Advanced Old Course Tee Times Return for 2023
RECORD INTEREST EXPECTED FOR ADVANCED OLD COURSE BALLOT
Golf tourism in Scotland is set for a major boost with news that the advanced tee time ballot for the Old Course in St Andrews is to return this year amid record levels of interest in playing the world’s most famous golf course.
The Private Advanced Tee Time ballot, regarded as the last chance for golfers around the world to secure a guaranteed slot for 2023, will open later this month following a two-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following pent-up demand from golfers unable to travel in the last two years as well as the hugely successful hosting of The 150th Open in July, an unprecedented number of entries are expected.
The ballot will open for a two-week period from 24 August to 7 September with golfers able to select up to three date windows for a 2023 tee time alongside one of the other six renowned St Andrews Links courses. The packages will also include food & drink credit in St Andrews Links clubhouses as well as driving range credit at the Academy. More information on the packages and the ballot process is available at https://play.standrews.com/
With more than 1,000 slots available in the Private Advanced Tee Time ballot on the Old Course, it will mean a welcome boost for golf tourism in Scotland given the huge global draw of the Home of Golf for the country. In previous years 60 per cent of all advanced ballot applicants have been from North America, the biggest international inbound market for golf tourism in Scotland.
Applicants will receive the results of the ballot in October, allowing them time to plan for their trip in 2023.
A spokesperson for St Andrews Links Trust said: “We are delighted to once again operate the Private Advanced Tee Time ballot, giving golfers around the world a chance to play the Old Course in addition to one of our other world-class courses here at the Home of Golf.
“Demand for tee times since the pandemic has been unprecedented and we know from our Authorised Tour Operator partners that they have virtually sold out of packages for 2023 so this represents the last opportunity to try to secure a guaranteed tee time for next year.
”With tee times having been rolled over from 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic, this is the first time we have been in a position to run the advanced ballot in two years so we expect huge demand.
“The sight of international golfers on our fairways this year following the easing of restrictions has been hugely welcome for us here at St Andrews Links Trust, as well as for golf tourism in general, and can only bode well for a successful 2023.”
Prior to the pandemic, golf tourism in Scotland was worth in excess of £300 million annually to the economy, supporting more than 4,000 jobs, with the popularity of St Andrews playing a significant factor in much of that business.
Since restrictions were eased earlier this year, demand for Old Course tee times through the daily ballot (conducted 48 hours in advance) has increased significantly, with applications more than double pre-pandemic levels. Similar levels of increase are expected in the Private Advanced Tee Time ballot.
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