St Andrews Old Course, Carnoustie & Kingsbarns: Your Ultimate Links Golf Guide

Most professional golf tournaments stick to one course for four days. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship doesn't work that way. This week, the DP World Tour returns to Scotland's Fife and Angus coastline, where professionals and amateurs will tackle three of the country's most celebrated venues: the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie Golf Links, and Kingsbarns Golf Links. Each course brings something different to the competition. Each tests golfers in distinct ways.

No golf course on earth carries the weight of history like the Old Course at St Andrews. People have played golf here since the early 15th century. That makes it the oldest golf course in the world. The name "Old Course" only arrived in 1895 when the New Course opened. Before that, locals simply called it the "golfing grounds" of St Andrews.

The course's influence on modern golf runs deep. In 1764, it was reduced from 22 holes to 18, establishing the standard that would define the sport forever. The layout wasn't designed by a single architect. It evolved over centuries through play and adaptation, though Daw Anderson made notable contributions in the 1850s, and Old Tom Morris shaped the iconic 1st and 18th holes between 1865 and 1908.

At 7,305 yards and par 72, the Old Course presents a test that deceives. Its 112 bunkers have achieved legendary status. Hell Bunker on the 14th hole covers 300 square yards and drops up to 10 feet deep. The Road Hole Bunker on the 17th has been called "the most notorious golf hazard in the world" by The Herald. Seven double greens are shared by different holes. Landmarks like the Swilcan Bridge and the Valley of Sin fronting the 18th green have become symbols of golf itself.

The Old Course has hosted The Open Championship 30 times. More than any other venue. Champions include Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. Most recently, Cameron Smith won here in 2022, setting the course record with a score of 268, 20-under-par.

Carnoustie Golf Links sits in Angus. It has earned every bit of its fearsome reputation. Known as "Golf's Greatest Test" and nicknamed "Car-nasty" in North America, this course has humbled the world's best players since golf was first recorded here in the early 16th century.

The Championship Course started as a 10-hole layout designed by Allan Robertson and Old Tom Morris in 1842. Morris extended it to 18 holes in 1867. James Braid made significant modifications in 1926 that established the routing still used today. At 7,390 yards and par 71, it's relentless. Every aspect of a golfer's game gets examined.

The Barry Burn snakes through the course. It creates drama, particularly on the closing holes. The 18th hole has produced some of golf's most memorable moments. In the 1999 Open Championship, Jean van de Velde needed only a double-bogey six to win. He made triple-bogey seven instead, eventually losing in a playoff to Paul Lawrie. Golf can be cruel.

Carnoustie has hosted The Open Championship eight times. Winners include Ben Hogan (1953), Tom Watson (1975), Pádraig Harrington (2007), and Francesco Molinari (2018). The course has also welcomed the Women's British Open twice and the Senior Open Championship three times. Its status as a venue capable of testing champions at every level is unquestioned.

While its companions boast centuries of history, Kingsbarns Golf Links represents something different. Golf was played on parts of this site as early as 1793; however, the current course was not established until 2000. Kyle Phillips designed it along 1.8 miles of spectacular North Sea coastline.

Despite its youth, Kingsbarns has quickly earned recognition as one of Scotland's premier courses. It ranks 5th in Scotland's Top 100 and 27th in Golf Digest's list of the World's 100 Greatest Courses. The 7,224-yard, par-72 layout blends seamlessly into the natural landscape. Stunning coastal views complement a fair but demanding test of golf.

In 2017, Kingsbarns hosted the Ricoh Women's British Open. South Korea's In-Kyung Kim won. The course proved it could host major championship golf despite being less than two decades old.

Since 2001, these three courses have combined to create one of the European Tour's most distinctive events. The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship follows a pro-am format inspired by the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Professionals partner with amateurs, many of them celebrities from sport and entertainment.

Over the first three rounds, players rotate through all three venues. Then the top 60 professionals and leading 20 pro-am teams advance to Sunday's final round at St Andrews. This format showcases the variety of Scottish links golf. Ancient quirks at the Old Course. Brutal examination at Carnoustie. Modern elegance at Kingsbarns.

The tournament has crowned champions including Colin Montgomerie, Lee Westwood, and Tyrrell Hatton. Hatton has won three times. His most recent victory came in 2024 with a record-tying score of 264, 24-under-par.

Together, these three courses create a championship experience you won't find anywhere else in professional golf.

PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. Read his recent Monday Recap on RG.org and his stories on Athlon Sports. To stay updated on his latest work, sign up for his newsletter and visit OneMoreRollGolf.com.