HISTORY

Situated on Scotland’s East Coast in the Kingdom of Fife, St Andrews is a corner stone of Scottish heritage. In the Middle Ages it was a thriving market town, important religious center and seat of learning. In fact, Scotland’s first university was established in St Andrews in 1411 and is still recognized today as one of the finest in Britain.

Golf has been played on the broad strip of sandy links that lies between the town center and the Eden estuary for more than 600 years, thus creating the Old Course and earning St Andrews its title: The Home of Golf .

Golf was first played in St Andrews around 1400. It proved so popular that it was prohibited by King James II in 1457. Despite other setbacks, the game flourished and spread from St Andrews to the rest of the world. Today, St Andrews is a place of pilgrimage for golfers of all abilities, from champions to amateurs. They come to test themselves against the Old Course, to soak in the atmosphere, and to recall the great matches that have been played here in the past. The Old Course is a regular venue for the Open Championship and hosted the Open during the millennium year and again in 2005.

Including the Old Course, the town has six golf courses and a seventh planned, and there are many more nearby.