Latest news with #LinksTrust
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of golfers apply for discounted rounds on world-famous links courses
More than 14,500 applications have been made by Scottish golfers for the chance to play the historic courses at St Andrews Links at a reduced rate as part of an initiative to widen access to the Home of Golf. Between May and October 2025, 179 tee times are being made available as part of The Drive, meaning golfers resident in Scotland have the opportunity to play at a reduced price. The first wave of available tee times has seen incredible demand with 14,547 golfers applying for the 81 available four-ball times to play on the famous Old Course and the Eden Course on dates in May and June. With the majority of applications for two-ball tee times, this means golfers had a one in 90 chance of securing a tee time. The remainder of the tee times as part of the pilot project will be on the Castle and Jubilee Courses in September and October this year, with applications opening for those times on 6 August 2025. READ MORE: Hints of 'more opportunities' for cut-rate Old Course play St Andrews Old Course golf rounds to be offered at £42.50 I embarrassed my sons on the golf course open to all The first year of The Drive will see a total of 716 golfers given the opportunity to access tee times across the Old, Castle, Jubilee and Eden courses at an 87.5% reduction on the regular high season green fees. Those who have been successful in securing an Old Course tee time in the free-to-enter ballot will pay just £42.50. The Eden Course will cost just £9.50. A round on the Castle Course will cost £22.50, down from £180, while it will cost golfers £18.75 to play the Jubilee Course, down from £150. Given the initial success of the initiative, the Links Trust is already looking at opportunities to expand tee time allocation for The Drive in 2026. A golfer on the 18th hole at the Old Course (Image: Official Photo St Andrews Links® The Home of Golf) Neil Coulson, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: 'We are delighted so many golfers across Scotland have embraced The Drive and are so keen to come to play our famous courses. 'As the Home of Golf, we believe in widening access to the sport and this new initiative is part of our drive to provide opportunities for golfers of all ages and abilities. Given the huge number of applications, it is clear the demand is there for Scottish golfers to experience St Andrews Links, and we are already looking at how we can expand the initiative into 2026 and beyond with more times. 'We now look forward to welcoming those who have been successful in applying for tee times on the Old Course and the Eden Course, and hope golfers across Scotland can enjoy some excellent golf.' As the custodians of the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links Trust launched The Drive initiative to support its charitable objectives to promote golf participation by encouraging players of all ages and abilities to get involved in the sport. It is part of an ongoing review of access to the St Andrews Links courses amid unprecedented local and global demand for golf to ensure they remain accessible for local residents, ticketholders and visitors. All tee times provided as part of The Drive are from existing visitor or commercial allocations and will not impact priority times allocated to Links Ticketholders. The first tee times fulfilled as part of The Drive initiative will be on Wednesday, May 21 with 44 golfers playing the Old Course for just £42.50 each. Full details and how to apply are available at:
The Herald Scotland
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Thousands apply for discounted rounds on world-famous links courses
The first wave of available tee times has seen incredible demand with 14,547 golfers applying for the 81 available four-ball times to play on the famous Old Course and the Eden Course on dates in May and June. With the majority of applications for two-ball tee times, this means golfers had a one in 90 chance of securing a tee time. The remainder of the tee times as part of the pilot project will be on the Castle and Jubilee Courses in September and October this year, with applications opening for those times on 6 August 2025. READ MORE: Hints of 'more opportunities' for cut-rate Old Course play St Andrews Old Course golf rounds to be offered at £42.50 The first year of The Drive will see a total of 716 golfers given the opportunity to access tee times across the Old, Castle, Jubilee and Eden courses at an 87.5% reduction on the regular high season green fees. Those who have been successful in securing an Old Course tee time in the free-to-enter ballot will pay just £42.50. The Eden Course will cost just £9.50. A round on the Castle Course will cost £22.50, down from £180, while it will cost golfers £18.75 to play the Jubilee Course, down from £150. Given the initial success of the initiative, the Links Trust is already looking at opportunities to expand tee time allocation for The Drive in 2026. A golfer on the 18th hole at the Old Course (Image: Official Photo St Andrews Links® The Home of Golf) Neil Coulson, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: 'We are delighted so many golfers across Scotland have embraced The Drive and are so keen to come to play our famous courses. 'As the Home of Golf, we believe in widening access to the sport and this new initiative is part of our drive to provide opportunities for golfers of all ages and abilities. Given the huge number of applications, it is clear the demand is there for Scottish golfers to experience St Andrews Links, and we are already looking at how we can expand the initiative into 2026 and beyond with more times. 'We now look forward to welcoming those who have been successful in applying for tee times on the Old Course and the Eden Course, and hope golfers across Scotland can enjoy some excellent golf.' As the custodians of the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links Trust launched The Drive initiative to support its charitable objectives to promote golf participation by encouraging players of all ages and abilities to get involved in the sport. It is part of an ongoing review of access to the St Andrews Links courses amid unprecedented local and global demand for golf to ensure they remain accessible for local residents, ticketholders and visitors. All tee times provided as part of The Drive are from existing visitor or commercial allocations and will not impact priority times allocated to Links Ticketholders. The first tee times fulfilled as part of The Drive initiative will be on Wednesday, May 21 with 44 golfers playing the Old Course for just £42.50 each. Full details and how to apply are available at:
