Traditional St Andrews Golf Vacation
St Andrews Old Course, New Course, Jubilee Course, Castle Course, with Crail, Elie, and Lundin
Striding out at St Andrews and the Fairway's of Fife.
Visiting golfers have become more ambitious over the decades in terms of what they look to include, so our St Andrews Golf Vacation is a bit of a throwback to the days of the traditional annual St Andrews golf week
For many overseas visitors, playing the ‘auld grey toon’ at least once in their life is akin to ‘a calling’. The Faraway Fairways St Andrews golf vacation still places the Old Course firmly in the centre of our target, but we also seek to weave in some some of traditional ancient old links of Fife as well. These combined with a selection of courses from St Andrews itself, will provide a visiting golfer with a relatively inexpensive portfolio and traditional set of links.
There has always been a been of a debate as to which of the set is best. The ‘other’ links of St Andrews have heritage and status, but tend to play on the same piece of land. The courses have a similarity about them. By contrast the ancient old links of the Largo Coast to the south, probably have more personality. In truth, we can’t split them. So we play both
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Itinerary
Sunday – (St Andrews town, and Old Course walk)
Monday – Crail (East Neuk of Fife)
Tuesday – Elie or Leven (Falkland Palace)
Wednesday – St Andrews Castle Course
Thursday – St Andrews Jubilee Course
Friday – Lundin (Edinburgh)
Saturday – St Andrews Old/ New Course
Important note – We will contest St Andrews Old Course ballots for all possible days
Please read the day of the week as XYZ / St Andrews Old Course
Elie now closes for visitor play in the ‘super peak’ season, so we might find we need to play Leven instead
Sunday - Old Course Walk and Town
For many golfers visiting Scotland, particularly those coming for the first time, the draw of the St Andrews Old Course is what they’ll base their plans around, and the St Andrews golf vacation with Fife is perfect for just this.
Perhaps the question Faraway Fairways get asked more than any other is about one’s prospects of play on the St Andrews Old Course that avoids the exorbitant fees of a guaranteed package. By basing ourselves in St Andrews, the St Andrews golf Vacation offers us an exceptionally high prospect, but before we even need to launch into this process, we can get a taster on Sunday
The Old Course is a public course with no play on the sabbath. Instead it reverts to open public access, allowing us to walk the links in the footsteps of the legend and soak it all up
Monday - Crail
The Crail Golf Society is the seventh oldest in the world, and always popular. It’s a short, fun course defended by hazard rather than yardage, making it a thinkers track. You have to play shots over rocky bays, hit long par threes with greens perched atop vertical cliffs, and then hit a return drive from an elevated tee into fairways laid out invitingly below. Shots to greens seemingly engulfed by gorse, and curving par fours round sandy strands, all dare the golfer to cut off too much.
Beware the fifth, no lesser an authority on Scottish golf than Sam Torrance regards ‘Hells Hole’ as the most difficult par 4 in Scotland. If all this wasn’t enough, Crail sits on the eastern tip of the Fife Peninsula and so adds ‘exposure’ to the garrison.
The coastal sections at the start and finish are normally regarded as the pick. The 14th is enough that has earned respect
It would also be remiss not to note that the newer ‘Craighead’ course is also a worthy adversary should be inclined to convert Crail into a 36 hole day
Tuesday - Elie
Hemmed in between two headlands the links of Elie would probably be the nomination for Fife’s ‘hidden gem’, and like neighbouring Lundin has also been used as a final Open Championship Qualifying venue to support St Andrews. This historic links effortlessly combines undulating fairways with large, fast and firm greens. Indeed, Peter Thomson, winner of five Open Championships, called Elie a jewel amongst Scotland’s elite courses, and says: “It’s quirky and it’s the most enjoyable course I know. If I had my way I’d build Elie’s all over the world.”
Elie is not a course that gives up good scores easily and the patient player that crafts their way around these cultured links will always fare better than the thoughtless golfer who tries simply to overpower them. At 6,273 yards the course is not long, but its network of bunkers are beautifully placed to catch those that stray offline or misjudge their distances.
Elie enjoys the distinction of being the home club of former Open winner and legendry course designer James Braid, as well as being the third oldest course in the world (naturally this is disputed as Elie and Earlsferry was believed to be the original course and some arbitrators will tell you that the current course can no longer reflect this lineage due to changes)
Wednesday - St Andrews Castle Course
‘The Castle’ is the newest addition to the clan St Andrews (if we require the qualification to be a new build – the Craigtoun Course was added in 2025 but was technically a management arrangement as the Trust took over the old Dukes Course from the hotel).
