St Andrews New Course

But those who know their golf history will tell you that this is one of the purest links experiences in the country. Designed by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1895, it was commissioned to ease demand on the Old Course, which even then had a packed tee sheet. What emerged wasn’t a copy but a course with its own distinct rhythm: tighter, more defined, and arguably a better test of straight driving.

The New Course was laid out by Morris during the final years of his design career. At that point he’d already had a hand in shaping some of the most important courses in Scotland, but here he returned to his home links with a restrained and thoughtful approach. There’s no showmanship in the layout. Instead, it’s a course that leans on natural undulations, subtle doglegs, and firm, fast greens. It rarely plays easy, especially when the wind comes in from the Eden Estuary.

Many first-time visitors are surprised by how traditional the New Course feels, especially given the name. There’s no clubhouse of its own (rounds begin near the first tee of the Old) and no drama in the routing. But the bones are strong. The fairways are narrower, the rough more punishing, and the green sites slightly more severe than those next door. There’s a sense here that Morris was building something quietly stern, a course that rewarded precision over flair.

Like the Old Course, the New is managed by the St Andrews Links Trust and is open to the public year-round. It shares the same setting along the coast, with views to the sea and across town. In summer, long shadows stretch across the dunes. In winter, it can feel stripped back to its essentials: wind, turf, and shotmaking.

For those following the Old Tom Morris Trail, this is one of the most accessible stops. It's a chance to walk a course shaped directly by Morris’s hand, in the place where he spent most of his life. It may not carry the fame of the Old, but for many who play it, the New Course is where the town’s golfing heritage feels most intact.

For full trail details, see oldtommorristrail.com.