Frequently Asked Questions

We can arrange golf for any number of golfers although the bigger the group, the more difficult it is to offer the concierge service we pride ourselves in. Typically our groups travel in multiples of 4 – for ease of arranging tee times

Before the travel dates you will be working with Marilyn. She has the job of liaising with you, the client,  and with the courses, the hotels and the transport providers. It is she who will be your most frequent point of contact. 

Having said that, we are a family business and you might well find yourself working with Greig. We work together and leave nothing to chance. We guarantee that we will only have one group booked at any one time. That way you know that you are our only clients and our only focus.

From the point of arrival and through to departure you will have the full attention of Brian and Marilyn. They will be there every day to ensure that the arrangements in place are working, and that your every need is considered and provided for.

Accessing an Old Course Tee Time might actually be easier than you think. Of course, demand far exceeds supply but with some careful planning you can look forward to teeing off in front of the R&A and following in the footsteps of legends. Check out our Old Course St. Andrews Tee Times (#1 below) page for more info.

Simply put, because it is the most famous golf course in the world! What visitors don’t account for however is that The Old Course is actually a member’s course too and therefore certain times each day are taken over by local clubs. For example, there are slots each day where local golfers are given priority and this is especially true on a Thursday and Saturday.

In addition, there are times in the year where The Royal and Ancient golf club have almost complete control over the course, not to mention the numerous championships that are held over our famous course and remember that there is no play on a Sunday – that’s when you can walk with the dog or your family, like the public park it is!
We will work with you to check busy dates and investigate the best availability for your group.

The cost of your trip is completely dependent on a few factors. Firstly, the season, and dates together with how long you intend to travel is one of the biggest decisions your group will make. 

Of course, it is tempting to extend and extend your stay to take advantage of everything on your wish list but try to consolidate this into a time frame that is realistic for you. 
In addition, your choice of accommodation and any added extras will have a huge impact on your overall trip cost, so choose wisely! 

Finally, be aware of how much your tour operator is adding on to your cost price. Here at The Links Connection we choose to only take the margin that we feel merits our services for that specific trip so you can be sure you are getting value for money.

Scotland’s golf courses are known across the world and regularly host many major championships such as the Ryder Cup and The Open Championship. 
Venues such as The Old Course St. Andrews, Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Muirfield, Turnberry and Royal Dornoch are world famous and we can access them all for you. 
Additionally though, our guests often enjoy the smaller, local links courses  for a similar experience but at a fraction of the price. 

The ability to create your very own itinerary with us means we can arrive at an itinerary that balances the famous, the ancient and the world class courses linked with some wonderful activities such as sightseeing, salmon fishing or whisky tasting. For more information, check out our range of added extras here.

Don’t worry, the courses we feature on our website are only the most popular with our guests. Please don’t hesitate to ask about others that interest you. We take pride in a process that takes time with clients and really listen to their thinking. Anything is possible, so please just ask!

Whilst we have an incredibly high number of championship links courses, we also have some wonderful parkland and heathland courses too. Venues such as Gleneagles (host to the 2014 Ryder Cup) and Blairgowrie continue to thrill our guests and can add an extra dimension to your trip.

Yes! While we are based here in St Andrews, we’ve found that many of our clients travel with us again and again – so our tours to Ireland (both North and South) were born.
Famous for its wonderful golf and incredible hospitality, the Emerald Isle is a firm favourite.

Your choice of accommodation is very much dependent on your group’s priorities whilst you are here. 

We offer a full range of accommodation styles that suit every budget.

The best solution is to be in touch and we will be happy to discuss the best option for your group with you.

One of the best parts about living in St. Andrews is the number of quality restaurants that we have here. From award winning Italian to local seafood there is something to please all tastes and appetites.

If you choose to travel with us we can discuss this daily and make reservations for you in your chosen restaurant, leaving you free to focus on your golf game!

If possible, Edinburgh Airport is best when travelling to St. Andrews. The transfer time is roughly 1.5 hours by the time we collect your luggage and get you settled in one of our luxury vehicles.

