The Duke’s

When you think of St Andrews, you think of pure links golf. The Duke’s provides something completely different to that...

It is one of the newest courses in the region, first opening in 1995, and it was originally an inland links-style venue. However, following wholescale changes, it is now a proper heathland track.

It sits just a couple of miles inland, and overlooking the town from a higher elevation. From the tips, it is 7,500 yards, but there are nicer options for us mere mortals!

Check out our full piece on the Old Course Hotel & Duke’s Resort here.

Visit The Duke’s website here.

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The Duke’s is one of the youngest golfing venues in the region, having only been officially opened in 1995, having been designed by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson.

The original Duke’s Course at St Andrews Links was an inland links course. However, within a decade, that was changed, with the links element to the Duke’s gotten rid of.

Renovated and revised by Tom Liddy in 2006, it now features more heather, trees, and bunkers, to give it that heathland feel. Five completely new holes were created while the visual impact also changed dramatically, with waste-style bunkering a particularly eye-catching feature.

The Duke's stands high above St Andrews and offers a completely different golfing experience to the links courses in the town itself. It was the first heathland style course at the Home of Golf and has matured into one of the finest in the British Isles. It is the longest of the seven golf courses in St Andrews, measuring more than 7,500 yards from the back tees. However, there are plenty of options when it comes to the course yardage, with a range of five tees. The Whites are around 6,550 yards, though that is still no slouch.

The Duke’s begins with a tough driving hole. It is a par 5 which is shy of 500 yards, but bunkers and heather on either side make it feel much tighter than it perhaps is. The green is guarded by another large bunker on its left side. A par is a good score to get your round underway. The 2nd is a tough par 4 of almost 440 yards, with thick trees on both sides of the fairway. The short stuff itself is incredibly undulating, with mounds throughout the hole. The green sits round to the right of the fairway, and guarded by sand once more. The first of the short holes comes at 3. It is only 150 yards, and a gorgeous view from the tee over sandscapes. The green is two-tiered, so make sure you find the right section.

4 and 5 offer up birdie chances. The former is 375 yards, and the ideal line is to take your tee shot over the corner of the fairway bunker on the right. Manage that, and you’ll have a short iron into the green. The 5th is even shorter at just 328 yards from the Whites. A fairway bunker around 190 yards from the tee is the main danger, so stay short of that if you’re playing safe. Even from there, you’ll have only 140 yards to the centre of the two-tiered putting surface. 6 is a strong par 5, and one that can be played a number of ways. It is 525 yards, and the longest hitters will fancy their chances, but three fairway bunkers on the left side can cause an issue. The second set of bunkers provide a good marker to lay up for those playing it as a three-shotter.

A stream down the right side of the 7th is just one of the hazards. There is a large bunker on the right side as well around the 220-yard mark to avoid off the tee. This par 4 is 435 yards all in, and there are three traps by the green as well. Be grateful you’re not playing off the back tees when you get to the par 3 8th. It is 250 yards from the tips, but only 175 yards from the Whites. Four bunkers are in play, along with plenty of heather and gorse, around what is a relatively wide green. The final hole on the front side is a tricky par 4. It is 375 yards in length, and there is some space for you to attack the tee shot. The green is almost 40 yards in length, surrounded by sand and has two tiers, so accuracy and club selection are vital.

The opening stretch on the back nine will either wreck your scorecard or bring the best out of you. Water cuts across the 10th fairway at the 250-yard mark, which might make you think about your club off the tee, while 11 is the hardest hole on the course. At 640 yards from the tips, it is also the longest hole on the Duke’s. Even at 552 yards, it is tough from the Whites. Water cuts diagonally in front of the green, and comes into play after sand has been a pest throughout. The back three tees on the 12th make you play over water to find the par 3 green, but it doesn’t come into play with any sort of good contact. A false front on this green, means you have to get it to the middle for it to stay on the surface.

A trio of par 4s take you through the middle of the back nine on The Duke’s. A fairway bunker on either side of the 13th pinches the short grass in around the 230-yard mark. The green slopes into the centre from both sides, so a flag in the middle of this surface is gettable. 14 is more than 400 yards from the Whites, and again, a trio of fairway bunkers are in your eyeline off the tee. One more trap is on the right side of the green, and the back right of the surface is in its own little portion, so balls can gather in that section. The 15th winds round to the left, with trees down the right side of the hole. Your drive needs to be down the right side to give yourself the best angle to this tricky green. A total of six bunkers surround the multi-layered putting surface.

The closing stretch on The Duke’s begins with the last of the par 3s. It is 190 yards from the Whites, and again, there is plenty of sand in your eyeline. The 17th has a water hazard on its right side, but a drive that is less than 240 yards will be safe of it. The green is the longest on the course, at more than 40 yards, so work out where the flag is before selecting which club to hit. The closing hole on The Duke’s offers up a late birdie opportunity as your round comes to an end. It is a 370-yard par 4 that moves slightly round to the left. Two traps are by the green, but it is a welcoming surface to fire an approach into.

Where is The Duke’s located?

The Duke’s is one of several stunning venues in the St Andrews portfolio, and the layout sits inland from the coast, where the majority of the courses are. The town of St Andrews is only three miles to the northeast, while Dundee is 20 miles to the north. The Scottish capital city of Edinburgh is just over 50 miles to the southwest.

Edinburgh Airport – the biggest and busiest airport in Scotland – is the closest major international airport for visitors to The Duke's. It is 50 miles from the venue and operates flights to and from most European countries, as well as flights to North America. The nearest train station is around ten miles away from the venue at Leuchars. Trains from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee and even London Kings Cross visit Leuchars Station daily.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?

As you would expect from its location, there are plenty of venues on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list that are in close order. There are five other courses in the St Andrews portfolio on the list – the Old Course, the New Course, the Jubilee Course, the Castle Course and the Eden Course. Just down the coast, there is also the Kittocks Course and the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews, along with both Kingsbarns and Crail (Balcomie).

What golf facilities does The Duke’s offer?

Along with The Duke’s Course, the venue also offers wonderful practice facilities at The Academy. The facility includes a driving range and a short game area, which features a putting green, chipping green and practice bunker.

What are the green fees at The Duke’s?

The price of a green fee at The Duke’s changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.

For more information on current green fees at The Duke’s, visit their website here.