the Open preparations will see the New Course close for play from Saturday, July 10 and the Eden Course close from 3pm on Saturday, July 10. The Golf Practice Centre, including the coaching and custom fit services, will be closed from Saturday, July 10 to Sunday, July 18.

Details of the St Andrews Links Winter Golf Package 2011 have been published on the website today. Please click here for details.

Cobra Mobile and St Andrews Links present The Old Course iPhone app, an official licensed product from the Home of Golf. Exclusive to iPhone and available now on Apple’s App Store, The Old Course features unique top down touch-and-swipe controls, beautiful graphics and addictive gameplay.

As the Open preparations continue the Jubilee Course closes for play on Monday, July 5 and the Strathtyrum and Balgove courses close for play on Tuesday, July 6.

The condition of the Old Course has been praised by a leading independent agronomy body ahead of the Open Championship. In its pre Open report for the R&A, the Sports Turf Research Institute (STRI) stated that ‘Playing qualities and turf condition to all the surfaces is excellent and where we want them to be in the final run stage to the Open’.

The Castle Course is the only one of the St Andrews Links courses which will be open for play in the week of the Open Championship from July 11-18. A small number of visitor times are still available. They can be booked online by clicking here or by emailing reservations@standrews.org.uk or by telephone on 0044 1334 466666.

The Old Course closes tomorrow in preparation for the Open Championship which takes place from 15 - 18 July 2010. The course will reopen after the championship on 20 July 2010.

The June edition of Links News is now available.

Two original paintings featuring iconic views of the Old Course at St Andrews Links have gone on sale ahead of the 150th anniversary Open Championship at the famous venue in July.

St Andrews Links’ greenkeeping department has taken delivery of two top of the range sprayers which will give an even greater accuracy of application than is currently achieved. 

Matthew Southgate won the 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy with a final round five under par 67 over the Old Course. The driving rain failed to deter the 21 year-old from Thorpe Hall whose 13 under par total of 275 was five better than Philp McLean from Peterhead and Stiggy Hodgson from Sunningdale who tied for second on eight under par.

For the final leaderboard from the 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy click here.

The practice rounds for the St Andrews Links Trophy got underway today on the Old and Jubilee courses. A strong field of international players, including six from the top 20 in the R&A World Amateur rankings, have gathered at the Home of Golf for the prestigious event which starts tomorrow.

Pupils from the Madras College Eco-Club have been working hard to transform redundant parts of the school grounds and have recently had a state of the art organic garden built on the Kilrymont site. Pupils from the Madras College Eco-Club have been working hard to transform redundant parts of the school grounds and have recently had a state of the art organic garden built on the Kilrymont site.

A dramatic 15 foot birdie putt in a play-off on the 18th green of the Old Course clinched victory for Alford's Laura Murray in the 2010 St Rule Trophy.

A strong international field is gathering at the Home of Golf this week for the St Andrews Links Trophy, one of golf's amateur majors.

A limited edition commemorative gold putter celebrating the 22 Open Champions at the Old Course in St Andrews has now sold out from the St Andrews Links website and The Old Course Shop.

Two of the St Andrews Links golf courses have come out on top in a prestigious international ranking run by the American Airlines’ magazine.

The Old Course topped the poll in Celebrated Living magazine’s Platinum list of the Top 20 International Golf Courses and was closely followed by The Castle Course in second place. 

Jack Nicklaus visited the St Andrews Links Golf Practice Centre today to give a coaching clinic to the kids in the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA) and Clubgolf programme.

The driving range area at the Golf Practice Centre will close from Monday 24 May due to preparations for The Open Championship. The short game area will remain open and golf balls will continue to be dispensed in the Golf Practice Centre. St Andrews Links Golf Academy and custom fit services will be open for business as normal with nets in operation.

St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA), which has helped introduce almost 1,500 juniors to the game, has launched a vibrant new website keeping it up to date with the latest technology.

Tiger Woods has submitted his official entry for the Open Championship at the Old Course from July 15-18. The world number one has the opportunity to become the first player to win three championships at the Home of Golf having previously won 2000 and 2005.

With the welcome return of some warm weather the preparations for The 2010 Open at St Andrews Links are heating up. Grandstands at the 1st, 11th and 17th holes are nearing completion and the building of the stand at the 15th green is taking shape. Once complete, the grandstands will hold up to 21,500 spectators in total with the largest stand behind the 17th green holding 3,500 golf fans. Scoreboards are also appearing around the course.

Jaermann & Stübi has become the official supplier and timekeeper of St Andrews Links, The Home of Golf, and is launching a limited edition special model for The Old Course, which is hosting The Open Championship this year for the 28th time.

Gordon McKie, Course Manager of the Old Course, has posted his latest update on a new blog providing a behind the scenes look at the preparations for The Open. Gordon will continue to provide regular updates in the lead up to the 150th anniversary of the Championship being held at the Home of Golf.

To view the blog click here.

A new blog about preparing the Old Course for the Open championship in July has gone live. Gordon McKie, the course manager of the Old Course, will be giving regular updates on how the course is taking shape ahead of the 150th anniversary of the championship at the Home of Golf.

To view the blog click here

The draw has been made for the 2010 St Andrews Links Trophy.
Please click here for Order of Play.

The Old Course will be closed from Monday 3 May to Thursday 6 May inclusive and Saturday 8 May for routine essential maintenance.

The daily ballot will be held on Thursday 6 May for play on Friday 7 May. The ballot will be held on Saturday 8 May for play on Monday 10 May as normal.

