A spotlight on St Andrews

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When it comes to golf, very little can come close to St Andrews.

The home of golf, it is upon the hallowed links of the Fife course where the game was first played and hundreds of years on, it still holds a very special place in the game.

Often regarded as the holy grail of golf courses for people all over the world, thousands flock on a yearly basis for their chance to play on the historic course. 

Still the site for the Open Championship, Women’s Open and Alfred Dunhill Links, St Andrews continues to have a special role in the professional calendar and its rich legacy will be ensured for decades to come. 

So what makes St Andrews so special, what are its features and what special moments has it witnessed. Read on to find out more about arguably the most famous golf course in the world. 

The beginnings 

Ever since the 1400s golf has been played on the famous St Andrews links. However in 1457, the game was then banned by King James as the rise in popularity of the sport was believed to be a distraction for men all over the land.

With the ban continuing to be in place for almost 100 years, it wasn’t until King James IV, a keen golfer himself who reinstated the game and once more players were able to play the game on St Andrew’s Links.

As the game developed even more popularity throughout the centuries, St Andrews was the venue of the most famous golf club in the world, The Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A). The first golf club to legalise the game and create the rules for the game which we know and love today, it was officially founded in 1754 and from this moment, St Andrews was first recognised as the official home of the game. 

The early inceptions of the course that we are now so familiar with started to shape up over the rest of that century. Initially starting out as a twelve hole course, players would play ten of the holes twice and the remaining two just once. This would lead to rounds being played over 22 holes.

With the game taking too long, the R&A decided that a renovation was needed and after lengthening some of the shorter holes on the course, the first eighteen hole course was designed on the hallowed turf in 1764.

Despite its iconic place in the game, in 1797, the St Andrews council, who owned the course went bankrupt and sold the land to merchants. With the course now becoming a rabbit farm, there was real despair that the course would be lost, however in 1821 the links were bought by local businessman James Cheape and the site was once again used for golf. 

The beginnings 


Old Tom Morris introduces changes that are still standing today 

With equipment and the skills of the players starting to rapidly advance, St Andrews needed to change and one of the most legendary figures of the game was the man who was made responsible.

Old Tom Morris will always have a special place in the game, known universally as the ‘Grandfather of golf’, Morris decided to introduce double greens to every hole on the course with the exception of 1 and 18.

Not only did this pave the way for other links courses to follow, but the changes instilled by Morris instantly made the course longer and much more of a challenge. 

Due to the changes introduced by Morris the course quickly rose in fame and in 1873 golf’s first major would be played. The tournament was won by Tom Kidd and with it becoming an instant success, a tournament was played at the site every year. It has since become known as the Open. 

Where is St Andrews Golf Course and What Makes It So Special?

Located right next to the North Sea, St Andrews is one of the most picturesque courses in the world. 

Set right in the heart of St Andrews old town, those who are lucky enough to play the course will be greeted with magical seaside views before returning to the heart of the town.

The double green feature that Tom Morris introduced is still very much a feature of the course with many holes still containing that feature. 

Although by modern standards the course isn’t the longest, when the wind whips in from off the coast, St Andrews can still present a formidable challenge. 

Its most famous hole is the seventeenth. Known as the ‘Road Hole’ those playing the course need to hit the ball over the St Andrews Hotel, making it one of the most unique tee shots in the game. 

If the tee shot is successfully negotiated, the players then face a formidable approach to the course’s smallest green. Surrounded by bunkers and the road leading back to St Andrews, any player that can escape with a par can count their lucky stars.

From there, the players will play the 18th. Greeted by a wide open fairway, protecting the green is a swail known as the ‘Valley of Sin’ also a feature of the 18th is the world famous ‘Swilcan Bridge’.

Having been present for over 700 years it is without doubt the most famous feature of the links and one of the most popular photo opportunities in world golf. 

What makes St Andrews so special?


St Andrews, the scene of many memorable moments 

No venue has hosted the Open more times than St Andrews and it still continues to be the one venue that every player wants to win at.

The last Open was played in 2022 and was won in memorable fashion by Australian Cam Smith.

Unusually the weather for all four days of the tournament was blisteringly hot and with the course playing firm and tough, Smith produced one of the best rounds in Open history to overcome a four shot deficit to deny Rory McIlroy and Cam Young to win by one shot.

One man who has been able to truly conquer St Andrews is Tiger Woods. The last man to win multiple titles at the home of golf, Woods first tasted success on the links in 2000 and then again in 2005. 

Other multiple winners include Jack Nicklaus and James Braid.

It isn’t just the men who have been able to enjoy success at St Andrews. The first ever Women’s Open was played at the course in 2007 and was won by Lorena Ochoa. Stacy Lewis won the second ever iteration of the tournament back in 2013 with Lydia Ko winning the last tournament in 2024.