A research project to review the commercial tee time programme at the Home of Golf has been announced by St Andrews Links Trust, with a view to delivering a programme to support the long-term health of the Scottish golf tourism economy and reinvestment into the renowned St Andrews courses.
A recent study by Sheffield Hallam University revealed that golf tourism at St Andrews Links delivers a £317m impact to Scotland’s economy annually and supports more than 4,300 jobs across the country.
Much of this impact is driven by the Home of Golf’s commercial tee time programme, where tee times are sold through authorised tour operators and packaged amongst wider itineraries in Scotland and beyond.
The current commercial tee time programme was introduced in 2018 with the aim of generating revenue, improving customer data and experience and supporting the wider Scottish golf tourism industry.
A specialist agency will support the Links Trust in conducting the review of the programme to provide a clear picture of the current market and inform any recommendations for the future.
The aim of the work will be to ensure that the Links Trust’s relationships with authorised providers remain aligned with the long-term ambitions of the organisation as well as continuing to provide world-class service to visiting golfers and supporting the golf tourism industry and wider visitor economy.
As part of the review, there will be an open dialogue with authorised providers and the wider golf tourism sector with key stakeholders asked to contribute to the work.
James Ralley, Commercial Director at St Andrews Links Trust, said: “Our commercial tee time programme is a vital part of our business, offering guaranteed tee time access to visitors through authorised providers as well as providing a valuable revenue stream for reinvestment into the Links and its facilities. The programme also contributes significantly to the local, regional and national economies as the driving force behind golf tourism across Scotland, evidenced by the £317m annual economic impact outlined in a recent report.
“Given the significance of our commercial tee time programme for St Andrews and Scotland it is vital we ensure it is best placed to deliver for the ambitions of the Links Trust, and our diverse range of stakeholders including the needs of our ticketholder community as regular users of the Links.”
The research project will begin this summer and will not impact the 2026 commercial tee time season, which will proceed as planned with times already allocated to authorised providers.
For more information on the value of St Andrews Links to Scottish golf tourism, a summary of the research undertaken by Sheffield Hallam University is available here.