The maintenance is being carried out thanks to the co-operation of local golf clubs who have moved their major events on to the New Course in this Open Championship year.

Sand Martins have returned to St Andrews Links for the fourth year in a row using a nesting area created for them by greenkeepers.

The April/May edition of Links News is now available.

Louis and Holger Peens from South Africa have won the Father and Son Tournament for the third year in a row. Peter Forster, Chairman of St Andrews Links Trust, presented the winners' trophy at the prizegiving ceremony last night.

The R&A has announced the creation of the Virtual Open Championship. The online game, which is played on a high definition, photorealistic representation of the Old Course at St Andrews Links, has been produced in partnership with World Golf Tour (WGT) and is free to enter. It will run online in conjunction with the 150th Anniversary Open Championship, offering fans all over the world another exciting way to experience golf’s oldest major, as well as providing the opportunity to introduce the game of golf to new audiences.

Swedish golfers Per Lilliefelth, Stefan Engvall and Goran Persson refused to miss their Old Course and Castle Course tee times due to the volcanic ash cloud that saw their flights to Scotland on Friday morning cancelled. Instead the group decided to set off on Thursday evening and undertook a 42 hour non-stop car and ferry journey to arrive safely in St Andrews and ready to tee off on Sunday morning.

The driving range area at the Golf Practice Centre will close from Monday 24th May due to preparations for The Open Championship. The short game area will remain open and the coaching and custom fit services will also be available.

Restoration of the dunes at West Sands continues with over 6,000 tonnes of sand being moved from Outhead, at the mouth of the Eden Estuary, to the mouth of the Swilcan Burn at the Bruce Embankment.

Due to the continuing air travel disruption, some golfers are unable to get to St Andrews for their advance reserved tee-times.

St Andrews Links policy is that it will work with these golfers to re-schedule their visit later in the 2010 season.

Preparations for the Open are progressing with the first stand going up by the 1st hole of the Old Course.

Alan McGregor is to retire later this year as chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust after 13 years in the post.

The recruitment process for Alan’s successor is about to begin with the position being advertised in the local and national press. The Trust is seeking someone with experience of a similar senior role to take over the high profile position at the Home of Golf.

From Wednesday, 7 April the Eden and Strathtyrum courses will both revert to 18 holes. The Strathtryum Course will play as normal but the 14th hole of the Eden Course is still affected by silt left behind by last week's flooding. As a result the 14th will be reduced in length and play as a par three until further notice.

The stormy weather earlier this week led to some flooding on the Eden and Strathtyrum courses. The greenkeeping teams have been working hard over the last few days to pump out the excess water and using fresh water to dilute the salt content left behind in the ground by the sea water. It is likely to be another few days before those holes can reopen and in the meantime a composite course will remain in operation.

St Andrews Links has been named the Best Overseas Golf Resort in the 2010 Luxury Travel Gold List Awards.

St Andrews Links has received seven new Toro Workman vehicles for use on all courses. Toro is the offical supplier of all greenkeeping equipment used at the Links.

The new season gets underway tomorrow with the reopening of The Castle Course. This year the course will remain open until 30 November 2010. The shoulder season green fee of £84 will apply until 18 April 2010.

The free St Andrews Links Shuttle Bus service which links the Old Course, the Golf Practice Centre and the Links and Eden clubhouses resumes for the 2010 season on Monday, 29 March.

Brooks Brothers and St Andrews Links have entered into a worldwide partnership for Brooks Brothers, as the "Official Partner of St Andrews Links," to produce a collection of apparel and accessories to launch Spring 2011.

The latest edition of Links News is now available.

Eight year old Tom Constance won a Callaway mini looper bag in the recent ‘Spot the Ball’ competition which featured in the St Andrews Links Junior Golf Association (SALJGA) newsletter.

Staff at St Andrews Links have been doing their bit for charity raising £1200 from raffle proceeds over the winter period.

A beautiful azure sky over the frosty Old Course yesterday.

The list of 40 guaranteed places in the 2010 Strathtyrum Tournament has been published on the website - click here.

Entries will still be received up until the closing date on Thursday 1st April 2010.

The online entries opened for this year's Eden Tournament at 13:00 GMT on Wednesday 17 February.

Over 300 entries have been received to date, with the first 120 entries received securing a place in the tournament, subject to satisfying the tournament and entry conditions.

The list of 120 names will be published on the website on Wednesday 24 February 2010.

For more information click here.

A new official website for St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf has been launched at the world’s largest golf show.

St Andrews Links has become one of the first golf venues committed to achieving GEO Certification, the internationally recognised accreditation from the Golf Environment Organisation (GEO).

580 applications were received to join the new unified waiting list for St Andrews Links Tickets which will become active on April 1.

A draw was carried out on December 1 by St Andrews Links Trust Chairman Peter Forster, Links Management Committee Chairman Dr John Mills and Trustee Kate Ferguson. The applicants have until January 31 to pay a £100 deposit to confirm their place on the list.

The Old, New, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum and Balgove courses are now open as normal following the disruption caused by the weather.

St Andrews Links is hosting two recruitment days on 5 and 6 February where people will have the opportunity to apply for a number of seasonal positions.

For more information about recruiting at St Andrews Links, visit our recruitment page.

The cold weather has created some beautiful scenes around the Links as this image from the 18th hole of the Old Course demonstrates.

St Andrews Links Trust would like to wish its customers all the best for 2010 and look forward to a special year with the return of the Open Championship to the Home of Golf.