Modern St Andrews clifftop links · Which to play
St Andrews Castle Course vs Kingsbarns Golf Links
Two 21st-century clifftop links minutes from St Andrews — is Kingsbarns worth close to three times the Castle Course?
| St Andrews Castle Course | Kingsbarns Golf Links | |
|---|---|---|
| Green fee (2026) | £120–£180 | £399–£486 |
| Location | St Andrews, Fife | Kingsbarns, Fife |
| Region | Fife | Fife |
| Type | Links | Links |
| Holes / par | 18 · par 71 | 18 · par 72 |
| Designer | David McLay Kidd | Kyle Phillips, 2000 |
The verdict
Which should you play?
Both are modern links on the cliffs east of St Andrews and both give you sea on nearly every hole. The Castle Course (David McLay Kidd, run by St Andrews Links Trust) is the wilder, more severe of the two — enormous contoured greens that infuriate as often as they thrill, and the best clubhouse view in Fife back over the town. Kingsbarns is the more refined, more manicured, more expensive product: fairer, more beautiful, more of an occasion.
The Castle Course is the value play and the sterner test of nerve — a natural second St Andrews round for anyone who already has an Old Course time. Kingsbarns is the splurge you won't regret but will feel in the bill. If your putting is fragile, be warned: the Castle greens have ended more good rounds than the wind has.
Pick this one if…
St Andrews Castle Course
You already have an Old Course tee time, want a cheaper second St Andrews round, and don't mind greens that fight back.
Pick this one if…
Kingsbarns Golf Links
You want the postcard round of the trip and the budget can carry it.
Green fees are the clubs' published 2026 visitor rates, shown as a range from the cheapest to the dearest tee time. They change; always confirm on the course profile before you book. We don't take a cut of your green fee — the verdict above is ours, not the pro shop's.
More: which should you play?