A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
St Andrews, Fife, July 2027
The home of golf. The oldest major in the world. A town of 17,000 people and a course that has been played since before reliable records exist. Here is what you need to know before the crowds arrive.
The Open Championship comes to St Andrews roughly every five years. The 150th edition, in 2022, was a once-in-a-generation event — an anniversary championship on the course that invented the game. The 2027 return is not an anniversary, but it is still St Andrews. Which means it is still the most important week in golf.
The town itself has fewer than 17,000 permanent residents. During Open week it absorbs roughly 230,000 spectators across the seven days, plus 3,000 accredited media, and the full weight of the global golf industry. The infrastructure is tested every time and it holds every time. But accommodation sells out 18 months in advance, trains run full from Edinburgh, and the queue for a table at any restaurant in the East Neuk on Saturday evening starts before lunch.
If you are reading this page now and the championship is more than 12 months away, you are in a reasonable position. If it is 6 months away and you have not booked accommodation, read the accommodation section below with some urgency.
The Open Championship operates two distinct ticket systems: the public ballot (grounds access, run by the R&A) and hospitality packages (run by Keith Prowse as the official hospitality partner). They are separate purchases, priced very differently, and both have their own lead times.
| Ticket type | Price (est.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Practice round (Mon–Wed) | £30–£50 | Walk freely, close access, no ropes |
| Championship day grounds | £95–£130 | Thursday–Sunday; prices rise per round |
| Four-day grounds pass | £300–£380 | If released; sells out in the ballot |
| Junior grounds (under 16) | Free | With a ticketed adult |
| Grandstand seat (add-on) | £50–£120 | 18th tower, 1st tee, 17th Road Hole |
| Hospitality half-day | £500–£800 | Via Keith Prowse; food, bar, view |
| Hospitality full day | £800–£1,800 | Marquee packages; varies by position |
| Corporate packages | £3,000–£6,000+ | Per head; multi-day with premium access |
Prices above are estimates based on 2022 and 2024 Open pricing — the R&A has not yet published 2027 tariffs. The ballot for standard grounds tickets typically opens around 18 months before the championship via theopen.com. Register your interest as soon as the ballot opens; St Andrews championships are historically oversubscribed at a ratio of roughly 8:1 for weekend days.
The practice rounds (Monday–Wednesday) are systematically undervalued. Tickets are cheaper, the course is accessible without ropes cordoning you into lanes, and you can walk within ten feet of players on the range and putting green. The Road Hole (17th) on a practice Tuesday, with Tom Kim and Rory McIlroy working through their strategies back-to-back — that is a better golf experience than watching the same hole from the grandstand on Sunday.
Keith Prowse is the R&A's official hospitality partner for The Open Championship. Their packages cover the full range — half-day marquee access, full-day premium hospitality, multi-day corporate programmes — and include catering, bar, and a dedicated hospitality entrance separate from the general public. The 18th hole packages, with a direct sightline to the Swilcan Bridge and the final green, command the highest prices.
For the St Andrews Open in 2022, Keith Prowse packages sold out within weeks of going on sale, 12+ months before the event. Availability for 2027 will follow the same pattern. If hospitality is part of your plan, register early with Keith Prowse directly to be notified when 2027 packages open.
Practical consideration: hospitality packages are not the better choice if you want to walk the course. You are in a marquee for the central portion of the day. The correct use of a hospitality package is for a corporate group, a celebration, or a day where the atmosphere and catering are the point as much as the golf. If you want to walk 18 holes of championship viewing, buy a grounds ticket and bring your own sandwiches.
The Old Course ballot — the daily public draw for a tee time on the course — is suspended for the two weeks around The Open Championship. The Links Trust closes the Old Course to public play typically from the week before the championship begins, while course preparation and infrastructure installation take place. It reopens the week after the tournament ends.
This catches some visitors by surprise. The Old Course ballot is not suspended because of demand during Open week — it is suspended because the course itself is physically unavailable. If you are planning a St Andrews trip specifically timed around attending The Open as a spectator, you will not be able to ballot for the Old Course on the same week.
The other five St Andrews Links courses (New, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgove) remain open during the championship and can be booked in advance without a ballot. The New Course and Jubilee Course are the ones to play. See below for the full alternatives picture.
For everything about the ballot on normal weeks — odds, strategies, the singles queue, the standby line — read our Old Course ballot odds guide and ballot tips.
St Andrews has no railway station. The nearest station is Leuchars, four miles north, on the Edinburgh Waverley–Dundee–Aberdeen main line. From Leuchars, a bus (X60) or taxi takes around 12 minutes into the town centre. During Open week ScotRail significantly increases capacity on the Edinburgh–Leuchars route; direct services from Edinburgh Waverley to Leuchars run throughout the day and take around 60 minutes.
