Old Course To Undergo Golfing Expansion

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A) and St Andrews Links Trust have announced a programme for carefully planned enhancements and restoration to the St Andrews Old Course, set to begin this month, ahead of the 155th Open in 2027. 

The project, developed in partnership with leading golf course architects Mackenzie & Ebert, aims to refine the strategic challenge for elite players while restoring traditional features that have evolved. The work will also enhance the experience for everyday golfers playing the world’s most infamous links. 

“When we had the Open here in 2022, the Course played very well, but a number of par fours and both par fives were reachables,” said Grant Moir, the R&A’s Chief Governance Officer and Chief Referee for the Open. “We wanted to reintroduce some of the strategic challenges of the Course, while restoring features that have changed over the years.” 

In total, six holes will be lengthened — the 5th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 11th, and 16th — adding 132 yards to bring the total championship length to 7,445 yards. The 12th championship tees will be built on four holes, with existing tees enlarged on two others.

The majority of the work focuses on bunker adjustments and fairway refinements. Two bunkers on the 2nd hole will be moved further down the fairway, while new bunkers will appear at elite driving distance on the 6th and 10th holes. The approach bunkers on the 9th will be reshaped, and two additional bunkers will be introduced on the 16th as part of a restoration of its historic playing route. 

The most notable change will come at the 16th hole, long known for its risk-and-reward design. A section of short grass to the left of the Principal’s Nose bunker — once part of the original playing route — will be restored after having been maintained as rough (longer grass) in recent decades. Reopening that area as fairway, along with adding two new bunkers, will bring back the wider range of options the hole traditionally offered and make the decision off the tee more challenging for elite players. 

“It might sound counterintuitive, but widening the fairway with new bunkers actually enhances the challenge,” Moir explained. “It restores the hole’s traditional strategic balance.”

The famous Road Hole bunker on the 17th will also be restored, with the ground around it being lowered to counteract sand splash buildup, though its shape and character will remain unchanged. 

Sandy Reid, Director of Greenkeeping at St Andrews Links Trust, emphasised that while the changes address championship play, they are designed to respect the Course’s legacy. “This course has changed many times over the years, and these are modest adjustments compared to the past,” he said. “It’s mainly tweaks for elite-level golfers. We want to retain the charm of the Old Course — that’s what everyone comes here for.”

The enhancements contribute to a centuries-long evolution of the Old Course, which has undergone periods of grand change, from the addition of 60 bunkers in the early 1900s to length increases prior to the 2000 and 2005 Opens.

“This just continues that generational flow of refinement,” said Moir. “We’re being sensitive to history, but we’re also ensuring that the Old Course remains the ultimate test for the modern game.”

Image by Abbie Arkless