The Craigtoun Course – the latest chapter in St Andrews Links history

For a place where golfers have been playing since the 16th century, change happens quicker than you might think at St Andrews.

This grand old golfing town has always had a trick or two up its tartan sleeve, and its latest chapter is no different. Of course, the jewel in the crown here will always be the immortal Old Course, revered among fans of the sport all over the world, but St Andrews’ other courses are still, somehow, underrated in their own right.

There’s the not-so-new New Course dating back to 1895, the brilliant Jubilee and the charming Eden, all offering fantastic, traditional links offerings, plus more accessible options in the Strathtyrum Course and the 9-hole Balgove Course. But while St Andrews has always been the home of the sport, the place is so synonymous with links golf that anything else didn’t compute in the minds of many golfers – but the place has been diversifying its offering for longer than you might think.

In 2008, there was the addition of the stunning Castle Course, with the bold David McLay Kidd design featuring blockbuster undulating greens that might have scared the beard off Old Tom Morris, all sat atop a clifftop with views back down to St Andrews. It’s still a links, and a beautiful one at that, but with a fun, modern sensibility that didn’t always appeal to purists quite like the Old or the Jubilee.

It’s not just major changes like this, either, that have come over the years. There are constant tweaks and alterations being made to the Old Course ahead of the 2027 Open Championship, lengthening holes and adapting it for the modern game. Now, though, it’s time for something bigger, and there’s a new chapter altogether – The Craigtoun, the latest addition to the offering at St Andrews Links.

The Craigtoun Course

The design of the Craigtoun is defined by its rugged bunkeringSt Andrews Links

The bones of the Craigtoun Course itself have been around since 1995 under its previous name, The Duke’s Course. The course was previously owned by the Old Course Hotel, operated by Kohler Co., and it always felt a little separate, even removed, from the rest of the golf offerings in the town as it wasn’t part of the Links line-up, or available in most package deals. Now, it’s been added to the roster of courses under the control of the St Andrews Links Trust.

The thing that defines The Craigtoun in the context of St Andrews, more than anything else, is its status as the only inland course, offering a different golfing experience to the links that dominate the St Andrews Links portfolio. It’s a three mile drive away from the Old Course, and there are a couple of beautiful views of St Andrews itself to enjoy when you get there.

It’s a lofty 150 metres above the town, and the views help to make hole four, named Braw View, one of the signature holes. Players are faced with a dramatic downhill tee shot framed by the town in the background – one of the most eye-catching moments of any round here.

The course offers a true championship test. It was designed by five-time Open Champion Peter Thompson, opened in 1995 and was enhanced by architect Tim Liddy in 2006. The nines used to be reversed when it was the Duke’s Course, and instead it now starts with a tight dog-leg left par-4, rather than the imposing par-5 up the hill. Getting your opening tee shot away here will fill you with confidence straight away.

Perhaps the defining design characteristic of the Craigtoun is the rustic bunkering, and there are plenty of them (well over 100, if you’d like to count them). It’s a tough course despite being pretty generous off the tee, but it’s penal on misplaced approach shots, with sand lurking everywhere.

As well as the large greens and pretty par-3s, the elevation changes are also a key part of the playing experience, especially on the front nine, which adds drama to the layout. The Craigtoun is a bit of a beast from the back tee, with the par 71 measuring 7,512 yards from the tips and 6,550 yards from the whites. The course is set across a huge piece of land, and it makes for a considerable walk if you’re not in a buggy, too. Incidentally, no-one has officially broken par from the championship tees, so while most players might not expect to shoot the lights out round here every time, the course is a firm, but fair test for players of all abilities.

The 18th is a strong finishing hole, working its way up the hill to a green surrounded on all sides by bunkers. Making an up and down from the greenside traps is no-mean feat, especially with people watching on eagerly from the clubhouse balcony.

The 18th hole at the Craigtoun CourseSt Andrews Links

There are excellent facilities to be found by the 1st tee, including the open air driving range, putting green and chipping area. The comfortable changing rooms are also kitted out with a pool table, if you have a little time to kill before teeing off.

The Clubhouse is a lovely spot to grab a pint after the round, watching players finish up on 18. The food menu is also full of excellent choices, with elevated pub-grub dishes like delicious fish and chips, and the halfway house, too, has plenty of good options (try something from the cocktail menu if you need a little loosening up on the back nine, and the macaroni pie if you need to carb-load).

It’s all more than enough to whet the appetites of golfers making the trip here – and there’s more to come. Change, as ever at St Andrews, is constantly happening, and there have already been plenty of tweaks made to the Craigtoun and more in the pipeline.

There’s already been new drainage and irrigation systems put in place with an emphasis on all year round conditioning. The plan for later this year is to tweak the bunkers with new drainage, too, but the bigger changes being made are to do with playability and aesthetics.

St Andrews Links

The course as it currently stands shares certain characteristics with heathland courses more commonly seen down in the south of England. The plan is to add more heather, augmenting the rustic qualities of the bunkers and heathland feel, and transforming it into a Scottish Heathland-style course. There are also a few tweaks for playability planned, including wider fairways and bigger approaches, meaning golfers can putt from off the green more often, as well as longer rough.

Those changes are on the way, but the fundamental character of the course will endure as a fine, challenging inland course to rival any of the tests in St Andrews. Its location three miles from the coast does make for a different type of experience to other courses. As a second round as part of a trip, this would compliment many trips to the home of golf. Visitors can play the course from £155, while the Fife resident rate is from £70 and Scotland resident rate is available from £80.

Our experience playing the course provided an enjoyable change of pace to the links courses in the rest of St Andrews, and after the short drive back into town, there are plenty of places to enjoy after the round is over. Our visit featured a stay at the stunning Rusacks Hotel, operated by Marine & Lawn Hotels, and a visit to the 18 Rooftop Restaurant – if you can secure a room with a view here, waking up and being right on top of the 18th fairway of the Old Course is a truly special experience. The beautiful hotel has 119 rooms to offer, all renovated in 2021, as well as the most convenient location anywhere in the old town for golfers.

With Craigtoun, it’s clear that St Andrews Links Trust has added another compelling option to its roster, and that is something to be celebrated. Golf is moving quickly, and it’s perhaps only natural that the spiritual home of the game would change and adapt too - but it was never a given. It would be simpler for St Andrews Links to simply conserve what they already have, welcoming golfers onto the same links and not changing a thing. But for all the tradition, change has always been part of this place and Craigtoun is just the latest example of the old town being full of new surprises: it’s a reminder that whether on the links or, now, on the heath, St Andrews remains the ultimate players’ pilgrimage.

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