Set atop cliffs it’s perhaps more Pebble Beach, than Scotland, yet the course has successfully cultivated a links character. The elevation provides stunning vistas of the bay and town below, making it one of the most photogenic courses in the country. You won’t be the first person to pause and smile as you look down into the town of St Andrews itself with all the historic landmarks on the skyline and simply think Wow! The course is really quite dramatic as the sea can usually be relied on to put up a display of raw energy. The eighth and and the par 3, seventeenth, ‘the Braes’ are particularly awesome.
Thursday - St Andrews Jubilee Course
The Jubilee in question was that of Queen Victoria. This course therefore dates to 1897. It’s a quite typical links for the area, threading its way through low dunes, and without any double greens. The raised tees afford the golfer stunning views across St Andrews Bay and the town beyond.
It was only in 1988 that the Jubilee course came of age when Donald Steel was asked to upgrade it, adding length, interest, and challenge to the layout. Slowly it started to build up a reputation and loyalty. Today most judges agree the Jubilee is St Andrews’s most underrated course. Some go even further and regard it has the toughest links in the family now.
Friday - Lundin Links
Located on the Fife coast, Lundin rubs shoulders with golf’s aristocrats and has indeed been used as a final qualifying venue for St Andrews Opens. It’s a complex links course with open burns, an internal out of bounds (the old railway line), and strategic bunkering, which presents a challenge for the thinking golfer. Position from the tee rather than distance will yield just rewards on the scorecard.
The course remains largely as laid out by James Braid some 100 years ago. The first five holes are in the classic links tradition. Players then cross an extinct railway line and play the nine ‘new’ hybrid holes of links and parkland turf. Back across the railway, the last four holes revert to the genuine links tradition.
Saturday - St Andrews Old Course
There is little point writing about the St Andrews Old Course as you’ll pretty well know about it. Instead we’ll focus on how it ‘fits in’
We’ll contest Old Course ballots across various days when we’re able to do so dependent on availability and our proximity to play it. This means its fluid as to where it drops in. If we have to play it on another day, then we’ll look to rearrange which ever course was affected by this for Saturday and remove the unpaid New Course (we don’t have to prebook and prepay the New Course).
For the purposes of this presentation, the Old Course is something of a placeholder to help reassure you its there, but it could appear anywhere dependent on how the ballot behaves
If we completely fail with the Old Course, then the New Course will slot in just to ensure we aren’t left empty handed
Saturday - St Andrews New Course (alternative)
“New” in the context of St Andrews means 1895!
The New Course is often said to be the town’s favourite. It’s a tighter and more defined course than its regal neighbour, and aided by yellow gorse bushes, it tends to be more aesthetic too. The ‘New’ runs adjacent to the Old course and as a consequence has similar characteristics. The fairways are undulating but not as dipped as the Old course, leading to fewer hanging lies. A traditional out and back nine, only the 3rd and 15th share a green. The burn wends its way through a low dune system and features some particularly charismatic holes. The 464yd tenth is often cited as the pick. Think about it logically. It’s likely that the newer course that was designed for purpose, would be the better golf course than the ancient artefact. The good folk of St Andrews know!
Non Golf Options
CLICK, button below to view non-golfers Edinburgh
CLICK, button below to view non-golfers St Andrews
CLICK, button below to view non-golfers Scotland (general)
Other courses involved
Once upon a time, before the 5-star leisure operators moved into town, and before the advent of the pay and play commercial courses, the traditional St Andrews golf vacation was a week playing the town’s links with the undoubted highlight being the Old Course, reinforced by some of the ancient old layouts on the Lower Largo Coast. With a hint of nostalgia, this is where the Scottish golf travel industry began
Visitors with sadistic streak quickly realised they could add Carnoustie or Panmure were they to venture ‘across the Tay’ and some might be tempted inland to Gleneagles as well, but this is how it looked for a long time. Gradually though, golfers learnt how to spread their wings and ambitions grew as visitors sought to combine regions
The traditional St Andrews golf vacation still retained a following, but went into retreat. Now however, as the top courses begin to test visitors with ever more demanding green fees, maybe the time is right to revisit some of the oldest courses in the world, and where we can play three of them for the price that certain courses are charging?
The traditional St Andrews golf vacation is laid out as a seven night duration staying exclusively in the town of St Andrews throughout.
