The Old Course in St. Andrews is on every avid golfer’s bucket list and while it is open to public play, getting a tee time requires planning and patience! In this article, we will cover 5 methods to grab a cherished tee time during the peak season of April to October. If you are planning to play Jan – March or Nov – Dec, a simple phone call to the Reservations Department is all that is needed.
Travel Packages
There are several Tour Operators and local hotels who can provide tee times as part of a package. If having a booked tee time in advance is a requirement, this is a good option. Keep in mind that booking a trip through a Tour Operator will cost a premium over a self booked trip. In addition, the Old Course tee times booked using this method are very expensive and will require a 3 or 4 night stay in St. Andrews. A round at the Old Course is roughly $300, but through an operator or local hotel package the round can cost upwards of $2,000.
Advanced Ballot
The first “do your own legwork” method for High Season booking is the advanced ballot application. The ballot is typically accepted in September of the previous year with results posted in early October. So, if you want to play in June 2019, you would submit a ballot in September 2018. The ballot is good for 2-8 golfers and must include a tee time at one other St. Andrews course. They do not publish odds, but I can tell you they are not good. I have tried this method 3 times and been unsuccessful each time. Before submitting your ballot, make sure to check the busy schedule for the course. There are several days and times that are not available for play via the ballot.
Daily Ballot
It is now October and your Advanced Ballot was unsuccessful. What to do? If you are making the trip anyway, and you should, there are two planning techniques. The first is to leave a day open as a target for the Old Course. If you do not get the tee time you can either hang out in the town or find a last minute tee time at one of the other courses in the area. The second method is to book all your golf at other courses, and cancel or move tee times if necessary. Most area courses are willing to help you in the event of a last minute change should you get a tee time.
The daily ballot can be submitted online, via phone, or in person. The ballot opens at 2:15pm three days prior to the date of play and closes at 2pm two days prior. So, if you wish to play on June 5, your ballot must be submitted between 2:15pm June 2 and 2:00pm June 3. Results are posted at 4:30pm, 2 days ahead of the day of play. The ballot allows for time ranges so the greater the time range you provide the greater your chance of success.
Roughly 1/2 of the public tee times on the Old Course are available using the daily ballot. If you plan to stay in St. Andrews for a few days and submit a ballot for each day, there is a good chance of success.
Walk Up Queue
If none of the above were successful, you still have one last chance. Each day there are openings due to cancellations and 2 or 3 ball groups. Those slots are filled from a queue created each morning. If you are patient this is highly successful, but it requires a mix of homework, sacrifice and luck.
Step 1:
The daily tee time sheet is published 2 days prior at the Old Pavilion. Checking that will provide a rough idea of how many openings are available.
Step 2:
Arrive early! On most summer days, there will be people in line before sundown and by sunrise the line can be 60 – 80 people deep! It is generally accepted that getting in line before 4am will get you on as a single. As an example, we showed up at the Pavilion at 3am and were 30 something in line and teed off before lunch.
Step 3:
Don’t Leave! If you are at the front of the queue, you might get a set tee time and have the ability to leave until your designated time. If you do not, you still have a shot, but you need to hang out at the pavilion. Each time a group comes to the tee without 4 people, the starter will offer the next person on the queue the spot. The starter will continue down the list until he finds a golfer present and ready to play. The day we were 30 something on the queue, many people ahead of us were called upon but not present.
Step 4:
Come back in the afternoon. Remember that during the summer golf can be played until 9pm or later. If you do not get on the queue in the morning, stop by the pavilion in the afternoon and ask the starter. Often the queue is emptied or those left on it have given up, so you might have a chance.
Rotary Tournament
Each June, the Rotary Club of St. Andrews holds a 4 day golf tournament. The tournament includes several rounds of golf, one of which is on the Old Course!! If you are a Rotary member, and the tournament dates fit your schedule, I recommend this as a method to play the Old Course. The tournament, as you might expect, fills up very quickly so get your application in early.