Old Course at St Andrews slated for ‘improvements’ before opening in 2027

This week the R&A has announced that Martin Ebert and Tom Mackenzie will make changes to the Old Course at St. Andrews ahead of the 155th playing of the Open Championship in 2027 on golf’s most hallowed ground.

Every time changes are made to the most famous golf course in the world, it’s a story, even if the changes are quite minor in nature. That is indeed the case this week when the R&A announced that 132 yards would be added to the Old Course, as well as some adjustments to the bunkers and one fairway.

Yardage added

Yardage is added to six holes on the Old coursewhich extends to 7,445 yards from the back tees, which is more than 1,000 yards longer than the course played a century ago.

To add more distance this time, four new tee boxes will need to be built. The biggest increase in distance will also be the first hole on the list, the par 5 fifth hole, where 35 yards are added. During the 2022 Open Championship, the fifth hole was the third easiest to play on the golf course, with a stroke average of 4.598 for the tournament.

The 6th and 7th holes will also be extended, by 17 and 22 meters. The 6th already plays as one of the tougher holes on the Old Course and will continue to do so. By extending the 7th hole we hope that in the right wind, or possibly light winds, the shell bunker can be carried by fewer players, creating a much more demanding hole.

Drivable par 4s have always been a hallmark in the course’s history, but modern technology combined with firm conditions has made this more common than ever. “It was very solid and very fast [in 2022] and that presented a challenge,” said Grant Moir, R&A Chief Governance Officer, “but there was certainly an increase in the number of par-4s reachable and both par-5s were reachable (in two) most days.”

The 10th and 11th holes will also be extended by more than 20 meters. The 10th adds 29 yards and the 11th 21 yards. The 10th hole is another par 4 that used to only be passable in the right wind, but in 2022, in dry conditions, many in the field were able to reach it. The hope is that by adding 29 yards, far fewer players will be able to reach the green, making it more challenging while speeding up the game.

The last hole to be extended is the 16th, by 10 metres, but more work will also be done on the 16th hole. It is one of the truly great architectural holes in the world and over time its brilliance has faded as the fairway to the left of the ‘director’ bunkers has disappeared in favor of rough and fescue grass.

By rediscovering the fairway to the left of the bunkers on the 16th, more strategy is brought into play for the best players in the world. They can attack the right side of the hole from the tee and bring the out-of-bounds into play, or play a safer tee shot left of the bunkers but have a harder approach shot into the green.

“We felt like players lately were focused on hitting the ball into the rough ground there to avoid the strategic challenge that the hole traditionally presented,” Moir said. “It may sound counterintuitive to some, but widening the fairway with the installation of two new bunkers actually increases the strategic and overall challenge on that hole.”

The locations of the new tee boxes have yet to be fully determined. Because the Old Course uses an out-and-back routing, there isn’t much room to install new tee boxes without interfering with another hole. However, there are some areas of gorse and some footpaths that could be used for a new tee box on several holes. With these new tee boxes there may be a slightly different angle for a few tee shots, but generally extending the holes won’t change the course lines much for players.

Bunker changes

In addition to extending several holes, the R&A has announced that they will be moving and adding some bunkers to the holes to challenge the best players in the world.

On the 2nd hole, the two bunkers on the right side of the fairway are moved further into the hole and slightly more to the left to bring them more into play. On the 6th and 10th holes, both of which will also be extended, bunkers will be added at ‘elite level driving length’, to challenge the best players in the game today.

In addition to expanding the fairway to the right of the Principal’s Nose bunkers on the 16th hole, two additional bunkers are being added to challenge players who take the safer route off the tee and go left of the Principal’s Nose bunker.

There will also be a subtle change to the most famous bunker on the Old Course, the Road Hole bunker. This will be a minor renovation to reduce the effect of sand splashing over time, the look and feel of the Road Hole Bunker will remain the same.

“You could actually argue that the work this time is not a change,” Moir said. “But as we are making other changes, we felt we should refer to them because they are going to be a work in progress. The size and shape of the bunker will remain the same.”

Sensitive to course history

The R&A does not make changes to the most famous and hallowed golf course in the world lightly. Since the end of the 2022 Open Championship, discussions have been ongoing about possible renovations that will be needed, as long as there are no changes to the technology rollback. But at its core, the Old Course has always been a living being; changes have taken place throughout the course and the course has always stood the test of time as the most venerable golf course in the world, and undoubtedly continues to do so.

Neil Coulson, CEO of St Andrews Links Trustsaid: “Each generation has played a role in shaping the Old Course, and this latest program continues that long tradition. The work will restore features that have subtly changed over time and refine others to preserve the course’s unique character.

“Our guiding principle is simple: protect what makes the Old Course so special while ensuring it continues to provide a fair, challenging and enjoyable experience for golfers of all levels. The Old Course has never stood still. Its enduring greatness lies in its ability to adapt while maintaining its soul.”