Occasionally people ask about spending the final night in Edinburgh (nearer the airport) but it isn’t normally a good idea with the ballot a potential variable. If we’ve had to check out a hotel, and then get a later tee-time, we can find ourselves pinned to a vehicle with luggage waiting to play (not much fun if its raining)
At about 175 miles (over half of which would be ‘airport runs’). This is a very low mileage and low intensity transport burden. We have three courses which could easily be ‘walk out to play’ plus the Castle Course which is only 3 miles out of town.
In total, this should only require about 5 hrs 15 mins of road time
We could give very serious consideration to using a hired driver for the trip. The St Andrews golf vacation is one of the very rare examples where a hired driver can be less expensive than a self drive
The traditional St Andrews Golf Vacation trip can support Luxury, Premier and Affordable options, we’ve probably designed it a little bit more with ‘affordable’ in mind, which is reflected in the green fees
Post Covid the St Andrews accommodation market has exploded. It’s recently overtaken Edinburgh as Scotland’s most expensive destination. I’m afraid this shows no sign of slowing down. If anything it look like continuing to get worse.
The pool of credible ‘affordable’ accommodations is shrinking fast, so anyone needing to manage a budget is definitely advised to book early
As ever, the scale of non-golf activity depends on whether we’re adding extra value for golfers, or building a stand alone proposal for non-golfers to run alongside a golf programme.
St Andrews is a legitimate point of interest without golf. The ruined old castle and cathedral are natural focus points, whereas the town also possesses aesthetic charisma and history. In the height of summer the two beaches are capable of providing a ‘seaside’ experience for a young family too (albeit the water is on the cool side!)
Otherwise the combinations are quite good
- East Neuk of Fife with Crail
- Falkland Palace with Elie or Leven
- Edinburgh with Lundin
- St Andrews Town with any St Andrews Course
- Falkland Palace with Elie
Outside of St Andrews, Edinburgh can be visited by train (75 mins) and it’s certainly worth trying to fit this in against our earliest morning tee-time to create the space for us
The East Neuk of Fife has a collection of charming fishing villages we can wander around at leisure on a gentle afternoon combined with Crail
Finally Falkland Palace can be justified as well on a trip with Elie (provided we can get the tee-times to line up)
The St Andrews Old Course asks for a handicap of 36.
Unlike some courses who needn’t be rigid in enforcing their handicap thresholds, the St Andrews Links Trust will do. Fail to provide evidence will result in a refusal to allow us to play
The Old Course diary is available on-line to consult for availability and is dynamic in so much as it changes every season, although there are some known block outs that occur every year, notably the first week of May, the first week of June, and a run from early/ mid September to early/ mid October
There is no play on the Old Course on Sunday
Elie has recently taken to blocking out visitor play in the super peak period of late June to late August
Crail offers visitors specific morning and afternoon playing windows. Crail also tends to block out the Balcomie course in September, and the Craighead course in May
With all the usual disclaimers of a lottery being random, and there being no such thing as a certainty etc plus the variable factor of availability for the specific week chosen, our prospects of winning a ballot on this programme would otherwise be considered very strong if we sought to use every opportunity to do so
We should be able to contest a total of six open ballots (Mon to Sat) and six ‘singles’ ballot (Mon to Sat), for a total of twelve. At the time of writing, (early 2026), Faraway Fairways has never seen anyone fail on a 6/6 strategy
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
A St Andrews Old Course ballot is drawn 48 hrs before play, and we can safely assume that this is outside any refund window! Any win in the ballot therefore will send us into a clash with which ever course we had booked that day, and we’ll a loss of the green fee unless we can get the tee-time rearranged. For this reason we don’t necessarily want to fill every day of the week up with a paid green fee and golf course. That would be designing a forfeit (we are after all setting up to win a ballot and play the Old Course)
Luckily the St Andrews New Course can’t be prebooked, and every other tee-time after 09.00 is offered present-pay-and-play-on-the-day. This is a great way of putting a placeholder into the itinerary without taking on the liability of a prepaid green fee
We try to schedule the New Course in any St Andrews swing to max out this position. If we win a ballot on the day we were going to try and play the New Course, we simply play the Old Course instead. If we win a ballot on another day, then we look to reschedule the affected course onto the day we had the New Course inked in and avoid a forfeit that way. We’ll usually try and put the New Course last in an itinerary then to give ourselves the maximum length of runway onto which we might land the rearranged round
Perversely perhaps, we’re actually hoping not to play the New Course. The reason we wouldn’t play it, is because we’ve won a ballot and are playing the Old Course instead
Adding Non Golf Value
St Andrews
St Andrews is a legitimate visitor draw regardless of golf. The town is home to the third oldest university in the western world, ensuring it has a lot more life than you might expect. The ruined old castle and cathedral lend it historical relevance. Above all though, it’s a charismatic town with a sense of aura and place
East Neuk of Fife
The picturesque fishing villages of the East Neuk are atmospheric, with local histories, rather than being of national significance. These villages are an integral part of the fabric of Fife and easily overlooked, but fishing has played an historically important role.
