The Jubilee Course occupies the seaward edge of St Andrews Links, a narrow strip between the New Course and St Andrews Bay. Its low dunes squeeze fairways, complicate approach angles and leave golfers exposed to a wind that rarely offers much shelter. From raised tees the panorama is immense; once the ball is in play, the useful landing area can feel very small.
Opened in 1897 for women and beginners, Jubilee has since acquired a very different reputation. Donald Steel's 1988 redesign turned it into a full championship links, and today it is among the most exacting driving tests in St Andrews. Its appeal is built on accurate placement, wind judgment and the satisfaction of finding the right entrance to a difficult green.
Why You Should Play St Andrews Jubilee Course
Jubilee appeals to a golfer who wants a more tightly defined examination than the extraordinary width of the Old Course. On the Old, shared fairways and double greens create multiple routes through the same landscape. Jubilee frequently requires a more specific line. Dune shoulders narrow the useful landing area, bunkers complicate the wrong side of the fairway and some greens are most approachable from one particular position.
The challenge is not simply hitting straight shots. Raised tees expose a drive to the full crosswind, while sandy ground can produce a second movement after the ball lands. An approach struck toward the flag may run into an awkward hollow or finish on the wrong section of a green. Understanding trajectory and anticipating the first bounce can matter more than the printed yardage.
Jubilee suits accomplished ball-strikers who enjoy positional golf, but it is not exclusively a low-handicap course. A suitable tee makes the carries manageable while preserving the question of where to place the ball. Golfers who struggle to control direction from the tee may find the round severe, especially in a strong breeze. Those seeking the Old Course's shared-fairway eccentricity or an uncomplicated holiday round may prefer something else.
Its strongest recommendation is as an intentional part of a St Andrews stay, not a substitute for missing the Old Course ballot. St Andrews New Course offers a more traditional rhythm and different green sites; Jubilee provides the more exposed test of driving precision. Playing both illustrates how different the golf can be on neighboring stretches of linksland.
A Narrow Course in a Wide Landscape
The contrast between the views and the playing ground defines Jubilee. St Andrews Bay opens beyond the dunes, and the raised tees can suggest a course without boundaries. Down at fairway level, however, the routing winds through low sandy ridges with little room to escape a careless drive. The dunes frame shots without creating the succession of towering, blind climbs found on some Atlantic links.
Wind is the constant companion. A tee shot can begin above the relative shelter of a fairway and move sharply across the playing corridor before landing. An approach into an exposed green may need a lower flight, but the safe running entrance depends on the angle and the firmness of the turf. The same hole can ask a very different question when the breeze changes direction.
Steel's routing makes the position of the previous shot consistently important. A fairway section may look inviting but leave a bunker directly between the player and the flag. Another line may require a more accurate drive yet provide a clear route into the green. There is room to make decisions, but not always room to rescue a poor one.
The fifteenth, a highly regarded par four, illustrates the course's character. Its approach is framed by the dune ground, and the result depends on both the preceding fairway position and the flight into the target. The interest is not simply in identifying a famous hole, but in recognizing the relationship between two good strokes.
From a Diamond Jubilee to a Championship Links
Jubilee opened on June 22, 1897, to mark Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. John Angus Jr. laid out its original twelve holes, intended particularly for women and beginners at a time when golf in St Andrews was growing rapidly. The New Course had opened only two years earlier, yet there was already a need for more playing space.
The course expanded to eighteen holes in 1905 and evolved during the decades that followed, including work associated with Willie Auchterlonie. The decisive modern intervention came in 1988, when Donald Steel redesigned it as a championship course. More demanding green approaches, elevated tees and a stronger use of the narrow seaward terrain transformed its playing character.
That history makes Jubilee especially revealing. It is not an ancient routing kept unchanged, nor a new course assembled on an empty property. It has occupied the same broad coastal setting through very different eras of golf, acquiring a more exacting identity as the surrounding St Andrews courses developed their own reputations.
Jubilee has been used for significant amateur golf, but it should not inherit the Open Championship victories of the Old Course simply because the two share the St Andrews name. Its architectural evolution is a distinctive story of its own.
Green Complexes That Reward the Correct Angle
A golfer can drive the ball well on Jubilee and still find scoring difficult. Many green sites are protected by dune shoulders, bunkers or slopes that make the arriving line consequential. Firm conditions sharpen those demands. A ball that reaches the putting surface with too much speed can finish in a far less comfortable position than expected.
This is a different experience from approaching an enormous shared green on the Old. Jubilee often gives the golfer a comparatively individual target, with a preferred entrance and a short-game problem when the approach arrives from the wrong side. A low running shot can be extremely effective in the right conditions, but not every line offers the ground needed to execute one.
The routing sustains this test through the round. Demanding driving holes are interrupted by par threes on which even a short iron can become uncertain in crosswind. The next tee then asks for control again. Jubilee does not need one theatrical finishing obstacle; its challenge comes from the accumulation of precise decisions.
Those who enjoy that discipline will find a satisfying championship links. Golfers seeking generous recoveries and predictable green reactions should understand the trade-off before booking.
Jubilee's Place Among the St Andrews Courses
The Old Course combines centuries of history, influential shared fairways and extraordinary putting surfaces. The New Course, established in 1895, is a separate traditional links with a different cadence. Jubilee is narrower and more modern in its championship presentation, with the seaward wind and accurate driving more constantly in focus.
The Castle Course provides a contemporary clifftop experience outside the historic town links. Farther along the coast, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie offer contrasting modern designs. None should be treated as interchangeable just because St Andrews makes them convenient to reach.
For golfers curious about architecture, a New-and-Jubilee pairing can be more revealing than playing two similar courses. The difference between the fairways, green approaches and effect of the wind becomes apparent without leaving the town. The St Andrews & Fife guide places those rounds in the context of a longer visit.
Jubilee Green Fees, Tees and Visitor Arrangements
The standard 2026 adult visitor green fee was £75 in low season, £105 in shoulder periods and £155 in high season. Those amounts are dated 2026 references rather than confirmed 2027 tariffs. Other St Andrews courses and multi-round packages have their own prices and conditions.
The rated Championship men's tees measure 6,735 yards (6,158 metres), par 72, with course rating 74.1 and slope 135. Black measures 6,614 yards, Blue 6,317 and Green 5,951, each par 72. Bronze men's tees measure 5,661 yards, par 69. Corresponding women's cards have different pars and ratings even where the physical tees are shared.
Jubilee generally accepts direct advance reservations through St Andrews Links, without using the Old Course daily ballot. Availability still depends on competitions, maintenance and the relevant visitor calendar. Caddies are optional and may be requested in advance, but no fixed public individual caddie charge is listed. Trolleys and any permitted buggy arrangements follow separate access conditions.
Jubilee needs neither a famous bridge nor an Open Championship trophy to justify its place. Its reward is rigorous seaside golf on ground where width in the landscape and width in the fairway are very different things.