St Andrews Discontinues 3-Day Unlimited Pass

[IanM]

Prestwick is like TOC and North Berwick
They contain about 6 really good holes, 6 OK ish holes and 6 totally daft holes. IMVHO

Yes, and it's part of the charm in my view. Holes like that would never be built now... Playing with a bloke who won The Am there added to the experience.

 

[howbow88]

I really enjoyed Prestwick. It is a bit mad but it helped that the guy I was playing with had a caddy, who was happy to give me advice. I gave him £20 at the end to get a few beers.

Golf in the UK is becoming more and more like the US - exclusive. I guess it will always come down to supply and demand. TOC could probably treble their prices and still sell every tee time very easily. But it just doesn't sit right with me.

 

[IanM]

Have to admit this kind of rubbish puts me off going. Was planning a trip for Mine and My mates 40th next summer (as he 40 before me) but I know he can't afford it as it was .. now with this rubbish just makes it too much

Thats part of the point I was trying to make. Sad if folk cant afford it.

Go somewhere with similar vibe but cheaper!!

On one trip to Scotland last year I played Barassie and Prestwick St Nicks. Loads of fun for a fraction of the money. The Scots lads on here will be able to suggest many others. Hopefully you can get signed in!

 

[TigerBear]

I’m heading up to St Andrews again this year around the May bank holiday (it’s become a bit of a recent tradition) and just had confirmation that the 3-day unlimited pass, easily one of the best value options they had, has been scrapped entirely from the end of 2024.

They’ve replaced it with something called the “Links 54” package: three rounds (Castle, Jubilee, and Eden) plus £25 food and drink credit for £380. But it’s only available to groups of two or more. I asked if there’s anything for solo golfers and was told, “we do not have any packages we can offer to single golfers in 2025.”

I’ve been making the solo May bank holiday trip for years with my missus walking the course with me, and this was the first time I planned to go all-in with the unlimited pass. Now, unless you’re in a group or happy to pay full whack for the ever-climbing green fees, you’re out of options.

It feels like another shift toward catering exclusively to overseas tourists on a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip, while UK golfers get left behind.

Just for context, I found back in 2015, the 3-day pass was £200 and a round on the New Course was £75. That same round now costs £150, literally double in 10 years, far outpacing inflation or wages.

Feels like, more recently than anything, that the game in the UK keeps getting more expensive and more exclusive.

Crying shame to hear that. We've used the 3 day pass many times, unbeatable value.

So disappointing and especially with the no offers for the solo golfer. Poor.

 

[evemccc]

Happy to have played TOC when camping out (4th in line, arriving at 6pm), 3 weeks after the 150th Open….played in perfect August weather

Flushed my 4-iron 1st hole tee shot
Dreadful thin on my 52 Wedge into first green
Lovely iron tee shot on the Par 3, 11th hole, the most perfect golf hole
Three putted the 11th
Smashed driver on the Road Hole to centre of fairway
Landed less than club length from wall, behind 17th green
Perfect drive and 9 iron to the 18th
3 putted the 18th from 8ft

However the best St Andrews experience was walking TOC at twilight/ sunset when I was up for the Tassie at Carnoustie, three months before….R&A had closed the course and I walked the whole course and didn’t see a soul…beautiful!!

Golf for me is a lot about solitude, and that experience was perfect….sure playing it was truly great, but there were so many people around (naturally), it actually didn’t capture the magic of seeing the Old Course and St Andrews for the first time - a place I had dreamed of visiting - in its twilight glory

 

[KenL]

Prestwick is like TOC and North Berwick
They contain about 6 really good holes, 6 OK ish holes and 6 totally daft holes. IMVHO

What are the daft holes at TOC?

 

[Starter]

What makes golfers any different to the rest of society?

Why are green fees any different to any other commodity?

There are many items that I might like but I can't afford .

A Bentley car, for example, part of our British motoring heritage so why shouldn't all British citizens qualify for a massive discount?

Ours is basically a free market economy where the seller can offer their product for sale at a price that they believe sufficient customers will pay in order to maintain the seller's business as viable.

Why should native golfers expect to pay less than foreign visitors? Mention of heritage is sometimes made but whose heritage?

In what way have I as a club golfer for over 50 years contributed towards the heritage and legacy of the courses at St Andrews?

As with any other product the amount spent on green fees has to be tailored to budgets.

 

[Junior]

Tough gig going to St Andrews now. Looking at a grand for a few nights and 3 rounds in Summer.

I had a great trip last Summer and stayed near Carnoustie. Decent Air BnB was only £200 and I didn’t play the main Carnoustie courses but Panmure, Monifeth, Montrose were all around £100 which is steep but not as expensive as a lot of others and Arbroath was £50.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

What are the daft holes at TOC?

Certainly the 17th then take your pick of 5 blind bumpy double fairway/green holes.

 

[evemccc]

Certainly the 17th then take your pick of 5 blind bumpy double fairway/green holes.

