Bookings are set to open to play the Old Course at St Andrews backwards, as players did when the course first emerged in the 1400s.
St Andrews Links Trust has announced that the hugely popular Old Course Reversed event will return next April for a third year, and applications will open for a limited 48-hour period on December 8.
The initiative proved to be a huge hit with golfers when it first launched in 2024, capturing global interest, while the 2025 event saw almost 600 golfers play the historic routing, with visitors travelling from as far afield as Indonesia.
Next April, golfers will again be able to step back in time and enjoy the reversed routing for three days between April 17th-20th. The course is closed on Sunday 19th, in keeping with long-standing tradition, while a special event for St Andrews Links ticketholders will be held on April 18th.
Due to the unique nature of its design, the world-famous links can be played clockwise or anticlockwise, with golfers historically switching between the two routings for many years until the modern anticlockwise layout became the norm in the 20th century.
Golfers will play from first tee to the 17th green, and then from the 18th tee to the 16th green, and then from the 17th tee to the 15th green, winding back to finish the round playing to the 18th green from the second tee. The course plays to a length of 5,807 yards in its backwards format.
Golfers will once again have multiple routes to secure a tee time, including the daily Old Course ballot, singles daily draw and an advanced three-round public package featuring rounds on the Old Course, Old Course Reversed and The Castle Course.
Advanced public packages for 2026 will be priced at £800 and include three rounds of golf from April 19-21, food & drink vouchers, and access to the Golf Academy. Applications for packages will open for a limited 48-hour window from 10am on December 8th, closing at 10am on December 10th.
Laurie Watson, director of engagement at the Trust, said: “The Old Course Reversed is one of the unique events in golf and we have been delighted with the response since re-introducing it to our annual calendar in 2024.”
For more information, visit standrews.com/old_course_reversed