St. Andrews' Digital Tee Time System Proves Successful After First Year
St. Andrews' new digital singles queue system has proven successful after 13 months of implementation, placing over 3,600 visiting golfers into available tee time slots on the Old Course.
The system replaces the traditional overnight camping queue with a more efficient digital process. Here's how it works:
- Golfers must visit the Old Course Pavilion between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. the day before
- Submit entry with a required photo from the Pavilion to verify presence in St. Andrews
- Random drawing occurs that evening
- Selected players are notified immediately, allowing for better planning
Success rates and statistics:
- US visitors made up 6,592 entries with 2,966 successful bookings (45% success rate)
- Overall success rate is approximately 25%
- Daily selections range from 12-20 players
- Highest single-day entries in 2024: 227 golfers
The majority of tee times are still reserved for locals or allocated through the daily ballot system (available 2 days in advance). The singles queue fills remaining spots in incomplete groups or alongside local players.
While there's no advantage given to consecutive attempts, more entries increase the chance of success. Unsuccessful applicants can still play on six other St. Andrews courses.
The Links Trust considers this new system a significant improvement, eliminating the need for overnight queuing while maintaining fair access to one of golf's most prestigious courses.