A rapid influx of tee time applications yesterday (Sep 2) for play at St Andrews Links in 2010 suggests the outlook for Scottish golf tourism next year might be brightening.
The Advanced Reservations process for play on the Old Course and The Castle Course opened at 10am BST yesterday and within 15 minutes more than 800 email applications had been received by St Andrews Links Trust.
Due to the continued level of demand, the Links Trust, which manages and maintains the seven public golf courses at the Home of Golf, invite applications for tee times a year ahead and at a specific time to try to ensure that everyone has an equal chance to secure a much sought after tee time on the hallowed Links.
Despite the difficult economic situation, applications flooded in from around the world to the Trust’s Reservations Department. It will spend the next few weeks processing the forms which golfers downloaded from the www.standrews.org.uk website.
Alan McGregor, chief executive of the Links Trust, said, “It has been a challenging year for the Scottish golf tourism market so it is particularly pleasing to see that the level of interest in playing at St Andrews Links remains very high.
“We are fortunate that so many golfers aspire to play our courses and experience all of the history and tradition at first hand. We work hard to maintain its profile and to communicate to golfers round the world how they can come here to play. The support of our global partner, Allianz, has been extremely beneficial in that regard.
“Next year will see the Open Championship return to the Old Course for the 28th time and the spotlight of world golf will once again fall on the Links. We hope this will encourage even more golfers to come to St Andrews to play golf.”
Tee times can also be booked for The Castle Course from April to November 2010. The Castle Course will remain open for play during the week of the Open Championship from July 12-18, the first time the Links Trust has been able to offer golf to the public throughout the championship period.
Four of the St Andrews Links courses, the Old, New, Castle and Jubilee, were included in the most recent Golf Digest Top 100 rankings.
For more information about booking any of the seven St Andrews Links courses please contact the Reservations Department atreservations@standrews.org.uk or on 0044 1334 466666.
Ends.
Notes to editors
St Andrews Links Trust is a charitable organisation responsible for the management and maintenance of the Links courses at St Andrews, including the famous Old Course, host of the 2010 Open Championship. The Trust was established in 1974. It employs around 300 permanent staff and seasonal workers during the high season. It manages a number of additional facilities including three clubhouses, a golf practice centre and four shops.
More than 200,000 rounds are played over six public courses, which feature two additional championship courses (the New and the Jubilee), two 18-hole courses (the Eden and the Strathtyrum) and a nine-hole course (the Balgove). A seventh course, The Castle Course, opened for play in June 2008 on a site to the south-east of St Andrews.
For more information visit www.standrews.org.uk.
Contact:
Mike Woodcock, Communications Manager
St Andrews Links Trust | Pilmour House | St Andrews | KY16 9SF | Scotland
T: +44 (0)1334 466610 | F: + 44 (0)1334 479555 | M: +44 (0) 7919 946064
E: Mike.Woodcock@standrews.org.uk | W: www.standrews.org.uk
