October 27, 2026
Coming upDay 8 of Scotland 2026
The finale.
Photos, swings, and the score land here after the round.
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
The Old Course at St Andrews
The Old Course at St Andrews is the home of golf. Golf has been played on these links since the 1400s, the course set the 18-hole standard in 1764, and it has hosted 30 Open Championships, more than anywhere else. The Perry Bros play it on October 27, 2026, day 8 of our Scotland trip.
Course facts
- Location
- St Andrews, Fife, Scotland
- Access
- Public (St Andrews Links Trust); advance booking, daily ballot, or walk-up singles; closed to golf on Sundays
- Architect
- No single architect; the links evolved naturally, with Old Tom Morris shaping key features
- Opened
- Golf played here since the 1400s; 18 holes since 1764
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,313 for the 2022 Open
- Big events
- 30 Open Championships (most recently 2022, Cameron Smith; next in 2027); Women's British Open (2007, 2013, 2024); 2023 Walker Cup; Alfred Dunhill Links co-host
Our round at the Old Course
About the Old Course
Nobody designed the Old Course. It evolved on common land over centuries, and in 1764 the Society of St Andrews Golfers combined holes to bring it from 22 to 18, which became the standard for the game. Old Tom Morris later built the 1st and 18th greens and shaped much of what golfers see today.
It has hosted the Open 30 times, most recently in 2022, when Cameron Smith won at 20 under, and the Open returns in 2027. Tiger Woods won here in 2000 and 2005.
The Old Course is the last round of our Scotland trip.
What stands out
- Seven double greens shared by two holes each; only the 1st, 9th, 17th and 18th have their own.
- The Swilcan Bridge on the 1st and 18th is thought to be more than 700 years old.
- The 17th, the Road Hole, plays over the corner of the Old Course Hotel to a green guarded by the Road Hole Bunker and a road.
Scotland 2026: the rest of the trip
Day 1Oct 2026Day 2Oct 2026Day 3Oct 2026Day 4Oct 2026Day 5Oct 2026Day 6Oct 2026Day 7Oct 2026
Archerfield Links, Fidra Course
Dirleton, Scotland · October 20, 2026
North Berwick Golf Club, West Links
North Berwick, Scotland · October 21, 2026
Muirfield
Gullane, Scotland · October 22, 2026
Luffness New Golf Club
Aberlady, Scotland · October 23, 2026
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Kingsbarns, Scotland · October 24, 2026
Panmure Golf Club
Barry, Scotland · October 25, 2026
Carnoustie Championship Course
Carnoustie, Scotland · October 26, 2026
Quick answers
Can anyone play the Old Course at St Andrews?
Yes. It is a public course run by St Andrews Links Trust. Tee times come through advance booking, the daily ballot, or as a walk-up single, and players need a valid handicap certificate.
How many Opens have been played at St Andrews?
Thirty, most recently in 2022. The 155th Open returns to the Old Course in 2027.
Is the Old Course open on Sundays?
No. The Old Course is closed to golf on Sundays, when the links is open for people to walk.
Sources: St Andrews Links: the Old Course · The Open: 2022 course card · St Andrews: the Swilcan Bridge · Wikipedia: Old Course at St Andrews