St Andrews Old Course History Tour, for the Golfer
Description
These are bucket list award-winning tours with professional local guides. Aimed primarily at those with a more in-depth interest in golf, you will learn about the origins and the development of both the game and the Old Course through a timeline spanning the 13th to 20th century, plus Open and Dunhill history, finishing with a photo shoot on the iconic Swilkan Bridge (excludes tournament days). Hear memorable Road Hole moments and gain recommendations for a few more things on the bucket list to do while here, including the Himalayas and the Jigger Inn. Round off your tour by the Old Course Jigger Inn. Sundays - Walk on the Old Course fairway - excludes championship/tournament days) No tours from November to February inclusive *Check the booking calendar for availability Tours endorsed by famed Golf historian David Joy and RIck Steves.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet Richard outside front of hotel for the start of your shared tour. Please don't be late as these public tours will not wait. Tour start: Gain an overview of town history leading to 1123 Links charter.
Discover the origins and early development of the game of golf, from 13th-century stick and ball in the Low Countries to Edinburgh in 1744 and why St Andrews is the Home of Golf.
Learn about how Old Course development also developed the game of golf, where fairways and bunkers come from, golfing moments, Old Tom and the old Caddie Shack!
The Open Championship, Dunhill Cup, further course development from 12, 10 to 18 holes and important sites around the 18th.
The 1st/18th fairway and farmers, Rusacks Hotel, the Mannings, original 1st tee and 18th hole, how early caddies and ladies caused Old Tom to create the world's first putting green!
Photo shoot on one of the most iconic landmarks in the game of golf, and one of the most photographed bridges in the world. Excludes tournament days - Dunhill, Open etc.
Hear about some of the jaw-dropping golfing moments at the Road Hole - the 17th green of the Old Course, then finish the tour near the famed Old Course Jigger Inn for refreshments (not included).
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Tours not suitable for under 5s
- A fluent command of English is essential for all participants. Speaking slowly or translating does not work.
- Not suitable for strollers/carriages
- Not suitable for Crutches, walking frames, mobility scooters
- There is nowhere to leave any of the above and golf clubs etc while on tour, so make alternative arrangements
- Not suitabe for those with new knee/hip replacements, sprainked ankles etc.
Reviews(192)
Guide was extremely knowledgeable and fun. Highly recommend this tour! It was short but long enough to learn and leave the day open for more adventures
This is a perfect tour! Mike (or Mark-sorry… I may have misheard his name) was our guide. He was punctual, friendly, informative and very comfortable to listen to!!! We learned so much about golf history and he knew the best photo sites.. I’d give his tour 10 stars! Thank you. The best 75 minutes we spent in Scotland!
It is a definite must do when in the area! It was very educational and entertaining, even for non-golfers. Mike was extremely knowledgeable about both the course and the history. He was very flexible and accommodating for our group.
Rather short narratives for this tour. Picture at Swilcan Bridge was nice. Good experience just to be there if you are a golfer.
Easy walking involved. Learn so much about the history of golf at St. Andrew’s. Don’t miss this great introduction to the old course. Our guide, Mike was wonderful.
Excellent tour with Michael. Informative and well presented. A good mix of the history of the town of St. Andrew’s, golf, and the Old course. A highlight.
Short and sweet tour, giving us a bit of background on the game of golf and local history with some great views and photo ops.
Our tour guide Mike was an excellent storyteller and a historian of the course and the town. It was obvious that he has a deep love for golf and St. Andrews. He was very accommodating and took many pictures of us. One of the highlights was standing on the Swilcan bridge!
Morgan was our guide and he provided an excellent tour filled with lots of information and history about the land, people, course, club, etc. We were able to walk down the path next to the 1st tee and fairway, cut across the road to the other side of the 18th fairway and conclude with a photo on the famous Swilcan Bridge. The tour is about an hour and is good for golfers and non-golfers too. After the tour, we took a short walk over to The Jigger Inn for a great lunch and drink. I’d recommmed this stop too.
Chris, our tour guide, was terrific! Luckily we had glorious weather! Seeing St. Andrew Old Course was amazing. We learned so much and have a new found appreciation for the difficulty of the tournament! Can’t wait to watch The Open next year! Would definitely recommend this tour.
