Why play

Old Tom Morris’s other St Andrews course

Designed by Old Tom Morris with engineer Benjamin Hall Blyth, the New Course opened in April 1895 specifically to relieve pressure on the Old, and runs out toward the Eden Estuary before turning back into town. It has no Swilcan Bridge, no Road Hole, no bunker famous enough to have earned its own name — and plenty of St Andrews regulars will tell you that’s exactly why they prefer it.

Holes 1 to 8 run alongside the Old Course’s fairways, but the New comes into its own from the 6th onward, where the fairway bends right to a green raised slightly above the gorse.

Playing character

Control the ball and use the ground

The 10th, a 450-yard par 4 that often plays into the wind, is where the course shows its teeth — a genuine test of a controlled, low approach rather than a high aerial shot. As with all Fife links golf, tee position should be chosen with the next angle in mind rather than for maximum distance.

Respect the pot bunkers and avoid forcing recovery shots from poor positions; when the wind rises, accepting a longer approach from the correct side beats taking on unnecessary risk.

Who it suits

A serious second or third St Andrews round

The New is particularly useful for regular club golfers who want another credible links test within walking distance of the wider St Andrews golf experience, and for anyone who’d rather judge St Andrews on its golf than its history alone. Select tees appropriate to the conditions and allow more time than the raw yardage suggests when the wind is strong.

Stay · Play · Recover

Use it to balance the itinerary

Build the New Course between the Old, Jubilee and other Fife links rather than scheduling every demanding round consecutively. Hydration, lower-leg mobility and sufficient sleep become increasingly important across a walking-heavy St Andrews break.