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Visiting The Old Course at St. Andrews Links is golf's equivalent of touring the Vatican. To those who have devoted themselves to the pursuit of pars and birdies, it is as holy a space as the game has.
Historically, if playing The Old Course is like visiting the Sistine Chapel, then getting to take in its reverse (clockwise) routing has been as unlikely as an audience with the pope.
But next spring, that rarest-of-rare opportunities will be opened up to more golfers than ever. During the six days from March 28 through April 2, 2024, hundreds of golfers will have the opportunity to play The Old Course in both directions on consecutive days. A 48-hour booking window for this experience will be open on Monday and Tuesday, December 11 and 12, 2023. There will ne a ballot for St. Andrews Links ticketholders, while others will be able to apply through an open ballot as well as limited advance packages.
The package rate for this unique experience is £575 and includes one round over The Old Course's typical counterclockwise routing, one round over its super-rare clockwise routing and one round at St. Andrews Links' Castle Course, plus credit for food, beverage and practice time at St. Andrews' Academy.
Why playing The Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse is so unusual and special
From its origins in the 15th century until 1870, The Old Course evolved gradually, with golfers enjoying it roughly equally in both directions. It was not until 1870, when greenkeeper and early competitive golf legend Old Tom Morris separated today's first green from the famed Road Hole 17th that the current routing began to emerge as the prevalent one. Over time, the clockwise routing of the course was used less and less, until recent years, when it was only made available on the Saturday nearest St. Andrews Day (November 30), and only then to members of certain local clubs.
Several aspects of the current traditional Old Course routing hint at the intrigue of its reverse form. Perhaps the best example is the inscrutable short par-4 12th hole, whose bunkers, littered across the central playing line of the hole, are mostly blind from the tee box. This unsettling view makes the 309-yard hole one of the world's scariest at that length.
It's only when looking back from the green toward the tee that those bunkers make sense in context. They are more fully visible and sit at far less awkward spots for the tee and approach shots. This hole becomes the 7th in the reverse routing, playing back to what is typically the par-3 11th green.
Another key aspect of The Old Course's reverse routing is the general sense of comfort many players feel on practically every tee box. When the course plays counterclockwise, right-handed golfers often find themselves uncomfortable, with the boundary of the golf course constantly on the common slice side.
Because I play golf left-handed, my experience at The Old Course back in 2008 was relatively comfortable. As I addressed the ball and looked down each hole's corridor, I was glad to see acres of space to the left practically every time. Having my back to the out-of-bounds all round was a nice advantage. I shudder to think how many pull-hooks I may end up hitting if and when I play the reverse routing. But I'm willing to find out; playing The Old Course in reverse someday (preferably in competition of some sort) is near the top of my personal golf bucket-list.
The majority of golfers who play The Old Course's reverse routing in 2024 should feel more confident on most tee boxes as the boundary of the course switches from their front to their back sides. The old adage that "left is best" will go out the window on these days, replaced by "right is alright."
Righty golfers may well come away preferring the reverse Old Course. That is, as long as they can overcome the terror of having to navigate the famed Road green and pot bunker on their very first hole of the day!
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