Golfers will this week be given the once-a-year opportunity to play the famous Old Course at St Andrews backwards, as players did when the course first emerged in the 1400s.
Players, local and international, will experience the Old Course in its historic clockwise layout as the Old Course Reversed event returns for a second year, following a hugely successful 2024 debut.
St Andrews Links Trust introduced the Old Course Reversed event to commemorate the organisation’s 50th anniversary. In 2024, 591 golfers played the course backwards, with visitors travelling to the Home of Golf from as far as New Zealand in what has become a bucket list event for fans of the sport.
This year, the Trust expects to welcome 652 players to play the reverse routing, with more than 10,000 applications for a tee time received by golfers from 57 countries worldwide.
This event recognises the historic nature of the Old Course, which was originally designed to be played in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions.
Old Course Reversed will run for six days, from April 3-8. It will see the clockwise format in play on 4, 5, and 7 of April. The remaining days will be played in the anti-clockwise direction, allowing golfers to compare the two.
St Andrews Links ticket-holders have the opportunity to experience competitive golf on the historic routing with a ticket holder-only competition being played on April 5. Demand for the ticket-holder day mirrored that of visiting golfers, with 864 applications for the 172 spots available.
The daily ballot and singles daily draw will also remain in place on both April 4 and 7, allowing golfers the opportunity to apply for a coveted tee time during the week of the event.
The course was initially designed to be played in either clockwise or anticlockwise direction. From the 1400s, the Old Course emerged and evolved from the living landscape, with outward and inward holes played to the same greens and fairways. In 1870 Old Tom Morris introduced the current 1st green by splitting it from the 17th, which formed the anticlockwise routing that in play today.
Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “Old Course Reversed commences for its second year this week, and it’s sure to be one to remember with players international and local ticking it off their bucket-lists. The history of our courses is a significant part of our identity and ambitions as the custodians of golf. Recognising and celebrating the roots of the famous Old Course is hugely important to us.
“The event was a great success in its first year, with almost 600 golfers enjoying the unique experience of playing the Old Course as it was hundreds of years ago. We are happy to announce this will now be an annual addition to our events calendar, allowing more golfers to take part in this special opportunity and celebrate the unrivalled history of the Old Course.”
PLAY THE OLD COURSE REVERSED – VIRTUALLY!
Toptracer, the world’s number one range technology and official range technology of The Home of Golf, is staging an exclusive competition at its partner ranges around the world featuring the Old Course Reversed from April 2-30.
To celebrate, Toptracer has recreated the course virtually and will be accessible to 1,250 Toptracer-powered range sites worldwide during April, making the unique course available for more players to experience.
Adding to the excitement, players can compete in the virtual golf game mode on The Old Course Reversed. The player with the lowest gross score will win a tee time for two on the actual Old Course Reversed in 2026. To enter, golfers can visit any Toptracer Range to register and play The Old Course Reversed between April 2-30.
“It’s an incredible privilege to exclusively offer golfers worldwide access to one of the most unique experiences at golf’s most iconic destination,” said Scott Blevins, General Manager at Toptracer. “We believe the appeal of this experience will attract new players and drive repeat visits to our customers’ facilities.”
In 2022, Toptracer joined forces with St Andrews Links for a long-term partnership that included the installation of Toptracer Range Technology at The St Andrews Links Golf Academy, the range facility at The Home of Golf. As part of the partnership, Toptracer became the only platform where golfers can play the Old Course virtually at the driving range – and in 2024 there were more than 700,000 rounds played at The Home of Golf on Toptracer Range sites around the world.
“We’re excited to have golfers worldwide experience the uniqueness of Old Course Reversed in a virtual setting. We’re pleased to be able to work with our partners at Toptracer on this special activation,” said James Ralley, Commercial Director at St Andrews Links. “All who dream of visiting the Home of Golf will now have access to this historic routing from the comfort of their local driving range bays.”
For more information on Toptracer’s partnership with St Andrews Links, head to toptracer.com/case-studies/st-andrews/. The full rules for the competition can be found at toptracer.com/globalchallenge.