The 11th is a double green, and it’s one of my favourite golf holes anywhere

The 16th is a great par 4 hole….also a double green

‘Bumpy’ undulating fairways is one of the things I like best about links golf

It sounds like you’d like Hillside, and hate RCD / RSG / Deal!!

Opinions though, like ‘elbows’ — everyone has them!

 

[Rlburnside]

Replacing the 3 days unlimited pass with the Links 54 with no options for single golfers is a backward step and not helping to promote the game for the ordinary golfer.

As for playing the Old Course I tend to agree with Doon I think I would be disappointed with the course as I think most would agree it’s not the best course in Scotland.

The history of the o/c and the famous players that have played there is not that important to me.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

I recall a 1960's conversation my dad had with a group of northern England visiting golfers after his club has increased its visitor green fee charges.

V....Those prices are too expensive you are going to kill the golden goose
D.. How much does it cost to play on your course at the weekend ?
V .. We don't accept visitors at the weekend
D... Oh. How much on weekdays then [given price] that is more than it costs here on weekends. Is your course better then this?
V....No

 

[sunshine]

What makes golfers any different to the rest of society?

Why are green fees any different to any other commodity?

There are many items that I might like but I can't afford .

A Bentley car, for example, part of our British motoring heritage so why shouldn't all British citizens qualify for a massive discount?

Ours is basically a free market economy where the seller can offer their product for sale at a price that they believe sufficient customers will pay in order to maintain the seller's business as viable.

Why should native golfers expect to pay less than foreign visitors? Mention of heritage is sometimes made but whose heritage?

In what way have I as a club golfer for over 50 years contributed towards the heritage and legacy of the courses at St Andrews?

As with any other product the amount spent on green fees has to be tailored to budgets.

I think it’s fair to apply this logic to a private golf course. Kingsbarns or Muirfield can do what they want, it’s up to the owners/ members.

But TOC is essentially a public course operated by a nonprofit trust. They have an obligation to provide access, my feeling is that they are favouring local season ticket holders too much now.

I’m with Ian, TOC is a national monument and green fee should be affordable.

 

[Starter]

And if there was no green-fee income who would be responsible for the costs of maintaining the courses and related facilities?

It wouldn't be the Great British golfer.

And as there's no shortage of takers for the visitor spaces it would appear that the green-fee is affordable.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Links membership fees are pretty fair value for the locals and surrounding region.
On top of that the R&A have done a sound job of growing the game world wide.

Strikes me that they have both managed the St Andrews set up very well over the last 50 years.

 

[kp17]

Only thing that's growing is the money in their pockets. Looks like all the courses around Fife are cashing in, places like Leven Links getting rid of their twilight times and charging full whack

Ridiculous. It won’t stop either, it’ll just creep up and up everywhere.

 

[sunshine]

And if there was no green-fee income who would be responsible for the costs of maintaining the courses and related facilities?

What a ridiculous comment. Revenue is a fundamental component of any business model. We've got to a situation now where the price for a standard visitor is maybe 100 times higher than the local price.

Unrestricted 5 day membership for all courses is £295 for local residents (£386 for 7 day). Essentially for £1 a day they can play as much as they want. They are not the owners of the courses, they have no special status. In my view the links trust has an obligation to provide a service to the local community but also the wider golfing population.

I'm ok with a big discount for local residents, but it doesn't sit right when the single green fee of £340 is higher than the annual subscription for local residents. I can imagine the trustees are very popular people in town and get lots of gifts from locals.

 

[Backache]

What a ridiculous comment. Revenue is a fundamental component of any business model. We've got to a situation now where the price for a standard visitor is maybe 100 times higher than the local price.

Unrestricted 5 day membership for all courses is £295 for local residents (£386 for 7 day). Essentially for £1 a day they can play as much as they want. They are not the owners of the courses, they have no special status.

I believe they do have special status as the main links courses are on common land and one of the specific parts of the charter for the Links trust was to provide facilities for the Locals.

 

[Starter]

What a ridiculous comment. Revenue is a fundamental component of any business model. We've got to a situation now where the price for a standard visitor is maybe 100 times higher than the local price.

Unrestricted 5 day membership for all courses is £295 for local residents (£386 for 7 day). Essentially for £1 a day they can play as much as they want. They are not the owners of the courses, they have no special status. In my view the links trust has an obligation to provide a service to the local community but also the wider golfing population.

I'm ok with a big discount for local residents, but it doesn't sit right when the single green fee of £340 is higher than the annual subscription for local residents. I can imagine the trustees are very popular people in town and get lots of gifts from locals.

In what way does the Links Trust have any greater obligation to "the wider golfing population" than say the members at Muirfield, Troon, Birkdale or St George's; or the owners of Turnberry?

Who do you think owns the courses at St Andrews?

 

[sunshine]

In what way does the Links Trust have any greater obligation to "the wider golfing population" than say the members at Muirfield, Troon, Birkdale or St George's; or the owners of Turnberry?

Who do you think owns the courses at St Andrews?

Becasue it's written in the trust's charter. The courses at St Andrews are on public land and the trust exists to manage the courses, for the local residents and other golfers.

The other courses you mention are privately owned and so it is a completely different situation.