Fun Facts About the Old Course at St. Andrews

Financial services professional Brad Liebe, owner of KK and B Financial Services for Seniors, enjoys playing golf during his leisure time. He counts the Copper River Country Club in California and the Waupaca Country Club in Wisconsin among his favorite courses. Like many golf enthusiasts, Brad Liebe dreams of playing at the Old Course in St. Andrews, Scotland. 

Here are some interesting facts about the iconic golfing destination.

1. It’s the world’s oldest golf course.
There is recorded evidence of golf being played on the Old Course as far back as the early 1500s. With such a long history, it’s hardly surprising that the course has become known as the “home of golf.”

2. It hasn’t always had 18 holes.
The original version of the course had just 11 holes, which were cut down to 9 in 1764. Players would play this course as a kind of “round trip,” playing through to the end and then going back to the beginning. The Old Course didn’t have 18 separate holes until 1832.

3. It’s very popular.
Every year, about 45,000 rounds of golf are played on the Old Course.

4. It’s not always used for golf.
There is no golfing at the Old Course on Sundays. Instead, for that one day every week, the course is turned into a public park.

Planning a Golf Trip to the Old Course at St. Andrews Links

As the owner of KK&B Financial Services, Brad Liebe guides a firm that provides dedicated retirement planning services spanning a range of insurance and annuity offerings. A golf enthusiast, Brad Liebe maintains a 20 handicap and has interest in traveling to Scotland and experiencing the Old Course at St. Andrews Links.

Not the private club that many imagine when considering a golf vacation, the Old Course maintains a level of exclusivity by requiring men to maintain a maximum handicap of 24 and women of 36. Open year-round as long as weather permits, on Sundays the course is closed for golf, and local residents use it as a public park. 

With demand great, those who don’t arrange packages well in advance must register in a lottery each day. One option for those with a few days to spare is the Links Trust’s "unlimited golf" ticket, which is available in durations of three days or a week and allows unlimited play, depending on availability, at all the courses at St. Andrews except the Old Course.