A record 300,000 rounds of golf are expected to be played at the Home of Golf this year as St Andrews Links Trust officially takes over management of its eighth golf course with the addition of The Craigtoun Course from January 5th.
The newest course in the Links Trust’s portfolio will offer additional playing opportunities for St Andrews residents and Links ticketholders at the Home of Golf, with around 26,000 rounds expected at the course over the next 12 months.
Visitors to St Andrews are also set to benefit with the introduction of reduced Fife and Scottish resident tee times from £45 at The Craigtoun Course, helping to deliver more accessible and affordable golf opportunities for those who are not Links ticketholders.
Annually, around 280,000 rounds of golf have been played across St Andrews Links in recent years and with the additional capacity offered by The Craigtoun Course, this is expected to exceed 300,000 in 2026. Managed in a similar manner to the other courses at St Andrews Links, The Craigtoun Course will operate with a mix of existing member, ticketholder and visitor play.
Previously known as The Duke’s Course, The Craigtoun Course will offer a different experience to the Links Trust’s other courses, with its demanding tree-lined heathland layout. Around 300 existing members will transfer over to The Craigtoun Course with commitments given by the Links Trust to retain membership playing rights at the course with the introduction of guaranteed member times.
Current club captain Graeme Seath will mark the occasion by hitting the first ceremonial tee shot at The Craigtoun Course alongside past captains Wullie Kerr, Ken Zaremski, Graeme Maclean, Sandy Mitchell, and David Watt.
He said: “It is an honour to be selected to hit the first tee shot to recognise the occasion of the course coming under the management of St Andrews Links Trust. As a club, we have a proud history of playing at this magnificent course with a really engaged membership base. I’m excited to look to the future for many more years of membership as the course is given a new lease of life as The Craigtoun Course. With additional investment, the development of the course and club will be the envy of many and we look forward to continuing to play as members as well as welcoming visitors to share and experience this wonderful facility.”
The newly introduced Fife and Scottish resident visitor rates will see tee times available for £45 (Fife) and £55 (Scotland) in the shoulder season and £70 (Fife) and £80 (Scotland) in high season. Additionally, the full price summer visitor green fee will be reduced from £220 to £155 to align with both the New and Jubilee Course pricing, a reduction of 30%.
Neil Coulson, chief executive officer of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “Today marks an important day for St Andrews Links Trust as we take over a long-term lease of The Craigtoun Course and mark a significant step in our long-term strategy. Adding The Craigtoun Course to our already enviable catalogue of courses will allow us to offer Scottish golfers more opportunity to play at discounted rates, while increasing capacity for all ticket holders, members and visitors. We are looking forward to getting to work in the coming months to build on The Craigtoun Course’s reputation and moving forward with work to strategically invest in our facilities, creating more opportunities to play golf.”
As part of the takeover, The Craigtoun Course is taking on a revitalised identity with a new logo and name, aligning it with the links Trust’s recent brand launch. The new name is inspired by the site’s location near Craigtoun Country Park, while the logo represents the course’s natural landscape, depicting the picturesque trees synonymous with the course and surrounding area. All facilities at the course, including the clubhouse, pro-shop and driving range will be managed by the Links Trust.
A short launch film to recognise The Craigtoun Course joining the St Andrews Links portfolio is available here