Posts

Old Course tee time Ballot explained

Image
The Old Course Ballot This is the historic lottery held by the St Andrews Links Trust every afternoon, except Friday, for a number of un-allocated tee times on the Old Course 2 days before you wish to play: 1. Applications are made 48 hours before your day of play. 2. Applications are accepted before 2:00 pm. 3. You can apply through the website https://standrews.com/homepage/, in person at the Old Course Pavilion or the Links Trust Clubhouse. Phone +44 (0)1334 466 666. 4. The golfer submits at least two names and maximum of four per application. 5. Home club membership and handicap details of all golfers are required. Caddie Golf Tours suggest requesting to 'play at any time' to increase the chances of success and the Ballot result is available that same day by visiting their website and an email is also sent from St Andrews Links Trust. Golfers should be aware that entering the Ballot over 4 or 5 consecutive days does not guarantee success ...

Old Course St Andrews 2022 green fee

Image
The St Andrews Links Trust recently announced the green fee costs for a round of golf on the Old Course during the 2022 golf season. The first couple of weeks in April, called the 'Shoulder Season', there is a reduced fee of £ 137 British pounds ($180). This rises to £ 270 British pounds ($355) in the 'High Season' which lasts through to the middle of October when it will drop to £ 190 pounds ($250) for the final 2 weeks of that month. Winter golf on the Old Course, known as the 'Low Season' has been priced at £ 135 pounds ($178). There are a few restrictions on the Old Course with winter tee positions, a few bunkers under reconstruction and an astroturf golf mat is used when playing on the fairway. Contact Caddie Golf Tours to assist with your golf in St Andrews and Scotland...FORE!!!
Image
Our friend David from Chicago brought his two sons over to Scotland to enjoy our links golf. This golf tour had been postponed twice due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and finally got the go ahead when international travel restrictions were lifted at start of September, 2021. David, Jeff and Greg on Old Course At the start of their golf tour they played some memorable golf on the Scottish West Coast at the beautiful Ailsa Course at Turnberry, Western Gailes and Royal Troon. They then transferred to St Andrews where they are members of the St Andrews Golf Club.  David, Jeff and Greg at Kingsbarns The week started with a round on the Old Course then Kingsbarns followed by legendary Crail Balcomie Links and finishing with the exacting Jubilee Course at St Andrews. It has been wonderful to meet our American golfers again and watch their obvious enjoyment playing golf in Scotland...FORE!

Golfers return to Scotland

Image
Fully vaccinated golfers from the USA and EU can now travel to Scotland from 2nd August, 2021, without quarantining. The need for travelers to self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival in Scotland is being waived...FORE! T his is grea t news for our two tours, from USA, scheduled for St Andrews during early September. This change to travel is a little late for m any of our overseas golfers who have postponed their 2021 summer tours into next year, 2022.  It is now time to start planning an Autumn tour this year or begin next summers golf trip to Scotland. Caddie Golf Tours are ideally placed and ready to assist. All our favourite golf courses across Scotland are open with only minimal restrictions in place for the Coronavirus COVID-19: book your tee time in advance with help of Caddie Golf Tours and arrive at Starter's Box 15 minutes before tee time. It is good to report that flagsticks can now be removed, or left in, and bunker rakes have returned. C...

Golf travel to Scotland - August / September 2021

Image
This last month has been rather disappointing for our international golfers with no news from the Scottish Government about when they will be allowed to travel to Scotland and enjoy our golf courses, even if double vaccinated. John and Lorna from Caddie Golf Tours. We have a couple of golf trips lined up for early September here in St Andrews with golfers coming from USA, but without the removal of quarantine for 10 days, in a named hotel at their own expense, and the lifting of a travel ban from the US Government it is unlikely their St Andrews golf tours will go ahead. We are told that talks have been ongoing between both governments and an announcement is expected by the end of the week that will allow 'double vaccinated' travelers to move freely between USA and UK. Certainly hoping for good news soon...FORE!

International Golfers travel to Scotland

Image
The Sottish golfing summer for our international golfers is beginning to look rather bleak. My legendary optimistic outlook is being stretched and I do not believe we will see any easing of overseas flight restrictions before the beginning of August. Even then the amount of golfers from countries allowed to enter the country without having to quarantine will be really few, even if the golfer has been double vaccinated and has had a recent approved COVID-19 test. Our Caddie Golf Tours golfers have moved their dates to late August, first week of September and next year 2022. My advice for those holding out coming to Scotland in July this year would be to postpone until after mid August, and into September and October. Following is the current COVID-19 advice from the Scottish government's international travel quarantine pages -  Before travelling to Scotland from a red list country, you'll need to: complete a passenger locator form take a COVID-19 Test book a quarantine hotel pac...

