St Andrews Links

Opened in 1993, the Strathtyrum Course is a par 69 of about 5,147 metres, designed by Donald Steel to provide a more accessible links without abandoning St Andrews strategy. Moderate length, purposeful bunkering and lively greens make it both a development course and a genuine accuracy test.

Strathtyrum was created when St Andrews Links needed more capacity and a course suited to developing golfers, juniors and quicker rounds. Steel laid it out beside the Eden. Tom Mackenzie and Martin Ebert later improved selected areas, tees, drainage and hazard definition, strengthening playability without changing its welcoming role. The course occupies low, open ground within the complex, where the Eden and the sea influence wind and moisture. Gentle-looking relief contains small hollows, fairway ripples and firm lies. With no large dunes to offer shelter, the wind is easy to read but can remain in play for almost every shot.

Steel emphasises clarity from the tee and difficulty near the greens. There are fewer bunkers than on the older championship layouts, yet each guards a relevant line or distance. Putting surfaces are smaller and more active than they first appear, so the correct approach zone matters more than raw power. A par of 69 and controlled yardage create more short irons, placement shots and scoring opportunities. Accessibility does not remove defence: greens repel poorly controlled balls, links rough can hide a miss and wind quickly changes a short hole. Strong drainage supports use through a broad part of the year.

Strathtyrum offers St Andrews in a more relaxed, faster format. It suits families, improving golfers and visitors adding a second round to the day. Its position by the Eden Clubhouse gives access to shared Links services, while easy walking provides views across neighbouring courses and the estuary landscape.

Treat it not as a reduced St Andrews but as an intelligent introduction to links golf. It teaches angles, low flight, use of the ground and discipline around compact greens. Better players receive an excellent scoring examination; newer golfers encounter authentic turf without being overwhelmed by length. Key facts: 18 holes; par 69; about 5,147 metres; opened 1993; designed by Donald Steel; later work associated with Mackenzie & Ebert; the most accessible eighteen-hole St Andrews Links course; open ground near the Eden.

Club, junior, academy and open competitions — Annual calendar Opened in 1993 as a Donald Steel design intended to broaden access to St Andrews Links