A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
St Andrews
St Andrews, Fife
Plate I — Links course — coastal exposure, firm running turf
Closest to the sea of the St Andrews courses. Often the windiest.
The Jubilee Course was opened in 1897 — named for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee — and runs closest to the sea of all the St Andrews Links courses. That position has consequences. When the wind is onshore, as it frequently is on the Fife coast, the Jubilee receives it with less shelter than any of its neighbours. Experienced visitors who have played the full Links rotation tend to rank it as the most demanding of the non-Old courses, and the conditions on a testing day support that view.
The layout follows the coastline in a way that keeps the wind relevant on almost every hole. This is links golf without much mitigation — fairways that reward ground game, greens that punish the wrong approach angle, and a prevailing wind that shifts the effective difficulty of holes depending on the day. It is also used as an Open Championship Final Qualifying venue, which is consistent with its difficulty and with the standard of the test it provides.
Green fees are £95 — a reasonable position in the St Andrews Links pricing structure, below the Castle Course and the Old Course, above the Eden and Strathtyrum. No ballot is required. For visitors building a Fife itinerary, the Jubilee tends to be underplayed relative to the New, partly because the New's reputation is better established and partly because the Jubilee's exposure can be unforgiving in poor weather. In good conditions, that exposure is the course's best feature.
Donald Steel updated the course design in 1988, tightening several approaches and making the bunkering more strategic. The 3rd hole, a long par 4 into the prevailing wind with an approach that requires exact positioning to hold the green from the right angle, is the one that sets the character of the front nine. The Jubilee's reputation for difficulty is not exaggerated — when the wind is up from the North Sea, this is a harder course than the New and arguably the most testing round available to visitors who can't get on the Old.
One Hole Worth Talking About
The best hole on the course and one of the best par 4s in Fife. A fairway-wood drive to the left side leaves an approach where a 20-foot dune occludes the right of the green and a 30-yard swale spans the front. The green looks closer than it is — most visitors leave the second short.
The Full Scorecard
Fields marked “Contact club” aren’t public-facing in a way we’ve been able to verify. Call the club directly for these — we’ll update the entry when we have it from source.
Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
St Andrews, Fife · KY16 9SFOpen in OpenStreetMap →
While They Golf
St Andrews isn't only for the golfers. Walks, drives, distilleries, castles, a long lunch — five picks within thirty minutes of the first tee.
The St Andrews companion guide →★ Pair This Round ★
Three things within an hour of the first tee. Each open to visitors; each chosen for what suits a golfer's pace, not a tour bus's.
Distillery · 5 min in town
St Andrews · Founded 2014
Scotland's first single-site brewery and distillery. Walking distance from the course.
Museum · 5 min in town
St Andrews · Established 1990
Adjacent to the Old Course; roof-terrace café with the best 18th-tee view.
Beach · 0 min alongside the course
St Andrews · Two miles of unbroken sand · Chariots of Fire shot here
The beach the Jubilee runs alongside. Walk it any time of year — even in February. The opening shot of Chariots of Fire was filmed on this sand.
Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Edinburgh (EDI) is 90 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for links rounds on the Scottish coast.
Outerwear
Wind off the firth changes club selection two irons. A breathable, fully-waterproof shell that's light enough not to swing in is the single biggest upgrade for Scottish links golf.
Layer
Scottish-made merino — the locals' choice for shoulder-season rounds. Warm enough for a 7am tee time in October, light enough for the back nine when the sun comes out.
Tech
Handles blind tee shots and exposed-coastal yardage cleanly. Battery lasts a 36-hole day; the wind-direction overlay justifies the price on its own.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of St Andrews. Tap any property to check rates.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Frequently Asked
Nearby courses
Fife & Angus golf hub
Browse all Fife & Angus courses →
The Home of Golf, plus the Angus links circuit visitors forget. St Andrews gets the headlines; the rest of the coast deserves the trip on its own merits.
While they golf — St Andrews
For the non-golfer in St Andrews →
Climb St Rule's Tower for the finest view in Fife, walk the bottle dungeon at St Andrews Castle, and drive seven miles south to Kingsbarns Distillery.
Getting there by train
On TripSCOTTen minutes by bus from the Jubilee Course. Edinburgh Waverley in 50 min; Dundee in 10 min.
Read more about Fife
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