You followed all the rules and applied for a tee time at the Old Course at St. Andrews for next year, but sadly, your application was unsuccessful. You still want to play at the home of golf next year, and specifically, you want to cross the Swilcan Bridge; in fact, you’re planning your entire Scotland adventure around it. So what do you do now?

At Worldwide Golf Adventures, we have years of experience getting our clients onto the most famous links in golf, and we have explored the options thoroughly. Here are the recommendations for getting a coveted Old Course tee time for next year if your application was unsuccessful:

Option 1: Pay for a Guaranteed Tee Time at the Old Course

If you absolutely must travel to Scotland with a tee time already in place, a guaranteed tee time may be the right choice for you. However, they come at quite a hefty price because of their rarity and the unparalleled access they provide to the Old Course. These guaranteed tee times are managed by the St. Andrews Links Trust, and are allocated to authorized providers (such as Worldwide Golf Adventures). We do have a few of these slots still available for 2019. Get in touch today to secure your Old Course tee time for 2019.

Option 2: The Ballot at the Old Course

Because the Old Course is a public, municipally-owned course, anyone who can pay the green fees is allowed to play. As part of St. Andrews’ commitment to giving all golf fans a chance to play the Old Course, they reserve nearly half of their annual tee time allocations for a lottery ballot that anyone can enter. The ballot is held two days ahead of play at 2pm, with no drawings on Fridays because the course is closed on Sundays. Successful entrants of the ballot are posted online at 4pm on the day of the drawing for their tee time two days following. Statistically, most people who enter the ballot for at least four days are successful in securing a tee time this way. We recommend this option for golfers who may have a bit more flexibility in their trip to Scotland and are willing to rearrange their other sightseeing or tee times in order to play the Old Course.

Option 3: The Standby List for the Old Course

For our most adventurous clients, the standby list at the Old Course is another option for playing at St. Andrews. Anyone with a suitable handicap can show up on the day they wish to play at the Old Pavilion where they may be joined with a two or three-ball group. While it’s not guaranteed, about two dozen people play the course this way on any given day. It’s a great way to play the Old Course while meeting new friends and trying your luck.

The process of getting onto the Old Course can look daunting, but we are here to guide you through it and make sure you get to walk in the footsteps of the game’s greats. Contact us today for a free price quotation for your adventure to Scotland.