Record applications for St Andrews' Old Course

More than 1900 golfers have applied for tee times at St Andrews' Old Course, host of the 2015 Open Championship

St Andrews

A record-breaking number of golfers have applied to play the famous Old Course at St Andrews as applications for tee times in 2013 opened on Wednesday.

More than 1900 requests from prospective visitors have been received by St Andrews Links Trust - which manages all seven Links Trust Courses at the Home of Golf - breaking the previous record of 1800 set for 2012.

Each September, golfers are invited to apply online directly to the trust for tee times the following year. Demand exceeds the number of times available, so a ballot or lottery system is employed to select the lucky winners.

The Old Course - host of the 2015 Open Championship - is world-renowned as the place was golf was first played and for staging 28 Major Championships, with the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods in its gallery of champions.

Golfers can also book tee times online for the other six courses in St Andrews Links Trust's portfolio: The New, The Jubilee, The Eden, The Strathtyrum, The Balgove and The Castle.

"We are encouraged to receive such a high number of tee time applications. Normally in the second year after the Open Championship we would expect to see applications flatten out off but this year has seen record numbers apply," said Euan Loudon, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust.

"These are still challenging times in terms of the economy so it is important for Scottish golf tourism that we continue to see high numbers of visiting golfers choosing to come to play here and elsewhere in Scotland."

The Old Course, The New Course, The Jubilee Course and The Castle Course have all ranked in the prestigious Golf Digest Top 100 Courses list, with the latter winning the New Course of the Year Award by America's Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine after opening in 2008.

"We hope those who come here enjoy an outstanding experience playing the Old and the other links courses. St Andrews Links offers a truly unique experience whether you have come to play, learn, shop or relax," added Loudon.

The tee time applications will be processed over the coming weeks and applicants will be notified directly if they have been successful.

 

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x