Old Course at St. Andrews
There’s nothing that our team enjoys more than knowing that you are enjoying our content, and we’ve been so glad that some of you have taken the time to reach out to us and ask us questions about your next golf getaway.
That is truly why we do what we do here, and in some cases, we’ve even been able to help golfers take their trip for a discounted rate, and even free!
If you are currently planning a trip and need some help, feel free to reach out to our Publisher Kelly Fulford at Kelly@golfstayandplays.com and he’d be happy to assist you with any travel needs.
In the meantime, we’ve taken some of our recent questions that we’ve received, and we wanted to share our feedback as hopefully this can assist you with some of your future planning needs.
Q: I’ve got a group of 12 golfers and we’re looking to do a getaway to the Pinehurst area in North Carolina. We were considering a trip to Pinehurst Resort, which most of us have already been to before, but the price was a little too high for some of the guys, so we wanted to see what else was available. Do you know of anything that could fit for that?
Absolutely! The great news is that you’ve picked one of the best destinations in the country in terms of options for a variety of price points for a golf vacation. If you’re looking for incredible golf at an exceptional value, here’s a list of golf courses that we highly recommend for the trip:
- Talamore Golf Club
- Mid South Golf Club
- Pine Needles
- Mid Pines
- Southern Pines Golf Club
- Tobacco Road
- The Cradle at Pinehurst (only publicly accessible course for non-resort guests)
From a lodging perspective, we have sent several groups to Talamore Golf Resort Villas and the Mid South Lodges, as these multi-bedroom units are favorites for golf groups to enjoy and they come with a lot of nice amenities. For example, at Talamore they deliver breakfast to your room daily.
These options will be more affordable than a stay at Pinehurst Resort for your group this time around, and you’ll play fantastic golf with great accommodations.
Talamore
Q: Hello! I loved your recent short courses story so thanks for sharing! That drone footage of Top of the Rock was incredible. I looked on the website at the rates for Big Cedar Lodge and it was a bit more than we were looking to spend for a golf trip, although the golf prices didn’t seem too bad. Can we stay off site and still play golf there?
This is a bit of a tough one. Technically, you can book tee times if you are not staying onsite at Big Cedar Lodge as they open the tee sheet for public golfers up to 30 days in advance, and 60 days in advance for tee times between June 15-August 15, 2023. Unfortunately, the way things are going at Big Cedar these days, I don’t think you’ll have much luck getting a tee time if you wait until that time.
The good news is that the resort recently added a new lodging option called Angler’s Lodge in Hollister, Missouri, that is located near the main entrance for most of the golf courses. This hotel features well-appointed, comfortable rooms at a lower price point, and it would be the perfect way to ensure your ability to lock in tee times and stay at a great property for an affordable rate – especially if your group is willing to book a double occupancy room with two beds.
Q: Do you have a way to book tee times at the Old Course at St. Andrews? I’ve got a foursome looking to go in June 2023.
This one comes up often as you can imagine. At this close to your target date, it is highly unlikely that you’ll be able to get a guaranteed tee time at the Old Course. But you’re not dead in the water yet. There is still the option of entering the Old Course ballot as found here.
This is far from a guarantee, but it still will give you a shot to get on if you are already going. We suggest setting up golf elsewhere for the days that you are in town, and if you are lucky enough to get drawn then you are only out the cost of your round versus the premium that you’d have to pay in order to lock in a guaranteed tee time.
If your trip has flexibility and you are looking to secure a guaranteed time, then we suggest working with one of the golf tour operators in the UK as they have great access to these tee times. Demand is through the roof for the UK and Ireland right now, so realistically this could be a 2024 trip for your group if you want that time. Please let us know if you’re interested by emailing Kelly@golfstayandplays.com, and I’d be happy to connect you with our partner on “the other side of the pond.”
Old Course at St. Andrews
Recommendation
We hope this helps! For 2 of these 3 groups, we were able to save them a considerable amount of money on their trips so once again feel free to reach out to our Publisher Kelly Fulford at Kelly@golfstayandplays.com as he and the team would be happy to at least point you in the right direction on your next golf trip.