Is the Craigtoun Course the same as The Duke's?

Yes. The Duke's was renamed The Craigtoun Course when St Andrews Links Trust took it over from 5 January 2026.

Who designed the Craigtoun Course?

Peter Thomson, with later revisions by Tim Liddy in 2006.

Is the Craigtoun Course a links?

No, it is a heathland and parkland course on higher ground inland from the town.

How do visitors book?

Through St Andrews Links, which manages tee times for all its courses.

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The Craigtoun Course (formerly The Duke's), St Andrews

The Craigtoun Course is the heathland course on high ground above St Andrews, known as The Duke's until January 2026. Designed by five-time Open champion Peter Thomson and opened in 1995, it is now run by St Andrews Links Trust, which books visitor tee times alongside its links courses.

Photo: Jim Bain · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Display cropped to fit

The course and its character

Peter Thomson designed the course, which opened in 1995, and Tim Liddy revised it in 2006, including a new back nine. It is deliberately different from the links below: a heathland and parkland mix over rolling ground on the Mount Melville estate, framed by gorse, heather, Scots pine and silver birch, with elevated, contoured greens and views over the town and bay. It plays to par 71 and is long from the back tees.

Booking and visitor practicalities

St Andrews Links Trust took over the lease from the Old Course Hotel and renamed the course from 5 January 2026, after nearby Craigtoun Country Park. The Trust runs it with a mix of member, ticketholder and visitor play, and visitor tee times are booked through St Andrews Links. The Craigtoun Clubhouse offers food and drink. Fees vary by season and day of the week.

Getting there and nearby

The course lies a short drive south-west of St Andrews town centre, near Craigtoun Country Park. Its inland, sheltered character makes it a useful alternative when the coastal courses are at their windiest, and it adds variety to a week of links golf in the town.