St Andrews Links Trust Ends the Old Course Queue

The St Andrews Links Trust is putting an end to a decades-old tradition.

And, frankly, we’re sad.

In an email yesterday to subscribers, the St Andrews Links Trust announced a new “Daily Draw” for singles hoping to play the Old Course. That online system replaces the tradition which required golfers to line up outside the starter’s pavilion overnight and hope to score one of the few open tee times for the next day.

Yeah, waiting outside is outdated. We have the internet, and the internet is better at everything.

But having camped out on three separate occasions, I’m not sure “better”, in this case, is actually better.

The Old Course Queue

If you want to play the Old Course, you have a few options. First is to book well in advance an excursion through an accredited Old Course tee time tour provider. This is the most efficient and easiest way. You’ll pay for the convenience but, if you’re going to travel to Scotland for that once-in-a-lifetime trip, there’s undeniable value to certainty.

The second way is to enter the preseason lottery. Every August, the St Andrews Links Trust takes applications for open Old Course tee times. You select dates and one additional St Andrews course (you have to apply for two) and, by the end of November, you’ll know if you’ve been selected.

The final two ways require you to actually be in St Andrews. First is to enter the daily ballot, which you can do online. The process works best for twosomes, less so for singles. You sign up online a couple of days ahead of when you’d like to play and then you wait. I’ve tried this method three times – three swings and misses.

The last way is to get up in the middle of the night, camp out in front of the starter’s pavilion, wait till daybreak, and hope.

This is what the Links Trust is doing away with.

The Overnight Queue

Yes, it’s old-fashioned, outdated and inefficient. And, also yes, an online ballot is new, modern and more efficient. But not to sound like an old man shouting at clouds but sometimes old fashioned, outdated and inefficient is better.

I’ve done the overnight queue three times. My first effort was a clinical display of stupidity. Arriving at 3 a.m., I spent nearly an hour talking with the guy who was first in line. He traveled from Michigan with his father-in-law for a long-planned bucket list trip. But the longer we talked, the more people showed up and lined up. By the time I smartened up, I was 27^th in the queue.

They had 21 open tee times.

I played the New Course instead. As I was teeing off, I saw my Michigan buddy and his father-in-law walking up the second fairway of the Old Course with Lake Superior-sized grins.

My second attempt was more successful. My cousin Paul and I hiked the mile or so from our hotel to the starter’s pavilion at 2 a.m. (I learned), golf bags on our backs. When we got there, we were 12^th and 13^th in line. We chatted with a young golfer from San Mateo, Calif., who went to the same high school as Tom Brady. We bonded.

While Paul saved my spot, I had to visit the guys at the front of the line: four Canadians from Alberta who clearly planned ahead. They showed up around 11 p.m., armed with a small table, a deck of cards and supplies for an all-night tailgate/poker game. They fortified themselves with snacks, libations (plenty) and, most importantly, warm clothes.

It does get cold.

First In Line

On our most recent trip, we had just finished a late group dinner at 18, the new restaurant on the top floor of the Rusack’s Hotel, adjacent to the 18^th fairway. As we left, Cousin Paul noticed there was no one in line at the starter’s pavilion.

“What the hell,” he said. “Let’s get in line.”

Paul and Mike grabbed the bench, while yours truly decided to get some sleep and come back in a few hours. In all, six members of our group were the first six in line and they scored tee times. During the night, they encountered several hearty Norwegians who set up sleeping bags and huddled together for shared bodily warmth (as I said, it gets cold) and a father-son duo from New Jersey on a bucket-list trip before the son left for college.

Yours truly overslept and wound up 18^th in line, which sucked because there were 13 open times.

Through these experiences, I’ve learned three things. First, don’t overthink. Get there as early as you can and hope for the best. Second, if you go alone, your biggest challenge might just be bladder control. It’s an all-nighter and, well, there are no facilities.

Third, it’s one of golf’s unique experiences. You’re staying up all night in the freezing cold with complete strangers from all over the world all hoping to play golf on the most famous course on the planet.

The New “Queue”

The new Daily Draw system starts next week. You enter your information at the starter’s pavilion or at the St Andrews Links Clubhouse between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. the day before you want to play. At 5 p.m., the online system will select golfers at random for the open tee times and notify them via text message.

No need to get up in the middle of the night. No need to wait overnight in the cold.

Yep, it’s a lot more efficient. You’ll know by dinner time whether you’ll get to play the Old Course the next day.

And you’ll be a lot warmer and better rested.

Sadly, progress comes at a cost. There’s something irreplaceably romantic about lining up with golfing brothers and sisters you’ve never met, hoping for a shot at playing a round on the game’s hallowed ground. And there’s something to be said for rewarding those hearty souls willing to forego sleep and comfort for the privilege.

Will the St Andrews Links Trust reconsider? Well, they did get rid of that Swilcan Bridge patio, so there is precedent.

But in this case, it’s highly doubtful. Time marches on.

Meanwhile, I’m going to go yell at some clouds.  

And maybe sit outside by myself overnight, just for old time’s sake.