Scotsman
20-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Whopping figure revealed for cut-price St Andrews tee times
More than 14,500 Scottish golfers applied for The Drive initiative launched by Links Trust Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... More than 14,500 applications have been made by Scottish golfers for the chance to play on the historic courses at St Andrews at a reduced rate as part of an initiative to "widen access to the home of golf". The whopping figure was revealed 24 hours before 44 players tackle the Old Course for just £42.50 each as part of an initiative called The Drive. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Between this month and October, 179 tee times are being made available by St Andrews Links Trust to give golfers resident in Scotland the opportunity to play at a reduced price. The first wave of available tee times has seen incredible demand, with 14,547 golfers applying for the 81 available four-ball times to play on the famous Old Course and the Eden Course on dates in May and June. A player tees off the on the 18th hole on the Old Course, where 44 Scottish golfers will play on Wednesday for just £42.50 each | St Andrews Links Trust The remainder of the tee times as part of the pilot project will be on the Castle and Jubilee Courses in September and October, with applications opening for those times on August 6. Due to the initial success of the initiative, the Links Trust is already looking at opportunities to expand tee time allocation for The Drive in 2026. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are delighted so many golfers across Scotland have embraced The Drive and are so keen to come to play our famous courses,' said Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust. Initiative set be expanded into 2026 and beyond 'As the Home of Golf, we believe in widening access to the sport and this new initiative is part of our drive to provide opportunities for golfers of all ages and abilities. 'Given the huge number of applications, it is clear the demand is there for Scottish golfers to experience St Andrews Links, and we are already looking at how we can expand the initiative into 2026 and beyond with more times.
USA Today
22-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Playing St. Andrews' Old Course for less than $50? It's possible, but there's a hitch
Playing St. Andrews' Old Course for less than $50? It's possible, but there's a hitch Golfers are being given the chance to play the famous Old Course at St. Andrews for less than $50, rather than the usual fees of around $400, but there is a hitch. The move is part of a new initiative by St. Andrews Links Trust, named 'Drive,' to widen access to its courses. St. Andrews Links Trust has revealed that, between May and October, 179 tee times will be made available at a reduced price for 'golf enthusiasts who live in Scotland.' International players are not eligible for the reduced rate. It added that, as a result, 716 golfers will have the opportunity to access tee times across the Old, Castle, Jubilee and Eden courses at an 87.5% reduction on the 'regular high season' green fees. St. Andrews Links Trust said: 'This means that a round on the Old Course will be available for £42.50 rather than £340, while on The Castle Course a round will cost £22.50, down from £180.' The initiative is aimed at people who 'love golf, play golf and haven't had the chance to play golf in St. Andrews'. Applicants must be residents of Scotland. St. Andrews Links Trust said: 'Across the world, green fees have been increasing, with some courses in the UK now charging £1,000 for a round. As a charity, the Links Trust has a responsibility to grow the sport and wants to buck this global trend by finding ways to make golf more accessible for all.' It added that all tee times in the initiative will be from existing visitor allocations, and offered at the reduced green fee rate 'to offer the opportunity for those who may not normally be able to experience the Home of Golf.' The first stage of the project to widen access to what St. Andrews Links Trust described as 'some of the world's most iconic golf courses' will see 11 tee times made available on the Old Course on May 21. The trust said that players keen to participate will be encouraged to sign up in a two-ball ballot, and successful applicants will then be paired up and allocated a tee time. It added: 'Over the last six years, the Links Trust has seen unprecedented demand from ticket holders and visitors as golf has enjoyed a surge in popularity. 'However, as a charitable trust, part of the organisation's mission is to ensure the advancement of public participation in sport - a goal this new initiative will help support.' The trust revealed that, should the initiative prove successful, it intends to 'further increase opportunities in 2026 and beyond.' Neil Coulson, chief executive of St. Andrews Links Trust, said: 'As the Home of Golf, St. Andrews Links Trust takes its responsibility to the sport incredibly seriously. That is why we are so excited to launch a new initiative offering golfers across Scotland the opportunity to play our historic and iconic courses at a lower price. 'Widening access to golf is a key objective for us, and over the coming years we hope we can continue to provide opportunities to golfers of all ages and abilities.' He added: 'Golf has become increasingly popular in recent years and, with this, demand for our courses has surged to unprecedented levels. We will continue to ensure that our ticket holders and visitors have the best experience possible, while ensuring that one of the country's most precious golfing assets is available for the public too.'
