The R&A does not own the Old Course?

Many golfers assume that because the Royal and Ancient Golf Club’s iconic clubhouse overlooks the first tee and the 18th green, it must own the Old Course. In reality, the Old Course has never been owned by the R&A. Instead, it is a public course, managed today by St Andrews Links Trust, an independent charitable organization established by an Act of Parliament.

The Old Course is one of the few championship venues in the world that remains open to everyone. Local residents, visitors and tourists all have the opportunity to play the same historic fairways that have hosted generations of champions. The R&A is headquartered beside the course and organizes The Open Championship when it returns to St Andrews, but it has never been responsible for the ownership or day-to-day management of the Old Course. This unique relationship is one of the reasons St Andrews is often called “the people’s golf course.”