Royal Dornoch Announce Generational Plans + St Andrews Singles Queue

The dry and sunny weather continues in Scotland…honest! Plenty to catch up on so let’s get into it…

Digital St Andrews Old Course Singles Queue

St Andrews Links published data from the first 12 months of their new digital singles queue. Critiques will bemoan the loss of the romantic nature of “if you want it enough, you’ll get it” but this new system has received overwhelmingly positive feedback.

If you wanted a tee time badly enough, you could begin camping out at 6pm the night before and guarantee yourself a spot. But with unprecedented demand the queue was getting longer and longer and as a result, dangerous. Golfers in their 70s were essentially sleeping under the stars with little to no protection. The liabilities were increasing and the golfer’s St Andrews Old Course experience worse. Who wants to play a bucket-list round on the most famous golf course in the world with little to no sleep and a stiff back?

• Based from the first 12 months of data you can expect close to a 1 in 4 chance of a positive result

• More days in St Andrews, the better chance of success (Remember no golf on the Old Course on Sundays)

• You must be in person, in St Andrews the day prior to your day of play and register before 5pm at either the Old Course pavillion (beside the 1st tee) or the St Andrews Links Clubhouse

• You must produce photographic ID

• You will be text/emailed your results that evening and your position in the queue

$50 St Andrews Old Course tee times

With the ever increasing pressure on costly green fees, St Andrews Links Trust recently announced a new campaign to promote affordable tee times for domestic golfers. After all, they’re a charitable trust whose mission is to promote golf participation. £340 isn’t that.

The headline that grabbed everyone’s attention was 11 Old Course tee times this month which will cost golfers just £42.50. In total 179 discounted tee times will be made available to domestic golfers.

How do I feel about the gesture?

I think it’s an important precedent for other stature golf courses in Scotland that have driven their green fees up post covid and reaping the rewards. If St Andrews can do it, so can they. That said, the St Andrews Links Trust can do and will do more.

The international golfer, most of you reading this continue to pay handsomely for a guaranteed Old Course St Andrews tee time from one of the prefered golf travel agents. For those agents to retain their tee time allocation, St Andrews Links Trust incentives them to ensure their clients spend money on various “add ons” across the golf experience such as additional rounds at their other courses in St Andrews such as New, Jubilee or Castle, retail, food/beverage and photography services. Eating in a clubhouse or in an independant restaurant in St Andrews…I know which is the better experience. These demands on the golf tourist price a lot of people out and that’s even before the golf travel agents try and make any money.

So yes, it’s a start but don’t stop at the domestic golfer.

Royal Dornoch select King Collins for generational project

King Collins Dormer Golf Course Design were announced this week as the preferred architect for the most significant golf development in the town’s history.

The plans include:

• Enhancement and overhaul of existing 18 hole Struie Course

• New 18 hole course on recently acquired neighbouring linksland

• Par 3 Course

• Two jumbo putting green courses

• Kids Course

• Practice facilities

Of note from the plans shared with members is the desire to create a unique bunker design which would move away from the traditional pot bunkers seen at Royal Dornoch’s Championship Course and every rota course in the land.

“The first key for us in imagining these hazards is understanding the reality of maintenance in a harsh, windy environment. We took inspiration from Nordic sod houses along with historic photos of Scottish Links courses where non-linear, artistic forms and edges are commonly found. Additionally, we are intrigued by the use of railway sleepers as a way to both fortify a bunker edge and pay homage to the past. Carefully molded edges elsewhere in the bunker are built with chunks of thriving natural vegetation that secure them from the wind.”

For anyone new to the name Rob Collins I suggest you listen to this No Laying Up podcast. I spoke with Rob about the news prior to his member briefing and it is safe to say he was emotional at the thought of adding his part to the history of Royal Dornoch and Scottish golf. More from Rob and Royal Dornoch’s plans soon.

Reads, Listens and Links

A new bus St Andrews to Edinburgh Airport bus service

Gullane Golf Club rebuilt 130 bunkers this past winter!

Pictures like this remind you why golf in Scotland is different…and proof if we needed it that the golf season is well underway

Portmarnock Golf Club moves closer to hosting Open Championship

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