Scotsman
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
£42.50 to play Old Course - Scottish golfers set for St Andrews steal
Staggering 87.5% reduction being offered for four Links Trust courses through new initiative Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Well, well, well! A Scottish golf venue has launched an exciting new initiative that will see green fees slashed for Scottish golfers and guess what? It is providing the chance to play what is arguably the world's most-famous course for just over £40. No, your eyes are not deceiving you. That's how much it will cost some lucky Scots to tee it up on the Old Course at St Andrews, venue of a record 31 Open Championships, as part of Drive, which has been unveiled by St Andrews Links Trust to 'widen access to its iconic courses'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Between May and October this year, a total of 179 tee times on offer through the Links Trust's booking process are being made available at a reduced rate for 'golf enthusiasts who live in Scotland' and aimed at people who 'love golf, play golf and haven't had the chance to play golf in St Andrews'. A golfer tees off on the 18th on the Old Course, where a few lucky people will be playing for just £42.50 this year | St Andrews Links Trust It means that 716 golfers will get the opportunity to play four of the Links Trust's seven courses - the Old, Castle, Jubilee and Eden - at a staggering 87.5 per cent reduction on the regular high-season green fees. So, instead of £340 for the Old Course, it will be £42.50 while the cost for the Castle Course will be £22.50 as opposed to £180 for an adult and £90 for someone under 16. Instead of £150 for an adult and £75 for under-16s, it will be just £18.75 for the Jubilee Course and £9.50 for the Eden Course rather than £75 and £38. 'As the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links Trust takes its responsibility to the sport incredibly seriously,' said chief executive Neil Coulson of what is one of the most eye-catching announcements in the game in terms of green fees being reduced for a long time. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'That is why we are so excited to launch a new initiative offering golfers across Scotland the opportunity to play our historic and iconic courses at a lower price. Widening access to golf is a key objective for us, and over the coming years we hope we can continue to provide opportunities to golfers of all ages and abilities.' Make no mistake, this really is something that should be applauded, especially for those who will get the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the game's greats on the Old Course, with the first stage of the project seeing 11 tee times made available for it on 21 May. Just think about it. Someone who previously might have had to be content with a game of putting on the Himalayas, home of the St Andrews Ladies Putting Club, because of the normal cost for the Old Course and also, of course, the huge demand for tee times on it will now enjoy a fairytale experience at one of the sport's cathedrals. 'Golf has become increasingly popular in recent years and with this demand for our courses has surged to unprecedented levels,' added Coulson, who took up the reins of the charitable trust in 2021 and has certainly put his own stamp on the post. 'We will continue to ensure that our ticket holders (locals gain access to all seven of the Links Trust's courses for just £386 through an annual ticket) and visitors have the best experience possible, while ensuring that one of the country's most precious golfing assets is available for the public, too.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scottish-based golfers are being offered the opportunity to putt out on the 18th green on the Old Course for the first time through the Drive initiative launched by St Andrews Links Trust | St Andrews Links Trust It has to be pointed out, of course, that the Links Trust can afford to offer discounted rounds. In 2023, it brought in an all-time high total incoming of £43.8 million, with net income of £11.4m whereas the corresponding figure a decade earlier had been a modest £900,000. Though helped by an increase in merchandising sales, the main factor for that huge upturn is the sheer number of rounds rising from 213,086 to 283,032 in that period. In short, golf is booming in St Andrews, though not everyone is happy. As highlighted in 'Scorecard: The Business of Golf', The Scotsman's recent series scrutinising the finances underpinning the game, a newly-formed group known as the St Andrews Resident Golf Association (STARGA) has expressed concern that an emphasis on increasing revenues may be subverting the original intention of the legislation for the Links Trust being established in 1974. Its members believe the total number of visitor rounds increasing by 49 per cent from 2009 to 2023 is disproportionate and that the courses are 'overplayed', but no-one can surely voice any discontent about the Links Trust trying to 'buck the trend' when it comes to green fees, albeit for a limited number, and, moreover, allowing Scottish golfers to be the beneficiaries. According to a study conducted by UK Golf Guy, a popular account on X, the average green fee at a selection of top 20 venues in the UK has increased by 105 per cent between 2015 and 2025. The figure was £182 in 2015, but, a decade later, that has jumped to £374. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland's best golf courses Read our guide to Scotland's best golf courses Martin Dempster has covered golf in Scotland for 30 years. Sign up to his new newsletter guide to Scotland's best courses for top tips on how to play and how to plan the ultimate Scottish golf trip At North Berwick, for example, the cost of a green fee has risen by 185 per cent from £100 to £285 while other big jumps were highlighted at Royal Dornoch (167 per cent from £120 to £320, Trump Turnberry (120 per cent from £250 to £600) and Trump International Golf Links (130 per cent from £215 to £495). At Trump Turnberry, meanwhile, a round on the Ailsa Course has been hiked to £1,000 this year for non-hotel residents before 1pm. Let's not beat about the bush. Some of those figures are eye-watering, but, in fairness, they've been set due to the fact most foreign visitors here expect to pay that sort of money at top-class venues around the world and they'd be wary if Scottish courses were considerably cheaper. It also should be noted, of course, that lots of the top venues around the country offer local resident and/or Scottish resident rates, so what the Links Trust is doing isn't necessarily a ground-breaking step.
