Getting a last-minute tee time on the Old Course at St Andrews just got easier

It's never been easier to get a last-minute tee time for the Old Course at St Andrews.

The famous queue system at St Andrews is about to be replaced by a new Singles Daily Draw to play the Old Course.

What lengths would you go to to play at the Old Course in the Home of Golf? Many were (and still are) prepared to camp out overnight just to get a tee time on the best golf course in the world. Except now the St Andrews Links Trust are putting a stop to it.

From March 12, a new digitized solution will replace the old queuing system and let golfers pre-register in person at The Old Pavilion or Links Clubhouse between 9am-5pm on the day before they wish to play. 

A randomized singles daily draw will then take place at 5pm and all entrants will be notified by text and email whether they have been allocated a tee time to join pre-existing groups of two or three.

Those singletons who aren’t selected will be slotted into priority order in case a tee time becomes available later in the day.

Of course, the lucky few will still need to part with £320 in peak season but at least they can sleep easy without queueing for lengthy periods.

The Old Course ballot system, which caters for groups of up to four golfers, is not impacted by the new daily draw and can still be entered online before 2pm, two days before the date of play.

For a full list of ways to play the Old Course, visit the St Andrews Links Trust website.

About the author

Michael Catling – Features Editor

Michael Catling is an award-winning journalist who specializes in golf’s Majors and Tours, including DP World, PGA, LPGA, and LIV.

Michael joined Today’s Golfer in 2016 and has traveled the world to attend the game’s biggest events and secure exclusive interviews with the game’s biggest names, including Jack Nicklaus, Jordan Spieth, Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Gary Player, Martin Slumbers and Justin Thomas.

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