St Andrews Links rotation · Which to play
St Andrews New Course vs St Andrews Jubilee Course
Two St Andrews Links courses on the same strip of turf — one is the locals' favourite, the other is the toughest of the rotation.
| St Andrews New Course | St Andrews Jubilee Course | |
|---|---|---|
| Green fee (2026) | £45–£155 | £75–£150 |
| Location | St Andrews, Fife | St Andrews, Fife |
| Region | Fife | Fife |
| Type | Links | Links |
| Holes / par | 18 · par 71 | 18 · par 72 |
| Designer | Old Tom Morris with Benjamin Hall Blyth (Edinburgh engineer) | Originally laid out 1897 (Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee); Donald Steel modernising redesign 1988 |
The verdict
Which should you play?
This is the choice most St Andrews visitors actually face: you have a round in town that is not the Old Course, and these are the two serious candidates. The New (1895, Old Tom Morris with Benjamin Hall Blyth) is the one regulars name when pushed — 6,625 yards, par 71, classic out-and-back links routing, and the most conventionally enjoyable golf on the Links.
The Jubilee was laid out in 1897 for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee and modernised by Donald Steel in 1988. It is the closest of the St Andrews courses to the sea, which means it is usually the windiest, and at 6,742 yards off the whites — 6,805 from the championship tees — it is the toughest of the rotation. That is the club's own framing, not ours, and it is accurate.
So it comes down to what you want from the afternoon. The New rewards good golf and gives you a pleasant walk if you are playing badly. The Jubilee will find you out, and on a westerly day it will find you out repeatedly. Neither needs a ballot, and the New's shoulder-season rate is the lowest of the two.
Pick this one if…
St Andrews New Course
You want the best golf in St Andrews outside the Old Course and you would rather enjoy the round than survive it.
Pick this one if…
St Andrews Jubilee Course
You want the sternest test on the Links, you do not mind wind, and a hard day out is the point.
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?