Tee times at the Old Course and the other St. Andrews golf courses areup for grabs on Monday.
Those planning Scotland golf vacations are often disappointed to learn that the world-famous Old Course in St. Andrews is often booked solid a year in advance, but this Monday, it and its sister St. Andrews golf courses are offering unsold tee times on a first-come, first served basis.
St. Andrews Links Trust, which manages the collection of seven St. Andrews golf courses, announced that it has tee times available for the following upcoming dates in 2009:
April
14, 20, 21, 28, 29
May
01, 08, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 25, 26, 29
June
01, 02, 03, 10, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 29, 30
July
02, 06, 07, 08, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, 30
August
03, 04, 07, 19, 24, 26, 28
October
13, 26, 27
If you were on the fence about taking a Scotland golf vacation, the availability of Old Course tee times should make your decision a lot easier. This is akin to tables suddenly opening up at Le Cirque (ok, maybe 1970s-1980s Le Cirque) and all you have to do is call to get one.
Keep in mind, as is typically the case when making advance tee times to play the Old Course (£130/$189) between April and October, you’re required to book an additional tee time on one of the other St. Andrews golf courses, but that’s something we’d advise doing anyway on a Scotland golf vacation. We recommend the Castle Course (£120/$175), New Course (£65/$95) or Jubilee Course (£65/$95), in that order.
Also with respect to the Old Course, the maximum allowable handicap is 24 for men and 36 for women (verified by official handicap card or certificate).
To get in on this Scotland golf vacation bonanza, you’ll need to fill out
the official application, which will be made available this coming Monday, March 23, 2009 at 10am GMT (6am ET or 3am PT). Don’t oversleep; you can be sure these St. Andrews golf course tee times will get snapped up quickly. Additional information on how to apply can be found here.
One other Scotland golf vacation tip today: if you’re traveling with a group and you want the camaraderie of staying under one roof, you may want to consider the five-bedroom St. Andrews Golf Lodge. The normal weekly rate of £4,500 has been reduced to £2,400, £3,200 and £3,600 for parties of four, eight, and 12, respectively.
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