St Andrews Links Trust will add an eighth golf course to its world-class line-up at the Home of Golf following an historic agreement to take over The Duke’s Course.
The Links Trust, which currently manages the seven public golf courses in St Andrews, including the famous Old Course, has reached an agreement with the Old Course Hotel to take over a long-term lease of The Duke’s Course from January 5, 2026.
The agreement is part of a long-term strategy to increase capacity at the Home of Golf to offer greater access to tee times for ticketholders and visitors and facilitate wider investment in St Andrews Links’ facilities.
As part of the venue’s evolution, it will take on a revitalised identity with a new logo and name, aligning it with the Links Trust’s recent brand launch for the Home of Golf.
From 5 January, the venue will be renamed The Craigtoun Course, inspired by the site’s location near Craigtoun Country Park. The new logo represents its natural landscape, depicting the picturesque trees which are synonymous with the course and the surrounding area overlooking the famous golf town. The rebrand brings the course into line with sister courses Strathtyrum, Eden, Balgove and Castle being named after local place names or landmarks.
The facilities at The Craigtoun Course, including the clubhouse, driving range and pro-shop will be managed by the Links Trust. All existing staff will have the opportunity to remain in their posts, transferring over to the Links Trust to ensure continuity and knowledge transfer.
Current members of The Duke’s will have the opportunity to retain their membership of The Craigtoun Course under the existing terms throughout 2026.
More details on green fee pricing for visitors will be published in the coming weeks. The Links Trust plan to manage the Craigtoun Course in a similar manner to its other courses, operating with a mix of member, ticketholder and visitor play in line with its charitable objectives to increase public participation.
As a renowned heathland course, with fairways lined by trees, The Craigtoun Course will offer a different experience to the other courses at St Andrews Links, further enhancing the proposition to golfers.
Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “The agreement for The Craigtoun Course will see the first new course added to the Home of Golf’s portfolio in 18 years and presents an ideal opportunity to expand the golf experiences we offer. We are delighted to have reached agreement with the Old Course Hotel and look forward to taking over what it is already a significant asset for St Andrews and Scotland and building on its reputation.”
He added: “Demand for golf in St Andrews has risen to unprecedented levels in recent years with more rounds played by ticketholders and visitors than ever before. The Craigtoun Course allows us to offer additional capacity and strategically invest in our facilities to offer more opportunities to play golf.”
Phyllis Wilkie, general manager at the Old Course Hotel, said: “The Duke’s Golf Course has been under Kohler’s leadership for 25 years, during which time we have invested in future-proofing the course and enhancing conditions, through measures including our most recent drainage and irrigation project. Throughout this time, we have welcomed members to explore Scotland’s only Heathland course in the ‘Home of Golf’, here in St Andrews, and would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to every member, visitor, and staff member who made our custodianship of this iconic course so positive.”
She added: “We are pleased to have agreed a long-term lease with St Andrews Links Trust that will see the Duke’s course join its portfolio of world-renowned golf courses, benefitting from the Trust’s expertise and passion for bringing the joy of golf to even more people across the world. We look forward to seeing the Trust build on our successes and continue to ensure residents and visitors to St Andrews have access to quality golf courses and experiences.”