Scotland travel opens

Image
The  First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced today, that from Friday 16th April travel across Scotland for non-essential purposes can resume for all areas, to allow outdoor socializing and recreation. The country will continue with significant easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the reopening of our tourism industry across all parts of Scotland on 26th April, with travel allowed from England and Wales. Caddie Golf Tours are ready to set up and organize your golf in Scotland this summer. Please do not hesitate to contact us for tee times at our many wonderful golf courses across the country...Fore!

2021 Scotland Golf rescheduled

Image
On route to Old Course 1st tee Caddie Golf Tours, with the consent of our American golfers, have taken the decision to reschedule their St Andrews 2021 golf trip to next year 2022. This trip was originally set for June 2020, but the horrendous COVID-19 pandemic has thrown all plans into flux. As we interpret the recent Scottish government announcements this week, international travelers entering Scotland will be required to quarantine for 10 days. No timeline has been proposed about how long this will last, so we must assume that summer golf for our overseas visitors will not be available until later this year, hopefully the Autumn. Eden Course St Andrews The Open Championship is being played at St Andrews in July 2022, which means a little disruption to golfing visitors. The Old Course will be closed from late May through to mid July. With excellent assistance from all involved we have managed to rearrange our golfer's accommodation and all tee times to a week in April, 2022. The ...

Golf in Scotland after Covid-19

Image
Good to see January coming to a close and though Scotland remains in lockdown, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to believe that we will be able to travel to other parts of the country and golf some old favourites and new golf courses soon. Balcomie Links Crail Golfing Society With the continuing vaccination roll out we all have hopes of travel opening within the UK by May and certainly by the summer. It is becoming increasingly unlikely that international travel will be allowed before June, which means that the British golfer will be able to take advantage of golf at many of our great courses.   Golf House Club at Elie Golf in Scotland is not all about the Old Course St Andrews and our big reputation Open venues at Carnoustie, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Turnberry and the original Prestwick. Stretch your golfing imagination and enjoy golf on our classic links courses dotted around the country that offer real golf for real golfers! As an alternative to chasing those big name g...

Old Course St Andrews 18th green

Image
The Old Course green keepers started and completed renovation work on the banking and drainage behind the 18th green during November and December. The ground work that is done during the Scottish winter, from these greenkeeping tough guys, will be appreciated by local and our visiting overseas golfers when they return in numbers during the summer, and beyond.  Please contact Caddie Golf Tours to assist with your golf trip to Scotland and St Andrews...Fore!

Scotland January 'lockdown' and golf.

Image
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, today announced that the country would 'lockdown' for the month of January due to the increase in COVID-19. This means that the travel ban into and around the country continues with no travel between Scotland's regions. Schools are to remain closed until February, with a review to when they can open in the middle of January. The population is being asked to remain at home unless it is essential to leave for food, care or work. Outside exercise is being encouraged and you can meet outside with one other from a different household. Thankfully this means that golf in St Andrews can continue and locals can play in twos, as we did back in May last year, while taking the obvious and necessary precautions. With the news that the 'Oxford' vaccination began today in the UK we are hopeful that this and the 'lockdown' will start to see a reduction in cases and an opening to international travel with overseas golfers retur...

St Andrews Winter Golf Fees 2021

Image
The 2021 winter green fees for golf at St Andrews have been set and will be valid until 31st March 2021. Low Season 1st November - 31st March 2021   Old Course £ 98  New Course £ 43 Jubilee Course £ 43 Eden Course through December and January will be played as two 9 hole layouts and green fee for each nine holes £14. Eden Course from 1st February to 31st March the green fee for 18 holes is set at £28.  Shoulder Season 1st April - 18th April 2021 Old Course £ 137 New Course £ 60 Jubilee Course £ 60 Castle Course £ 84 Eden Course £ 39 Golf in Scotland continues, please contact Caddie Golf Tours to assist with your winter golf in St Andrews, in line with COVID-19 travel restrictions, at caddiegolftours@gmail.com  

St Andrews Winter Golf

Image
The official winter golf season has begun in St Andrews and it is marked by a reduction in green fees as well as the annual introduction of the 'fairway mats' which appeared on the Old Course on 10th November and are set to remain until 31st March 2021. The fairway mat protects the turf during these cold months, allowing play to continue on the legendary St Andrews Links with a perfect lie each time and helping to present the fairways in peak condition for the new golf season. They will also be used on the New, Jubilee, Eden and Strathtyrum courses from 1st December until 12th March 2021. The Castle Course will close this weekend, Sunday 29th November, for its' winter rest until it returns for play on 1st March 2021 when it will also have the fairway mats in use until the end of the month.

