Golfers flock to St Andrews to play the Old Course in reverse

The layout of the historic course will be reversed for six days, from April 3-8, following a hugely successful 2024 debut.

St Andrews Links Trust introduced the ‘Old Course Reversed’ event to commemorate the organisation’s 50th anniversary. In 2024, 591 golfers took part, with visitors travelling to the Home of Golf from as far as New Zealand, in what has become a bucket-list event for fans of the sport.

This year, the trust expects to welcome 652 players to play the reverse routing, with more than 10,000 applications for a tee time received by golfers from 57 countries worldwide.

This event recognises the historic nature of the Old Course, which was originally designed to be played in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.

Old Course Reversed will will see the clockwise format in play on April 4, 5 and 7. The remaining days will be played in the current-day anti-clockwise direction, allowing golfers to compare the two.

St Andrews Links Ticketholders have the opportunity to experience competitive golf on the historic routing with a ticketholder-only competition being played on Saturday, April 5. Demand for the ticketholder day mirrored that of visiting golfers, with 864 applications for the 172 spots available.

The daily ballot and singles daily draw will also remain in place on both April 4 and 7, allowing golfers the opportunity to apply for a coveted tee time during the week of the event.

The course was initially designed to be played in either a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. From the 1400s, the Old Course emerged and evolved from the living landscape, with outward and inward holes played to the same greens and fairways. In 1870, Old Tom Morris introduced the existing 1st green by splitting it from the 17th, which formed the anti-clockwise routing that is in play today.

Neil Coulson, chief executive of the trust, said: “Old Course Reversed is sure to be one to remember, with players international and local ticking it off their bucket lists.

“The history of our courses is a significant part of our identity and ambitions as the custodians of golf. Recognising and celebrating the roots of the famous Old Course is hugely important to us.

“The event was a great success in its first year, with almost 600 golfers enjoying the unique experience of playing the Old Course as it was hundreds of years ago.”