The Castle Course — Local services in Great Britain

This is a very good course, with stunning views over the town of St Andrews as well as the Angus coastline and Cairngorms in the distance. If you play it on a sunny day it is worth visiting for the views alone.

However, the course has a couple of failings. Some of the lines off the tee are unclear, and are not intuitive - marker posts would help but other than the 6th hole, you won't see any.

And then there are the greens. The designer is clearly a fan of false-fronts - which are overdone - and the borrows on some of the greens are insane and unfair - the 4th hole being the worst (amongst many). The only thing missing from that green is a clown's head and a windmill!

When pins are on higher tiers on days with a stiff breeze, you may hit an excellent shot onto the right tier, and then as you are approaching the green watch with dismay as the ball is blown onto a lower tier - this can add 50 feet to your putt.

But don't let the tricking-up of this course put you off playing it. It remains an excellent course and very memorable experience. Some of the holes are amongst the best in Scotland - the 17th being the outstanding example - a par 3 over the cliffs with a cavernous drop down to the rocks below, which you have to carry. The 12th hole is worthy of mention too as the toughest par-4 in St Andrews

And the clubhouse has good food with amazing views - well worth a lunch either before or after your round.

Play it - it is well worth the effort, if you can...

After living in a castle for 4 days with 38 friends, 20 or so of us continued on to Speyside for a few days of tasting the sweet nectar. On our way we visited St. Andrews and golfed the Castle Course. 2 diehard friends loved getting up early to play 36 and played the Old Course. The felt it was nostalgic and bucket-listy, but not at all comparable to the quality, challenge and views the Castle Course offered. The former was flat, wide, and lovely. The latter was, to say the least, hilly with massive ups and downs. My app suggested I had walked "312 flights of stairs" over 8 miles that day. It's the first time I've finished 18 holes of golf and been absolutely physically exhausted. We had 2 caddies, who were both superb, guiding us, but still lost a number of balls in the vicissitudes of the local winds. Every hole was a challenge and each was equally beautiful. We were lucky and had great weather - hole 17 is a unreal in terms of views of the ocean and grasses. A buddy birdied it and that was our peak. While I can't say I golfed a round under 100 I recommend this course for those seeking the very best location, challenge, views, and beauty. While less famous than the old course, it is a no brainer to check this off the list. I liked it far more than the Royal...

Took advantage of the special rate on offer until 21st November and it was tremendous value. Everything about our visit was terrific. From the warm and Informative welcome at the front door and reception. The helpful and attentive restaurant staff not forgetting the good quality food on offer too. The golf course is terrific, challenging but very playable for all handicap ranges. We went from 5 to 20 and we all managed to navigate the course without too much difficulty. The greens are some of the hardest I've played, some with very severe undulations and slopes. Great care and attention is required when putting but it didn't detract from the overall enjoyment of playing this course. The views from various parts of the course are stunning too with several 'Kodak' moments. A must play course if your in the St Andrews area. P.S. Bring a few spare balls for...