St Andrews Links in Autumn light

Image
A selection of our recent Autumn photographs taken at the great links courses in and around St Andrews. Time to begin planning your golf trip to St Andrews and Scotland with Caddie Golf Tours. We look forward to hearing from you soon @caddiegolftours@gmail.com ...Fore! Eden Course St Andrews 7th green  Old Course St Andrews first fairway Castle Course 9th green Swilken Burn on Old Course 1st green Kingsbarns Golf Links 18th tee Kingsbarns Golf Links 3rd green Old Course St Andrews approach to 14th green Autumn rainbow over Old Course 16th green 

St Andrews Golf - November Offer 2020

Image
Golfers you have a great opportunity to golf the 3 great modern links courses here in and around St Andrews: Kingsbarns Golf Links, Castle Course and Dumbarnie Links this November.  Kingsbarns Golf Links.  Castle Course St Andrews.    November 2020 Golf Offer.   Stay in 5* Fairmont Hotel St Andrews: 3 nights Bed & Breakfast in shared room.   x 1 round on Kingsbarns Golf Links, the Castle Course and Dumbarnie Links.  Cost from £ 890 per person.  Dumbarnie Links.  Contact caddiegolftours@gmail.com for more information about your golf trip to St Andrews...Fore!

St Andrews October Golf Offer

Image
Stay at 5* Fairmont Hotel St Andrews  2 nights Bed & Breakfast and 2 rounds golf x1 round at Dumbarnie Links x1 round Crail Balcomie Links From £ 530 per golfer (GBP). Based on 2 people sharing an Atrium twin or double room. Price to be paid in Great British Pounds (GBP). Subject to availability.

Only in Scotland, the Home of Golf

Image

St Andrews caddies return to work

Image
The St Andrews caddies returned to work on the Old Course and the other links courses after the enforced layoff, due to Covid-19, stopped them working on March 24th. St Andrews caddies with their golfers on Swilken Bridge This has been a tough time for the caddies who would have been working flat out with the majority of the 170 registered during the season looking at doing 2 loops a day. As it is we have close to 45 caddies available for work on the St Andrews Links caddying 2 loops a week. Caddie work is expected to increase as we move into the month of August and visiting golfers return to St Andrews and Scotland.   Caddies with golfers on Old Course 18th green A few expected restrictions are in place: suitable distancing, golf bag is placed on a complimentary push trolley with sanitized handle, no handling of players clubs or golf ball, caddie to provide hole information and shot advice as normal. No one in the group is allowed to touch the flagstick. Outwith that it is busines...

St Andrews Golf Offer August - September 2020

Image
Golf: 5 rounds:  * Old Course, Dumbarnie Links, Crail Balcomie Links, Castle Course, Lundin GC Stay: 5 nights at 5 star Fairmont Hotel St Andrews, in shared room Cost: from £1350 per person (subject to availability) * Old Course tee time accessed through local Ballot with assistance from Caddie Golf Tours and green fee paid direct to Starter. Alternative local golf arranged if unsuccessful. Golf in Scotland is returning and this summer the golfer has an opportunity to play the greatest Open venue at St Andrews and our exceptional links courses located around the town. Contact Caddie Golf Tours to discuss your golf tour options. 

St Andrews Castle Course opens

Image
The St Andrews Links Trust will be opening the celebrated Castle Course on Monday 27th July after the forced closure in late March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  It should be noted that due to Covid-19 there will be some restrictions in place, the main one being no access to changing facilities but the toilets are available in the clubhouse, and the Halfway Hut will be open for limited snacks and drinks from 09:00 - 16:00 each day. The driving range will also be available for a quick warm up before your tee off as is the practice putting green. Please contact Caddie Golf Tours for information about golf at the Castle Course, St Andrews, and across Scotland.