If Edinburgh is not possible then Glasgow,  Aberdeen or Inverness are all good options, especially if you are taking one of our “Scottish Connections” at the start of your trip.

While Scotland is a small country, we try to build an itinerary that avoids long transfers by road that will eat into your time with us. We have found that staying in a different hotel each night, packing and unpacking daily isn’t the best experience for most golfers but you might want a two centred trip allowing you to play specific courses you have on your bucket list – again, let’s talk about it.

Many guests want to play 36 holes on each day of their trip in an effort to squeeze in as much golf as possible during their stay. Whilst it is certainly possible, we ask guests to consider their fitness prior to committing to this schedule and talk to us if they have any concerns.

We can always work out a solution, such as choosing a course for the second 18 where you can ride in a cart as opposed to walking (the normal procedure in Scotland). Please contact us to find out more.

Unfortunately, caddy availability cannot be guaranteed and guests may have to carry or take a pull cart at times during their trip.
Having said this, caddies are normally available on championship courses and we will always request a caddy for you if you let us know in advance.

Caddy fees vary from course to course, however normally consist of a flat fee and a gratuity paid at the golfers discretion. On average, a fee of £55-60 is the caddies fee plus a gratuity that can (and should) vary according to your caddies performance.

It is worth noting that caddies should be paid in cash directly at the end of the round and that credit/debit cards are not accepted. Caddy fees are not included in your total and cannot be paid in the pro shops.

Great question! There is no easy answer to this. It is often said that we can experience four seasons in one day in Scotland. Our best advice is to watch the weather forecast carefully before your trip and not to hesitate to be in touch with us if you have any questions.

This very much depends on what the weather forecast is, however there are some fundamentals that never let us down in our bags! Firstly, a good pair of waterproofs will serve you well, whether it is raining or not.

Plenty of layers are always useful as they allow you to add or take off clothes when the weather (inevitably) changes. Finally, comfortable shoes are essential for your trip. If we can suggest one thing, it would be to pack some comfortable trainers in addition to those nice new golf shoes as sore feet can spoil even the most stunning of golf courses.

You can of course rent clubs and we can arrange that for you. If you wish to take your own clubs but prefer not to transport them with you, you can always ship them to us prior to your trip. If you would like to investigate this option further, please don’t hesitate to be in touch.

There are many great shops in St. Andrews where you can take a gift home to friends and family. Depending on what you would like to buy, we can point you in the right direction and help ensure that your gifts get home safely.

Again, this is a very common question. Non golfers can enjoy the spa, take a guided tour of St. Andrews, visit a local city or even explore a castle! 

We have built up a considerable bank of options for non golfers and will offer parallel itineraries for the non golfing partners. 

We believe that the unique nature of our business allows us to accommodate every member of the group perfectly and we will plan their itinerary and assist them throughout the week to ensure they get as much out of their trip as you do.

The Links Connection can access guaranteed tee times on the Old Course St Andrews to ensure that you can rest easily before your trip.

It does have to be said though that these advance purchase times are in high demand and come at a premium ( not our doing) so the earlier you start planning the better – and we consider 18 months ahead very much the order of the day.

It may of course be possible for us to access guaranteed Old Course tee times at any point however so please do not hesitate to be in touch if you are planning a trip.

This is a very commonly asked question and one which there are many answers to.

The Old Course St Andrews is very popular and demand far exceeds supply. Therefore, there is a ballot system in place where guests apply two days prior to play and hope that they come out of the draw and secure a tee time. This is the least expensive way to do it, but there is no guarantee that you will be successful. The minimum number of people who can enter the ballot is two, therefore if you are a single golfer your only option is to arrive early on the morning of play and wait for a space to become available throughout the day’s schedule.



Given our unique host to client ratio, we are able to facilitate any of the above methods and would be delighted to chat over the options with you. Please don’t hesitate to fill in  an enquiry form / send us an email, even if it’s just to ask a question.