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace is a medieval ‘pleasure palace’ and one-time home to Mary Queen of Scots. More recently it’s become a film location for the fictional time travel series ‘Outlander’, which might have been set in the highlands, but was largely filmed in Fife.
Edinburgh
Few trips to Scotland could really be considered complete without the Scottish capital. Edinburgh is frequently regarded as one of the UK’s most charismatic cities. Most visitors prioritise the castle, Greyfriars Bobby, Holyrood Palace, the various galleries, and increasingly its Harry Potter connection
Testimonial
From BB Canada
“I told Alun the courses I was interested in playing and he prepared a stay and play package with 14 days of outstanding golf, but also tremendous site seeing opportunities for my wife.”
From JC Illinois
“His attention to detail is amazing--I think our travel plan booklet ran to forty-eight pages, with gorgeous descriptions of cities and sights, plus maps showing where to go to catch trains, or walk from trains to hotels, sights and golf courses, etc.”
From DF Alabama
“I will cherish the memories for a long time- especially the wonderful times spent on and off the golf course with two of my brothers and brother-in-law. None of the memories and golf would have been possible or enjoyed without your tremendous planning and logistical support.”
AS from Colorado
“Alun and Faraway Fairways created possibly the most memorable golf trip we have ever experienced. EPIC is the only word that comes to mind.”
AC, From Florida/ New York, 2025
“We were hopeful to secure a 4 ball at St. Andrews while avoiding the massive expense other operators had quoted. He was very clear about the plan for achieving a tee time at the Old Course through the ballot, including detailed instruction on how it could be done, and what our odds were. He suggested mid- to late April as the best chance of success and advised that this is also the least rainy part of the year. We took his advice and trusted the process. Well, he was right on all counts!”
From SB, Minnesota
“We wholeheartedly recommend Alun and Faraway Fairways if you’re looking for a golf trip that is effortless, enjoyable, and truly unforgettable—even for a non-golfer in the mix! My husband and I will be daydreaming about this trip for years to come. 5.5 stars!”
From JB, California
“The best part was that the service was surprisingly affordable. They were thousands of dollars below other quotes that I received, in fact the prices were very similar to what I would have paid if I would have booked everything on my own.”
From JCA, Maryland
“I would and will highly recommend your company to anyone looking to plan an unforgettable golf trip. Thank You for putting together a fantastic trip for J.C. and me”
From WF Connecticut
“I think all eight of us would agree that Alun at Faraway Fairways did an absolutely wonderful job of putting this “golf vacation of a lifetime” together for us. His focus on the details was extraordinary from the choice of courses and the timing of the tee times, the amazingly beautiful accommodations along with some excellent meal selections, and the transportation options he provided to get us from place to place.”
From DR South Carolina
“You are about to tee it up in your Major. Seek wisdom, integrity and professionalism. Alun Davies and Faraway Fairways will not disappoint you. They cannot assure a calm sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s on the Old Course.”
From MM, California
“One fantastic trip you organized, and more importantly took ownership of in terms of daily communication and stewardship during our 2+ weeks in Scotland and Ireland. The logistics were spotless…100% of the transports were on time and excellent, the lodging choices spectacular and the golf was off the charts in terms of quality and arrangements made”
DH from California
“You cannot go wrong with the support Faraway Fairways offered. I did this trip solo and all last minute but I have already begun to plan the next trip which will include my best golfing buddies.”
Enquiry
We don't need to make this an ordeal by 101 filtering questions! In reality there are probably little more than half a dozen things we need to know to build out a proposal. The guidance below might help you frame answers
Duration - usually best expressed as a range up to a maximum
Time of year - can be anything from a specific date range to a named season
Travel class - Faraway Fairways uses 'Luxury', 'Premier' or 'Affordable' for generic purposes. You might choose to reference the international 'star' rating system. We're only looking for something to help steer us into the right sector
Self drive or hired driver - In broad terms, self driving is normally less expensive, and much more flexible, but some folk just don't want to do it
Must play courses/ must do places - a few name checks is all that's needed