Old Course Reversed: unique chance for golfers to play iconic St Andrews course ‘back to front’

Golfers can play a unique back to front round at the historic Old Course in St Andrews.

The Home Of Golf has announced the dates of ‘Old Course Reversed’ in 2025 when it will be played anti-clockwise. The unique nature of the design of the course means it can be played in either clockwise or anti-clockwise direction, and for many years it was played in both directions until the current clockwise routing became the norm in the 20th century.

Now, for three days in April 2025, golfers will have the chance to step back in time to experience the Old Course Reversed with the return of the historic routing.

The initiative is back after a hugely successful launch in 2024, with tee-times available on April 4 5 and 7 - the course will be closed on Sunday 6th as per tradition.

The inaugural event - launched as part of St Andrews Links Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations - saw 591 golfers flock to the iconic course, with visitors from as far as New Zealand taking part. It is now set to be an annual event which Neil Coulson, chief executive, hailed as “a unique experience at the Home of Golf.”

Golfers will have multiple ways of seeking to access a tee time through the daily ballot and digital singles list as well as an advanced three-round public package for the Old Course, Old Course Reversed and the Castle Course. St Andrews Links ticketholders can also enter a dedicated competition on Saturday, April 5..

The Old Course at St Andrews Links is revered and recognised as the birthplace of the game of golf after the sport was first documented being played on the Links in the early 15th century. The course emerged from the living landscape of the land, originally featuring outward and inward holes played to the same greens and using the same fairways, meaning it was designed to be played in either clockwise or any-clockwise direction.

In 1764 it was reduced from 22 to 18 holes and in 1870 Old Tom Morris introduced the current first green by splitting it from the 17th to form the standard anti-clockwise routing in use today.

For many years the course was played over both circuits on alternate weeks, and as recently as the 1970s, it was still played in a 'reverse’ routing for one month every winter before this practice ebbed away. Once a year on the Saturday closest to St Andrews Day (30 November), the reverse routing is still used for a competition limited to a small number of local club members. Advanced public packages will be priced at £750 and feature three rounds of golf.