How To Get A Tee Time - Old Course St Andrews

Getting a tee time at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland is a highly sought-after experience for many golfers around the world. The Old Course is a public course, and there are several ways to secure a tee time:

Enter the ballot: To enter the ballot you must have a minimum of 2 players. A ballot entry must be submitted two days before play, where you are then entered in a lottery system for an available tee time. Your chances of success are about 1 in 5. To enter the ballot, you can do so online at the St Andrews Links website (Old Course Ballot System, via phone, or in person by the Old Pavilion.

Tip: Do not enter multiple submissions for your group. Your submission requires each golfer name, handicap card and home course. This eliminates multiple submissions.

Book a guaranteed tee time: You can book a guaranteed tee time on the Old Course by staying at one of the St Andrews Links Trust's four on-site accommodations - The Old Course Hotel, Rusacks Hotel, Hamilton Grand or the Scores. You can also book a guaranteed tee time by purchasing a package through a tour operator like The Experience St Andrews.

Try the daily walk-up: A limited number of tee times are available each day on a first-come, first-served basis via the daily walk-up queue. Golfers queue up outside the Old Pavilion from around 4 am, and the tee times are allocated at 7 am.

Tip: Look at the ballot results for the day you plan on queing up. You can gauge how many open spots there are. (Open spots are either singles (1 ball) or twosomes (2 ball). If you want to golf with a buddy you can understand quickly your odds. Or you split up. You have the greatest chance to get a tee time as a walk up as a single.

The Process.
Line up by the club house near one. As the line forms each person remains in line and announces there number. You can chat with each person standing online to see if they plan on playing as a single or 2 ball. Once again, looking at that days ballot results will give you a clear picture if you will be playing or not. One thing to note, locals do not have to accept playing with the walkups. At 6:00am the proshop opens and they begin process the line. Each person selects their tee time. Your option might be right away so have your clubs ready. Should you get a later tee time you will have time to go home, shower and freshen up. In Either case I would be prepared to play. Coffee and light breakfast items/snacks are available to get your day started.

Requirements to play: The old course does require a handicap card or a letter from your club stating your handicap. The maximum handicap to play the old course for men is 24. For women it is 36. The other courses at St. Andrews do not require a handicap.

It's important to note that demand for tee times on the Old Course is extremely high, and planning ahead is essential. It's best to try to book as far in advance as possible, and be prepared to be flexible with your travel dates.