St Andrews Old Course as a single
- Thread starter howbow88
- Start date
Andy
Tour Winner
Shoulder period is £42 I'm sure bargain.
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
Shoulder is £123 spring and £125 autumn and can also be the best time of year to play if you get lucky with weather.
Curls
Journeyman Pro
I'm going to chance my luck next week, I'll let you know how I get on!
howbow88
Hacker
Best of luck!
Duckster
Tour Rookie
Good luck.
Bit of thread hijacking here. Interested in how you fare as I'm going for a week next June (15th) and am going to probably end up in the queue so it'll be nice to find out things like, What time did you get there? How many in the queue? Time did you get out? etc...
@jimaroid - in your experience are any days normally quieter than others? I know you say Friday and Saturday are busy, I've also heard that the locals get preference in the ballot on Thursdays (not too sure if that's true)? Also, I'm going to try to get a round on either the New of Jubilee, are they ok to get times on a short notice if you are flexible?
Bit of thread hijacking here. Interested in how you fare as I'm going for a week next June (15th) and am going to probably end up in the queue so it'll be nice to find out things like, What time did you get there? How many in the queue? Time did you get out? etc...
@jimaroid - in your experience are any days normally quieter than others? I know you say Friday and Saturday are busy, I've also heard that the locals get preference in the ballot on Thursdays (not too sure if that's true)? Also, I'm going to try to get a round on either the New of Jubilee, are they ok to get times on a short notice if you are flexible?
Pathetic Shark
Tour Rookie
I've always gone for the early morning queue option and have always gotten out, the latest time being 11.20. You get talking with others in the queue and make friends for life. Last time I was there, the 6.40 local group did not show up so the first four in the queue all got out together having been talking since 4am. Awesome day and we're all still in touch five years later.
What's a 2-3 hour wait for your chance to play the most iconic course in the world?
What's a 2-3 hour wait for your chance to play the most iconic course in the world?
Britishshooting
Club Champion
I never realised it took this much commitment to get a round, is this early morning queue almost every morning of the year for singles? I assume a lot is due to tourists foreign and within the U.K?
I take it you can book a time in advance much easier if there are 3 / 4 of you?
I take it you can book a time in advance much easier if there are 3 / 4 of you?
you have to go in a ballot for advanced then there is a short term ballot also, but no guarantee of getting a time, they can fill the old course 52 weeks of the year. Ive even heard of people queuing from midnight during peak months
abjectplop
Hacker
The advanced reservation process for 2019 opens next week on 22nd August. See the St Andrews Links website for details. I've used it twice in the last 5 years and got a 3 ball tee time on the Old Course both times.
pendodave
Tour Rookie
Had anyone ever tried popping into the starters but at (say) 1300 and managed to get on in the afternoon? I've played golf on not much sleep quite a few times, and never particularly enjoyed the experience...
Grant85
Head Pro
You know what they say about the early bird...
Curls
Journeyman Pro
Well I'm going to try something like this on the Tuesday when I get into town, but firmly expect to be told bog off
I have Wednesday and Thursday if needs be to get on early doors. I'll let you know!
Jimaroid
Journeyman Pro
It's always worth asking because it's simply down to chance and conditions on any particular day.
Curls
Journeyman Pro
Thanks chap, nothing to lose!
Curls
Journeyman Pro
Hi OP, said I'd let you know - I had an incredible slice of luck so who knows if this happens often but my advice is if you put your name down - don't wander off! Have a read here
http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/th...tie-was-good-then-i-went-to-st-andrews.98558/
Side note - a guy wandered in about 1.45 to put his name down, he said "where there's light there's hope" - and promptly said to his wife "let's get lunch". Our group was a 3 ball. Had he sat down for 15 minutes he would have been out with us. Crazy.
http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/th...tie-was-good-then-i-went-to-st-andrews.98558/
Side note - a guy wandered in about 1.45 to put his name down, he said "where there's light there's hope" - and promptly said to his wife "let's get lunch". Our group was a 3 ball. Had he sat down for 15 minutes he would have been out with us. Crazy.
D
Deleted Member 1156
Guest
Hi guys,
I have looked through a couple of older threads on this, and googled it, but I wondered if anyone has any up to date info. I'm heading up to St Andrews at the end of September for the UKPCC event on the Eden course, which is played on the Sunday. I'll be arriving on Thursday evening, so have Friday and Saturday free.
