St Andrews Golf Course Severs Royal Ties

Following its acquisition, the Links Trust will rename the Duke’s Course in the New Year.

This week, the Links Trust confirmed that students will gain access to an eighth course from 5 January 2026.

Previously run by the Kohler Company, owner of the Old Course Hotel, the Duke’s Course will now operate under the Trust’s stewardship and adopt the new name ‘The Craigtoun Course’. 

The rebrand severs ties with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who opened the course in 1995. The renaming is part of St Andrews golf’s continuing aim to distance itself from connections with the ex-royal, who served as captain of the Royal & Ancient Club in 2003–4 and remained a member until 2022.

The Craigtoun Course instead aligns with the names of Eden, Castle, Strathtyrum, and Balgove, paying tribute to the local area. 

David Connor, the Links Trust’s Head of Communications, spoke to The Saint about the decision and the growth of golf in the wake of the pandemic. 

“Since Covid, we have seen a consistent increase in demand both from visitors, but also, from our local ticketholder audience."  

“We exist as a charity to promote public participation in sport, so we want to provide opportunities for people to play golf.” He added, “The way we are dealing with the increased demand is to increase capacity."

In 2024, the Links Trust reported £48.5 million in revenue, with over 280,000 rounds played across the courses, and 2025 is set to match or even surpass last year’s figures.

The Duke’s Course has had a different, far quieter story, with a membership of around 300 — far below capacity.

The move appears to be a win-win, with ‘Craigtoun’ relieving pressure on the overrun Links, and the Links providing a struggling course with its powerful brand and wealth of resources.

“Through our existing team of greenkeepers there, coupled with our team’s expertise and additional resources, we will be able to take what is already a really good product and further enhance the playing experience,” Connor emphasised.

Praising Scotland’s wealth of inland courses such as Blairgowrie, Loch Lomond and those at Gleneagles, he suggests Craigtoun will be an appealing option for visitors. “The course will certainly hold its own against some of the bigger courses.”

But how does this impact students?

Hugo Rintoul, St Andrews University Men’s Golf Captain, played the course just three weeks ago.

“It’s very different to any of the other courses here — completely different,” Rintoul said. “We as students have not had access to parkland or heathland courses,” adding that it’ll be “great for the golf team, as well as casual golfers to practice on the different style of course."

As parkland courses make up most British golf venues, the move could prepare students for their golf careers beyond St Andrews (the scary, but inevitable fate of the St Andrews student golfer).

“At the Links you can drive the ball practically anywhere, and you’ll be alright, but with Craigtoun it’s long but also tight, with trees lining the fairways — if you’re squiffy, you’re in trouble.”  

Rintoul reflects, “I don’t think the students will play it as much as the locals will, as it’s a few miles away, so you need a car to get there. It should still be a welcome relieving of footfall at the Links."

So far in 2025, updates from the Links Trust have not brought students good news. In September, the Links announced that student ticket holders would lose access to courses during the busy summer months, reverting to pre-1990s ticket conditions.

The University’s golf department is allegedly urging the Links Trust to provide access to the students who choose to live and work in St Andrews over summer (most notably, the student caddies).

“The trust has made a commitment to look at that,” Connor said. “We are in the business of facilitating people playing golf, so we don’t want students who are here over summer not to have that opportunity."

So, whilst you’ll have to wait until after Christmas, Craigtoun will provide student golfers with a welcome gift for the New Year.

Image from Wikimedia Commons