Old Course St. Andrews Visit

While taking an upcoming British Isles cruise with Princess I want to fulfill a lifelong dream to visit the Old Course at St. Andrews. There is an excursion provided by Princess which visits the Old Course but it also includes a number of other stops in the town of St. Andrews and surrounding sights. This would be fine with me but I would like to explore the possibility of an independent tour whose primary focus was the golf course. I have found a couple of tour companies that provide something close and one somehow even promises a photo opportunity from the Swilcan Bridge on the 18th hole which I find very difficult to believe!

Does anyone have any personal experiences or recommendations for independent tour companies providing a tour to the Old Course?

Thanks,

John

DH grew up in St Andrews and tells me the public can walk over the Swilcan bridge between golfers. So that part is true. I can’t help you with tour companies but am happy to ask him any other questions about St Andrews.

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Yes, you can walk over the bridge - we did. Can't help with tour companies as we were on a 3 month DIY driving trip through the UK and spent a month in Scotland - Scotland is gorgeous and the Scots are wonderful people! Hope you have a great visit.

I visit St Andrews regularly (I'll be there again tomorrow) and I can assure you it is quite possible to walk the course and stand on the bridge. All the courses in St Andrews are public - golf is a far more universal sport here that most other countries. Depending on your handicap, you can also play a round if you book long enough in advance or enter a ballot You might be interested in these tours of the Old Course:

https://www.standrews.com/relax/guided-walks-of-the-old-course

You could just arrange transport to get you there and do the walk, visit the Golfing Museum and see some of the local golf stores. St Andrews is a relatively small town but it is historic and very picturesque. This website will be of interest to you I think

http://www.visitstandrews.com/plan/golf/

I'm with OP, the tours I've found all seem to add a lot of other locations. DH would just like to visit St. Andrews but I'm having a hard time finding a way for him to get there. He's somewhat direction-ally challenged so renting a car is out.

Any ideas?

Not knowing where you are starting from, so my suggestions are from Edinburgh: Uber one way is coming in at £67 currently, which seems reasonable, you could ring one of the private hire companies (we use 0131 7777777) and get a quote and book, the train is best public transport option : train Edinburgh to Leuchars and bus from there. The bus from Edinburgh takes around two hours each way. Driving takes around an hour and twenty minutes.

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Sorry. Tendering at South Queensferry.

Dalmeny to Leuchars by train is about an hour, but it is a serious hike up the hill from South Q pier to the station. There seem to be a number of local private hire firms if you google South Queensferry private hire, how reliable any of them are I couldn’t say. I would search this forum for recommendations, given you are tendering, and timing therefore crucial, I would think a taxi/private hire car the best option.

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It is roughly an hour from South Q to St. Andrews by car.

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We went on a private tour to St. Andrews with Edinburgh Cab Tours. http://www.edinburghcabtours.com/home/

Andy was an outstanding guide who will customize the tour to your interests. We had a great day with him.

Thanks, Aqua. I never dreamed getting to St. Andrews (the only site DH has stated he wants to see) would end up so complicated.

Sandi

If anyone one has done this from a recent Princess Cruise (we will be on Royla in June) if you could give me an idea on how long tendering actually took, it would really help in trying to figure out how to get DH to St. Andrews.

A few years back I organized a small group tour to St Andrews with Starfish Taxis. They picked us up at the dock and drove us out. Our group chose to stop at the ruins of the cathedral, but that isn't necessary. We had a lunch stop after we left St Andrews. There are guided walks of the Old Course available that you may want to look into.

A few years back I organized a small group tour to St Andrews with Starfish Taxis. They picked us up at the dock and drove us out. Our group chose to stop at the ruins of the cathedral, but that isn't necessary. We had a lunch stop after we left St Andrews.

Thanks. That's who I've been talking to. Do you remember what time you had them pick you up?

There are guided walks of the Old Course available that you may want to look into.

As soon as I can get the timing down that's what I would like to do

We were picked up at 8:00. As I remember I had no problems getting our group assembled on the pier by that time. We had a minivan full.

We were picked up at 8:00. As I remember I had no problems getting our group assembled on the pier by that time. We had a minivan full.

Thanks, that helps.

We were picked up at 8:00. As I remember I had no problems getting our group assembled on the pier by that time. We had a minivan full.

I would say you were very lucky. I am regularly on the pier before 8:00 but very often the first tender doesn’t arrive till then

I would say you were very lucky. I am regularly on the pier before 8:00 but very often the first tender doesn’t arrive till then

So if I were going to be picked up what is a probably time I should tell them?

Thanks

So if I were going to be picked up what is a probably time I should tell them?

 

Thanks

Are you Elite and will have priority for tenders? If you can get off the ship on the first tender that would obviously make a difference.

Did you know Starfish were based in St Andrews? Would it not make better sense to book a local company? Starfish will add at least 2 hours for them getting to and from SQ

No status, just a peon. But I can get up early to stand in line

If anyone one has done this from a recent Princess Cruise (we will be on Royla in June) if you could give me an idea on how long tendering actually took, it would really help in trying to figure out how to get DH to St. Andrews.

We hired a private tour that included 4other people. It was advertised as an 8 hour tour as I recall. Our guide was waiting for us at the port in a minivan after tendering. We took a tour of a distillery (Kingsport as I recall), then on to St. Andrews where we ate lunch (in the town) first and then did the one-hour tour of St. Andrews walking part of the new course and the 16-18th holes of the Old Course. We were given time to do some shopping before we headed back to the ship. It was a great day. I purchased the tour through aviator. Cost last July was $238for 2.

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We hired a private tour that included 4other people. It was advertised as an 8 hour tour as I recall. Our guide was waiting for us at the port in a minivan after tendering. We took a tour of a distillery (Kingsport as I recall), then on to St. Andrews where we ate lunch (in the town) first and then did the one-hour tour of St. Andrews walking part of the new course and the 16-18th holes of the Old Course. We were given time to do some shopping before we headed back to the ship. It was a great day. I purchased the tour through aviator. Cost last July was $238for 2./quote]

 

We were able to book StarFish Taxis to pick us up at the port, take us to St. Andrews and then drop us back in Edinburgh for a little time there before making our own way back to ship. They have been very helpful working with us on pickup time due to tendering.