THERE’S STILL TIME FOR ELIGIBLE SCOTTISH CLUBS TO QUALIFY YOUNG PLAYERS FOR THE INAUGURAL EVENT
A total of 105 golf clubs from across Scotland are taking part in a new competition for aspiring junior golfers, which culminates in a grand finale at St Andrews Links, the Home of Golf, in October.
The Road to the Home of Golf is an event for youngsters aged 18 and under with handicaps between 8.5 and 54, launched by St Andrews Links Trust, in collaboration with Scottish Golf, to offer these players a pathway to competitive golf.
Eligible clubs still have time to put junior golfers forward for the October competition by hosting a qualifying event before 17 August. Once all qualifiers have taken place, 102 golfers will be invited to the final in St Andrews over the Eden and Strathtyrum Courses.
While there are many great junior events offering competition for low handicappers, this new event fills a gap in play for youngsters with mid-to high handicaps. The aim is to provide another path towards lifelong enjoyment of golf.
Financial support is also available for any youngsters requiring significant travel to attend the final. This has been included as part of the overall five-figure tournament budget underwritten by the Links Trust.
One of the clubs which has already hosted its qualifier event is The Crail Golfing Society in Fife.
Erin Doherty, a 10-year-old junior member with a handicap of 24, said: “I’ve been playing at Crail my whole life. My brother, my sister and my dad play, so I just went along with them.
“It would mean a lot to be on the Home of Golf, where famous people have been, I’d be really excited if I was to qualify.”
Jamie Smith, a 13-year-old junior golfer from Pittenweem who got his first handicap (22.4) specifically so that he could play in the qualifier, said: “I’ve not been playing golf for too long, coming up for a year now.
“I found out about [the competition] on Instagram, I didn’t think I would have a handicap in time, but it came through last night. I wanted to play in a big competition like this. It would feel great to qualify to play in St Andrews.”
David Snodgrass, head PGA professional at Crail Golfing Society, explained why the club signed up and how the event has already helped to provide these players with more experience – such as by playing 18 holes for the first time.
He said: “We have 30-40 active juniors here at Crail Golfing Society and our junior golf programme runs from Apil to October. It’s exciting to see the kids get an opportunity to play a competition at St Andrews Links, so it was a no-brainer for us to sign up and hopefully see our kids qualify to play later in the year.
“There’s 11 kids playing in it today, a couple of them are playing 18 holes for the first time which is amazing.”
The Road to the Home of Golf puts the emphasis on fun and development and provides access to aspirational experiences at early stages. This helps feed a healthy pipeline of golfers into the pathway from club to regional and national levels.
To ensure the event is accessible to a wide range of junior golfers, there will be two handicap categories with golfers between 8.5 – 19.4 playing their final on the Eden Course and golfers from 19.5 to 54 playing on the Strathtyrum Course.
Gillian Paton, Strategy Manager and Company Secretary at St Andrews Links Trust, said: “It’s clear from the healthy levels of participation in the Road to the Home of Golf’s first year that there’s a real need for more opportunities to ease young golfers into the world of competitive golf in a fun and supportive way.
“We’ve built this initiative with Scottish Golf to give aspiring players across a range of abilities and backgrounds the chance to experience a real tournament at the Home of Golf. We want to inspire this next generation, grow their love for golf and develop their confidence in these environments, to help them thrive as they develop their skills and shape the future of the sport.
“Good luck to all players taking part in their qualifier events this summer. We’re looking forward to welcoming the finalists to St Andrews in October and creating memories that will last for years to come.”
Fraser Crawford, Participation Manager at Scottish Golf, said: “The Road to the Home of Golf initiative is the latest development in our ongoing work with St Andrews Links Trust, it’s a hugely positive and exciting opportunity that shows a clear commitment from both organisations to grassroots junior development across Scotland.
“Both the qualifiers and national event itself really enhance what we currently offer through our National Junior Framework. In 2026, we will be supporting over 200 clubs through this framework, with more than half of them taking part in the Road to the Home of Golf.
“Everybody knows St Andrews is the Home of Golf, it’s recognised as a bucket list venue, so this is an incredible opportunity for young people.”
Scottish Golf and St Andrews Links Trust are committed to breaking down barriers to play.
If you are interested in hosting a qualifying event, please contact roadtohomeofgolf@standrews.com or visit https://standrews.com/golf/tournaments/road-to-the-home-of-golf
Notes to Editors
- All affiliated clubs that engage with Scottish Golf’s National Junior Framework are eligible to compete in the Road to the Home of Golf.
- A national leaderboard will be created with 102 players invited to play in the finals over the Eden and Strathtyrum Courses at St Andrews, comprising a practice round on 17th October and the final on Sunday 18th October.
About St Andrews Links Trust
St Andrews Links Trust is responsible for the management and maintenance of the eight Links courses at St Andrews, including the world-famous Old Course.
St Andrews Links Trust manages a number of additional facilities including four clubhouses, a golf academy and six retail stores. More than 280,000 rounds are played over the eight courses attracting visitors from around the world to follow in the footsteps of the world’s greatest golfers and become a part of golf’s rich history. As a charitable trust, all surplus derived from the Trust’s commercial activities is reinvested into the preservation of the Home of Golf for current and future generations and to deliver the Trust’s charitable objectives.
St Andrews Links Trust Media Contact
David Connor
Head of Communications
M: +44 (0)7586 709796
About Scottish Golf
Scottish Golf is the internationally recognised governing body for golf in Scotland. With 560 golf clubs and 220,000 individual members, their work reaches the four corners of the nation to ensure golf is accessible, no matter the location or background.
Their mission is to make golf Scotland’s Game for Everyone, and to inspire a nation to embrace the sport in all its forms, contributing to a healthier Scotland. Their purpose is to promote, develop and govern golf for all generations and without barriers.
Media Contact
Francesca Dymond
Head of Marketing and Communications
M: 07956 540 595
E: f.dymond@scottishgolf.org