At that time of year, does anyone know how difficult it will be to get on to the Old Course as a single? (Joining up with another group, of course). I'm well aware of the procedure - heading to the new starter building and registering early - but I don't really want to get there at 5am if there's no chance of it happening. Or am I asking 'how long is a piece of string?'
I'm hoping to get on there Friday, then play the Eden on the Saturday as a practice round. Or if I don't get on Friday, play the Eden that day and try for the Old Course again on Saturday morning.
Also, would you guys recommend a caddie?
Cheers :thup:
The booking office have 'twilight' times that you can enquire about. Basically they are late afternoon (obviously!) times but the drawback is you still pay full price and there is no guarantee that you will get round. It is worth asking about these when you get there as I'm not sure if they are bookable or you just turn up and wait. This is how I got on. We were behind a fourball that refused to call us through (we were a 2ball) but we kept pushing them hard and we just finished in time before light ran out.
howbow88
Hacker
Great review! I’m tempted to turn up at midday and take my chances. Getting there at 5am when it will be dark and cold doesn’t sound too fun. Equally, the above mentioned ‘twilight’ times sound ok - though if a 4ball was holding me up and not letting me through as light was fading...
Curls
Journeyman Pro
Great review! I’m tempted to turn up at midday and take my chances. Getting there at 5am when it will be dark and cold doesn’t sound too fun. Equally, the mentioned ‘twilight’ times sound ok - though if a 4ball was holding me up and not letting me through as light was fading...
Every day is different and I reckon I was extremely fortunate, so if you only have one crack at it I'd be turning up at 5 cos it's only an hour before they open up. They'll inform who they can about tee times so you might be able to head to the hotel and come back when you're up. If however you have a couple of days in town like I did then it's worth a shot! You can lie in the next day and play any of the other great courses around. Enjoy whatever you do, it's quite a place
howbow88
Hacker
I got to the Pavillion a couple of minutes before 5am. As I approached he small building, I didn't see anyone and so I thought 'great, I'm in here!' Only to see that a couple of guys had used the benches as makeshift beds There were a couple more in sleeping bags on the floor and as I turned the corner, there were more people waiting. I ended up being 13th in the queue - the two guys on benches had got there at 11pm!!!
The first hour went slowly but the following one flew by, as the sun starting to show and staff slowly arrived. At 7am we got inside and shortly after registering with the very friendly lady behind the counter, the Ryder Cup started on TV and so that was something to watch. Those early in the queue got out straight away, and a few more were given confirmed times for later in the day. We were told that there was an R&A comp from 9am - 11am that we wouldn't be able to join, so if we weren't out before 9am it would make sense to come back in a couple of hours and try again.
Slowly people starting to 'get lucky'. Before I knew it, I was 3rd in line and had 2 brothers in front of me... At 08:18 the helpful lady came over and said she needed 1 golfer for the 08:20 time! The two brothers weren't so keen to separate and so the slot was passed to me, and after the world's quickest stretch and £180 - I was teeing off on the 1st at The Old Course!
I didn't play too bad - 85, 1 over handicap Thanks again for the advice on here!
There were a couple more in sleeping bags on the floor and as I turned the corner, there were more people waiting. I ended up being 13th in the queue - the two guys on benches had got there at 11pm!!! The first hour went slowly but the following one flew by, as the sun starting to show and staff slowly arrived. At 7am we got inside and shortly after registering with the very friendly lady behind the counter, the Ryder Cup started on TV and so that was something to watch. Those early in the queue got out straight away, and a few more were given confirmed times for later in the day. We were told that there was an R&A comp from 9am - 11am that we wouldn't be able to join, so if we weren't out before 9am it would make sense to come back in a couple of hours and try again.
Slowly people starting to 'get lucky'. Before I knew it, I was 3rd in line and had 2 brothers in front of me... At 08:18 the helpful lady came over and said she needed 1 golfer for the 08:20 time! The two brothers weren't so keen to separate and so the slot was passed to me, and after the world's quickest stretch and £180 - I was teeing off on the 1st at The Old Course!
I didn't play too bad - 85, 1 over handicap
Thanks again for the advice on here!
