St Andrews Old Course vs Royal Dornoch: The Ultimate Showdown
You have limited time and budget for Scottish golf. You can play either St Andrews Old Course, the legendary "Home of Golf," or Royal Dornoch, the Highland masterpiece routinely ranked in the world's
You have limited time and budget for Scottish golf. You can play either St Andrews Old Course, the legendary "Home of Golf," or Royal Dornoch, the Highland masterpiece routinely ranked in the world's top 10.
Both are bucket-list courses. Both offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But they're very different.
We're settling this debate once and for all. History, challenge, value, accessibility, experience—we're comparing everything that matters to help you make the right choice.
St Andrews Old
Royal Dornoch
Round 1: History & Prestige
⛳ St Andrews Old Course
- Golf's spiritual home since the 1400s
- 30 Open Championships hosted
- Where legends like Old Tom Morris, Bobby Jones, and Tiger Woods made history
- The Swilcan Bridge, Road Hole, Valley of Sin—iconic holes every golfer recognizes
- Walking the same fairways as 600 years of golfers
🏴 Royal Dornoch
- World-renowned design excellence
- Tom Watson called it "the most fun I ever had playing golf"
- Ben Crenshaw's favorite course globally
- Consistently ranked #1 in Scotland by Golf Digest
- Pure, untouched links golf with zero commercialization
Verdict: St Andrews wins on pure historical significance—nowhere else can match seven centuries of golf heritage. But Royal Dornoch wins on prestige among golfers who've played both. It's revered differently.
Round 2: The Golf Experience
⛳ St Andrews Old Course
- Massive double greens (some 100 yards wide)
- Unpredictable bounces and blind shots
- Requires strategic, ground-game thinking
- The Road Hole (#17) might be golf's hardest par-4
- Course feels quirky, even unfair at times
🏴 Royal Dornoch
- Elevated greens demand precision approach shots
- Dramatic coastal holes with mountain backdrop
- Natural, flowing routing through dunesland
- Every hole feels distinct and memorable
- "Pure golf" without gimmicks
Verdict: Royal Dornoch offers better golf by modern standards. The design is more cohesive, holes more memorable, experience more satisfying. St Andrews is more about the idea of playing there than the actual round itself.
Round 3: Difficulty & Challenge
Difficulty Comparison
St Andrews Old Course: Par 72, 6,670 yards. Difficulty comes from wind, firm conditions, massive greens, and penal bunkers. Course Rating: 75.2 / Slope: 139
Royal Dornoch: Par 70, 6,799 yards. Difficulty comes from elevated greens, strategic bunkering, and unforgiving rough. Course Rating: 74.9 / Slope: 140
Verdict: Both are brutally difficult in wind. St Andrews punishes poor strategy; Dornoch punishes poor execution. Tie.
Round 4: Value & Accessibility
⛳ St Andrews Old Course
- Green Fee: £340 (peak season)
- Booking: Lottery system (48% success rate) or tour packages (£££)
- Peak Times: Insanely busy, 5+ hour rounds common
- Off-Season: Easier access, but often closed for maintenance
- Overall: Expensive and logistically challenging
🏴 Royal Dornoch
- Green Fee: £280 (peak season)
- Booking: Direct booking, usually available
- Pace: 4-hour rounds, never feels rushed
- Remote Location: 1 hour north of Inverness (pro: peaceful; con: harder to reach)
- Overall: Better value, more relaxed experience
Verdict: Royal Dornoch is £60 cheaper, easier to book, less crowded, and offers a more peaceful experience. Clear winner on value.
Round 5: Location & Trip Planning
St Andrews: 1 hour from Edinburgh, easy to combine with other Fife courses (Kingsbarns, Carnoustie). Charming town with excellent restaurants and hotels. Perfect for a long weekend.
Royal Dornoch: Remote Highlands location (1 hour north of Inverness). Spectacular scenery but requires dedicated trip. Combine with NC500 road trip or nearby courses like Brora and Tain.
Verdict: St Andrews wins for convenience and combining with other courses. Dornoch wins for adventure and natural beauty.
Final Scores
The Verdict: Which Should You Play?
🏆 Royal Dornoch Wins... But It's Complicated
On pure golfing merit, Royal Dornoch is the superior course. Better design, better conditioning, better value, more memorable holes, and a more enjoyable overall experience.
But St Andrews isn't really about golf quality. It's about standing on the first tee where golf began, crossing Swilcan Bridge where Jack Nicklaus waved goodbye, putting out on the 18th as thousands before you have done.
It's a pilgrimage. And you can't put a number on that.
Our Honest Recommendation
Choose St Andrews Old If:
✓ It's your first trip to Scotland
✓ Checking boxes matters (you NEED to say you played St Andrews)
✓ You're more interested in history than pure golf
✓ You want the ultimate Instagram moment
✓ You're combining with other Fife courses
Choose Royal Dornoch If:
✓ You've played St Andrews before
✓ You prioritize golf quality over historical significance
✓ You want a more relaxed, less touristy experience
✓ You're planning a Highlands adventure
✓ You want better value for money
The Real Answer: Play Both
Look, we know. This is the cop-out answer. But it's also the right one.
St Andrews and Royal Dornoch represent two different sides of Scottish golf. One is a museum piece, the other is pure artistry. You need both to understand what makes Scottish golf special.
Budget Solution: Play St Andrews in the off-season (November-March, £150-200), save the premium for Royal Dornoch in summer when the Highlands are at their most spectacular.
First-Timer Priority: St Andrews first. Get the pilgrimage out of the way. Then return for Royal Dornoch when you're ready to fall in love with golf again.
Serious Golfer Priority: Royal Dornoch first. It's the better golf course. St Andrews can wait.
Have you played both? Which did you prefer? We'd love to hear your thoughts.
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