From Glasgow Queen Street, the practical route is via Edinburgh or via Dundee. Dundee to Leuchars is 20 minutes. The train journey from Glasgow Central via Edinburgh to Leuchars runs around 1 hour 45 minutes on a direct connection.
If you are driving: the A91 from the M90 (Perth direction) is the main route. During the championship, traffic management will direct spectator parking to designated sites — the Old Course is in the centre of a small town and there is no on-site spectator parking. The park-and-ride shuttles operate from multiple sites around the town. Build an extra 45–60 minutes onto your journey time for competition days. Practice rounds are significantly easier to access by car.
Edinburgh Airport is the practical gateway for most international visitors — 55 miles from St Andrews, approximately 1 hour 15 minutes by road or train-to-Leuchars. Dundee Airport (DND) is 14 miles from Leuchars and takes limited UK domestic routes.
While the Old Course is occupied
The Old Course is closed to public play during the championship. These are the courses worth booking in its place — ranging from the other St Andrews Links Trust layouts to the finest links on the Fife coast.
St Andrews New Course
The Old Course is closed during the championship. The New Course is open, plays adjacent to it, and shares the same turf. Bookable through St Andrews Links Trust — this will fill fast once the championship week is confirmed.
Green fee £115
Course profile →St Andrews Jubilee Course
The most exposed of the St Andrews Links courses and, in many regulars' view, the best-conditioned. The one to play if you want something genuinely challenging while the Old Course is occupied.
Green fee £95
Course profile →Kingsbarns Golf Links
Seven miles south of St Andrews on the Fife coast. One of the finest courses in Scotland — most players who've done both rate Kingsbarns their better round. Book 4–6 months ahead regardless; during Open week, book earlier.
Green fee £210–£295
Course profile →St Andrews Castle Course
The clifftop course above the town. 2008 McLay Kidd design with views over the North Sea and back across the Old Course to the West Sands. An unusual and dramatic alternative to the links below.
Green fee £120
Course profile →Crail Balcomie Links
Nine miles south of St Andrews. One of Scotland's oldest courses — 1895, Willie Auchterlonie — with a direct view of the May Island from the 1st tee. A proper links without the premium.
Green fee £40–£80
Course profile →Elie Golf House Club
Twelve miles south on the East Neuk coast. Famous for the periscope on the 1st tee (used to check the fairway is clear). A proper private club welcome, an honest green fee, and a round nothing like the Old Course.
Green fee £55–£80
Course profile →Missed the ballot entirely?
If you can't get on the Old Course during your trip, our alternatives guide covers the full picture — the five other Links Trust courses, Kingsbarns, Crail, and courses within an hour's drive.
Book before you read the rest of this guide
St Andrews has approximately 3,000 hotel and B&B bed spaces in and around the town. The Open Championship draws 230,000+ visitors across seven days. These two numbers are not compatible without a significant overflow into the surrounding area. For the 2022 championship, accommodation within 15 miles of the town was fully booked 14 months ahead. The 2027 championship will follow the same pattern.
In St Andrews — the Old Course Hotel sits on the 17th fairway and is the obvious choice for those with the budget. Rooms for Open week in 2022 ran from £700/night; expect higher for 2027. The Russell Hotel, the Macdonald Rusacks, and the Fairmont St Andrews (2 miles south on the coast) are the next tier. Rufflets Country House Hotel, a mile from the course, is the most pleasant mid-range property in the town. All will be gone if you are not already booked.
Self-catering in Fife — a four- or six-bedroom cottage in the East Neuk (Crail, Anstruther, Pittenweem, Elie) makes sense for a group. A short drive to St Andrews each day, no parking crisis on arrival, access to the coastal towns in the evenings. Sykes Cottages and Airbnb are the practical search tools; book as soon as you have firm dates.
Dundee (12 miles) — V&A Dundee is 15 minutes from Leuchars. The city has significant hotel capacity that won't be as brutally priced as St Andrews itself. The Malmaison Dundee and the Apex City Quay are the best options. Train from Dundee to Leuchars takes 20 minutes.
Edinburgh (55 miles) — a reasonable base if you're attending one or two days rather than the full week. The train to Leuchars takes 60 minutes and runs frequently. The city has 8,000+ hotel rooms at a range of price points, none of which will be Open-week priced.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of the venue. Tap any property to check rates and availability.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Planning a full trip around The Open?
Build a Fife golf week around the championship — courses, accommodation, budget — using our free trip estimator.
Ticket prices, dates and hospitality details are estimates pending R&A confirmation. Verify all bookings via theopen.com and the official Keith Prowse hospitality portal before purchasing.
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