St. Andrews - October

[jlapier]

Hi all --

 

I've put together an awesome trip for three of us to St Andrews and East Lothian Oct 5-13 this year. We're hitting Elie, Carnoustie, Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane and a few others. The only thing I'm stumped on is how to handle St. Andrews. We didn't get lucky on advance Old Course tee times, so we're planning to give the 48-hour ballot and the daily singles draw a try. We've set aside two open days (Oct 8 and 9) with no tee times booked to give us a couple shots at it.

 

How should I handle this to make sure we don't end up with dead days if we don't get the ballot or singles draw? It doesn't look like you can book speculative tee times on other courses and cancel them. Are there courses where we'd have a decent chance of walking up on the day -- maybe the New Course, Crail, Panmure or Montrose? Or do we just have to make advance arrangements and eat the cost of those if we get on the Old Course?

 

Thanks for any advice!

[jatrain]

From what’s been reported on another thread, St. Andrews holds 50% of tee times on the other courses for same day walk-ups.  It sounds like as long as you go early you shouldn’t have a problem getting on New, Eden, Jubilee, etc.  

 

I’m going in September and my current plan is this:  I have 5 days in Fife that I could play the Old Course.  Right now I have Elie and Crail booked for the last two of those days.  If I don’t get on the first couple of days through the ballot and singles draw then I’ll try to move my tee times at Elie and Crail up to the days I don’t get on the Old. (I’m a single so hopefully it’ll be easier than if I had a group). I’ll fill in other days with the other St. Andrews courses. 

[El Gringo]

5 hours ago, jlapier said:

Hi all --

 

I've put together an awesome trip for three of us to St Andrews and East Lothian Oct 5-13 this year. We're hitting Elie, Carnoustie, Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane and a few others. The only thing I'm stumped on is how to handle St. Andrews. We didn't get lucky on advance Old Course tee times, so we're planning to give the 48-hour ballot and the daily singles draw a try. We've set aside two open days (Oct 8 and 9) with no tee times booked to give us a couple shots at it.

 

How should I handle this to make sure we don't end up with dead days if we don't get the ballot or singles draw? It doesn't look like you can book speculative tee times on other courses and cancel them. Are there courses where we'd have a decent chance of walking up on the day -- maybe the New Course, Crail, Panmure or Montrose? Or do we just have to make advance arrangements and eat the cost of those if we get on the Old Course?

 

Thanks for any advice!

If you are willing to travel a bit and are open about tee times, I am positive you can secure alternate tee times on good courses with 1-2 day notice. 

You can also download the GolfNow app. It will show the courses in your area with tee times at discounted prices. For instance, I am looking at today and there are available discounted times within 25 miles of St Andrews at

 

Both Monifieth courses

Leven

Forfar

Kinghorn

 

Have you looked into mat dates at TOC?

[DrDon]

1.  Check the dates for the Dunhill Links tournament at St. Andrews.

 

2.  I've had frost delays at St. Andrews in October.

[hammergolf]

16 hours ago, jlapier said:

Hi all --

 

I've put together an awesome trip for three of us to St Andrews and East Lothian Oct 5-13 this year. We're hitting Elie, Carnoustie, Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane and a few others. The only thing I'm stumped on is how to handle St. Andrews. We didn't get lucky on advance Old Course tee times, so we're planning to give the 48-hour ballot and the daily singles draw a try. We've set aside two open days (Oct 8 and 9) with no tee times booked to give us a couple shots at it.

 

How should I handle this to make sure we don't end up with dead days if we don't get the ballot or singles draw? It doesn't look like you can book speculative tee times on other courses and cancel them. Are there courses where we'd have a decent chance of walking up on the day -- maybe the New Course, Crail, Panmure or Montrose? Or do we just have to make advance arrangements and eat the cost of those if we get on the Old Course?

 

Thanks for any advice!

So I assume you’re planning on spending 3 or so days in East Lothian and 5 or so days in Fife? With the exception of Carnoustie, most of the courses around St. Andrews will be flexible with your booked times if you win the ballot or daily single draw if they have openings. However, if they don’t you would lose your green fees. I would recommend keeping those days open. Since you’ll be there in October it won’t be as busy so you will probably be able to get on any of the courses near or in St. Andrews if you don’t get the ballot. I would also recommend you trying the ballot on Oct 10th since Thursdays have more available ballot times.

Edited May 25, 2024 by hammergolf

[jlapier]

19 hours ago, hammergolf said:

So I assume you’re planning on spending 3 or so days in East Lothian and 5 or so days in Fife? With the exception of Carnoustie, most of the courses around St. Andrews will be flexible with your booked times if you win the ballot or daily single draw if they have openings. However, if they don’t you would lose your green fees. I would recommend keeping those days open. Since you’ll be there in October it won’t be as busy so you will probably be able to get on any of the courses near or in St. Andrews if you don’t get the ballot. I would also recommend you trying the ballot on Oct 10th since Thursdays have more available ballot times.

Thanks, super helpful. So it sounds like we should not try to make tentative arrangements then and just see what we can line up on the open day(s). Here’s the full itinerary:

 

Oct 6 - Elie
Oct 7 - Carnoustie

Oct 8 - Old Course ballot/TBD

Oct 9 - Old Course ballot/TBD

Oct 10 - Muirfield

Oct 11 - Gullane 2 and North Berwick

Oct 12 - Kilspindie

 

So unfortunately we can’t hang around for the ballot on Oct 10. Anything else we should be thinking about?

 

And to the poster above, the Dunhill Links ends Oct 6.

 

[hammergolf]

24 minutes ago, jlapier said:

Thanks, super helpful. So it sounds like we should not try to make tentative arrangements then and just see what we can line up on the open day(s). Here’s the full itinerary:

 

Oct 6 - Elie
Oct 7 - Carnoustie

Oct 8 - Old Course ballot/TBD

Oct 9 - Old Course ballot/TBD

Oct 10 - Muirfield

Oct 11 - Gullane 2 and North Berwick

Oct 12 - Kilspindie

 

So unfortunately we can’t hang around for the ballot on Oct 10. Anything else we should be thinking about?

 

And to the poster above, the Dunhill Links ends Oct 6.

 

Great itinerary! Yeah, I would leave those days open and try to stay near St. Andrews as that could be important for the daily singles que. If you are close and others ahead of you can’t make it to the tee when they message you will move ahead of them. Plus, on Monday go to the starter’s hut and ask them about how the tee sheet looks on the 8th & 9th. Explain your situation to them and they will be VERY helpful. They will also tell you what times are available on their other courses should you not get the ballot or walk up.

‘Below is a thread explaining the new single ballot. 
 

 

Edited May 26, 2024 by hammergolf