The Castle Course is the newest addition to St Andrews Links, having been opened in 2008. It added to the portfolio at the 'Home of Golf' as the seventh course. 

The course sits to the east of both the New and Old Courses, and to the west of the Kittock and Torrance Courses. With the Castle looking over the course, and with incredible views from the cliff-top it is situated on, a round on the Castle is a memorable experience.

Visit the Castle Course page on the St Andrews' website here.
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The St Andrews Links Trust was the team behind the Castle Course, with the idea being conceived in the early part of the 21st Century.  David McLay Kidd was the man behind the design for the course. 

The area that the course is now built on had previously been used for farmland, with construction on the course starting in 2005. It officially opened for play three years later, becoming the seventh course in the St Andrews portfolio.

With elevated tees, undulating fairways and challenging greens, the Castle Course has different features to the rest of the offerings in the St Andrews list. The Castle Course has hosted the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in its short history.

A Par-71, 6,750 yard championship level venue, the Castle Course provides incredible views of the North Sea, while playing along a rugged cliff top. It might be the youngest course in the St Andrews Links collection, but it is certainly not an easy one.

The Castle Course begins with a gentle par-4, measuring at just 336 yards from the back tees. An S-shaped par-4 follows with bunkers in the landing zone of the fairway. The 3rd is the opening par-3 on the property, and measures at more than 200 yards from the back tees. The green has two distinct tiers, with the left higher than the right. The first par-5 comes after, with two fairway bunkers on the right side being your line. At 535 yards, it is reachable in two for the longer hitters.

The 5th measures just a yard longer than the 4th, and it is the hardest hole on the course. The green measures at 42-yards long, and has several swales on it. Two long par-4s follow before the 138-yard par-3 8th hole. It might be a short hole, but there is plenty of danger around the green. The closing hole on the front nine is a 377-yard par-4, with a red penalty area all the way down the left side, with the North Sea creeping in. It plays onto a double green, with the 18th hole.

There are no bunkers on the par-3 10th hole, but the opener to the back side still has plenty of danger. 11 and 12 are straight away par-4s, both measuring more than 400 yards, before the second par-3 on the back nine, the 13th. Three greenside bunkers lie in wait, with the best play seeing your approach find the left side, with the ball then feeding round to the centre of the green.

After a par-4 which sees the fairway split in two, the 15th on the longest hole on the property, at 581 yards. It is a true three-shot par-5, with two bunkers in the fairway landing zone. There is then a burn running in front of the green, meaning an accurate approach is required. 16 features a perimeter fence all down the right, before the 17th plays alongside the North Sea. At 189 yards, and with the sea down the right, it’s a very tricky penultimate hole. The Castle Course ends with a par-5, and it winds down the coast, with the North Sea on the right.

The Castle Course at St Andrews Links is located a few miles down the road from the Old Course, and is situated next to the St Andrews Bay Golf Course, all of which is on the east coast of Scotland.

The nearest major city to the town of St Andrews is Edinburgh, which sits around 90 minutes away to the south west via the A915 and A92. Edinburgh Airport is slightly closer than the city centre, and provides great links for international visitors, with daily flights around the world. 

As at any course, the most expensive green fee comes during the summer months, with an adult ticket for the Castle Course costing £160. The shoulder seasons (April and October) see the prices come down to £110.

The Castle Course is closed for the winter months, from November through February, with the course re-opening on March 1, 2024. It will cost £80 to play the Castle in the month of March. 

For each of these tickets, you are able to get an Under 16’s ticket for half price, to play alongside at least one adult in the group.

Visit the Castle Course page on the St Andrews' website here.
Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.