Trip Itineraries
Fife Golf Trail: Best Course Combinations for a Weekend Stay
Fife has St Andrews at its centre and a ring of excellent courses around it — Crail, Elie, Lundin, Leven, Scotscraig, Ladybank — most of them charging a fraction of Old Course rates. Here's how to build a Fife weekend that makes the most of all of them.
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A Fife golf weekend is one of the most rewarding trips in Scottish golf — not just because St Andrews is there, but because the courses around it are exceptional and wildly underplayed. Crail Balcomie's shoulder-season rate is £110 (2026) for a round that would cost half as much again on the East Lothian coast. Elie is one of the best natural links in Scotland and you can often walk on without booking. Lundin Golf Club is a proper test with half-empty tee sheets most weekdays.
The Old Course is the draw. The surrounding courses are the reason to stay three days instead of one.
Planning the Old Course
The Old Course is the hinge around which a Fife weekend is built. There are three ways to get on:
The ballot: Enter online, by phone or in person — it closes at 2pm two days before you want to play, needs at least two players, and results are out after 4.30pm that day. Success rates vary by season — roughly 10–15% in peak summer, higher in April and October. Enter every day you're there.
Advance reservation: Direct online booking opens 60 days out. Tee times sell out quickly; set a reminder and check exactly at the 60-day mark.
Tour operator allocation: Golf tour operators (St Andrews Golf, Links Trust Golf Packages, many others) hold blocks of tee times for pre-packaged trips. Often more expensive than direct booking but guarantees a time.
The practical position: Don't plan a Fife weekend that requires the Old Course. Plan one where the Old Course is a bonus. The other Fife courses are good enough to justify the trip whether or not you get on the Old.
The full Fife course menu
| Course | Green fee | Visitor access | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Course | £355 (peak) | Ballot + advance booking | Links, world-famous |
| New Course | £45–£155 | Good — advance booking | Links, more challenging than Old |
| Jubilee Course | £75–£150 | Good | Links, longest of the Trust courses |
| Eden Course | £28–£80 | Easy | Links, gentler layout |
| Strathtyrum Course | £28–£55 | Easy | Parkland, good for beginners |
| Balgove Course | £15–£20 | Walk-in | Short 9-hole, beginner/family |
| Crail Balcomie Links | £70–£170 | Good | Old links, coastal Fife Ness |
| Crail Craighead Links | £70–£125 | Good | Modern links, longer |
| Elie Golf House Club | £60–£200 | Visitor tee times available | Classic natural links |
| Lundin Golf Club | £60–£175 | Weekday visitors welcome | Traditional links |
| Leven Links | £85–£135 | Visitor-friendly | Old links, tight layout |
| Ladybank Golf Club | £60–£215 | Midweek visitors welcome | Heathland inland course |
| Scotscraig Golf Club | £75–£125 | Visitor rounds available | Classic links, Tayport |
Weekend itinerary options
Option A: Classic Fife (2 nights, 4 rounds)
Friday afternoon: Arrive and check in to St Andrews. Walk the Old Course path in the evening — it's public land and stunning at dusk. Dinner in town.
Saturday: The Old Course is closed on Sundays, so the ballot to aim at is Monday's — it closes at 2pm today, so enter first thing. Whatever happens: morning round on New Course (advance booking, £45–£155). Afternoon: Balgove short course or a walk. Results after 4.30pm.
Sunday: Crail Balcomie (£70–£170, by season) — 45 minutes drive, one of Scotland's best coastal rounds; the Old Course doesn't open on a Sunday. Return Edinburgh via Dundee, or stay a third night if Monday's ballot came good (£180–£355).
Total (without Old Course win): the New Course (£45–£155) plus Crail Balcomie (£70–£170), so £115 at the lowest published rates to £325 in high season — plus accommodation, which is dearest at weekends.
Total (with Old Course win): add £180 on top for four rounds across two days.
Option B: Budget Fife (2 nights, 4 rounds, no St Andrews Link Trust courses)
The Trust courses are excellent but you can have a superb Fife weekend without them.
Day 1: Crail Balcomie (£70–£170) + Crail Craighead (£70–£125) — back-to-back at the same venue, and the Society sells a two-course day ticket that beats paying twice in high season. Stay in Crail village or Anstruther.
Day 2: Elie (£60–£200) + Lundin Links (£60–£175) — 20 minutes apart, both excellent links.
Total green fees: £260–£670 for four rounds across two days, depending on the season (before any two-course day-ticket saving at Crail). Strong alternative if Old Course booking hasn't come through.
Option C: Mixed weekend with history (arrive Thursday, depart Sunday)
Thursday: Drive to St Andrews. Enter Old Course ballot for Friday. Eden Course in the afternoon (£28–£80, easy booking). Explore the town.
Friday: Old Course if ballot won. If not: Jubilee Course (£75–£150) — the toughest of the Trust courses and underrated. Evening: fish and chips at the Anstruther Fish Bar (40 minutes drive, worth it).
Saturday: Crail Balcomie in the morning, Elie in the afternoon. Drive home or stay a third night.
Where to stay in Fife
St Andrews: Most visitors base themselves in the town. Wide range from budget B&Bs to hotels such as the Fairmont — check live rates for your dates. Book early for summer; October is more available.
Crail and Anstruther: The East Neuk villages 30 minutes from St Andrews. Quieter, cheaper, and genuinely attractive. Good if you're prioritising Crail and the coastal Fife courses over St Andrews Links.
Cupar / Glenrothes: Inland, significantly cheaper accommodation, 15–20 minutes drive to St Andrews. Practical if budget matters more than atmosphere.
Getting around Fife
By car: The only practical option for combining multiple courses across the Kingdom. St Andrews to Crail is 20 minutes; St Andrews to Elie is 25 minutes; St Andrews to Lundin Links is 20 minutes.
By bus: Services connect St Andrews to the East Neuk villages — Crail, Anstruther, Elie — on a reasonable timetable. Journey times are longer than driving and don't allow for flexible tee time management.
By train: St Andrews has no railway station (the line closed in 1969). Leuchars station is 5 miles north; Cupar station is 10 miles west. Both have taxi connections.
For the Old Course in detail: Old Course Ballot — Complete Guide. For the best value Fife courses: Fife Golf Guide — Best Value Courses Beyond the Old Course.
Stays Nearby
Where to stay near St Andrews
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of St Andrews. Tap any property to check rates.
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About the author
The Birdie Brae editor
Editor and founder of Birdie Brae. Based in Glasgow, 12.7 handicap, playing since late 2021. Has played 20+ Scottish courses and started this site because most Scottish golf content is written by people trying to sell you a package holiday.
More about the editor →Courses in this article
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