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St Andrews (Jubilee), Scotland |
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St Andrews Links
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9SF
Scotland |  | John Angus, Willie Auchterlonie, Donald Steel |  | None |
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 | +44 (0) 1334 466666 |  | Follow signs to West Sands |
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Golf Club Website
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 | Contact 24hrs in advance |  | A.J.R. McGregor |
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“The Home of Golf” at St Andrews is the only venue in Britain that can lay claim to having seven courses in its portfolio and the Jubilee, the third oldest course at St Andrews, is perhaps the most underrated of them all.
In March 1897, John Angus was presented with the challenge of designing a course suitable for beginners and having it ready for play the same year. The 22nd June 1897 was a public holiday to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and on this day a rudimentary 12-hole course was ready for play. In commemoration, it was called the Jubilee. At the turn of the century, the course was extended to 18 holes, and in 1946, Willie Auchterlonie made further improvements to the layout. In 1988, Donald Steel gave the Jubilee a complete overhaul and upgraded the links to championship standard. The course now measures over 6,800 yards.
The Jubilee plays on a narrow strip of links land, wedged between the New course and St Andrews Bay. Some of the holes thread their way through low sand dunes. It’s a much more “normal” layout than the Old and the New. The Jubilee has no double greens or shared fairways, but it does play in the same out-and-back fashion. The Jubilee’s raised tees provide unparalleled views across St Andrews Bay to the east and the fluttering flags on the other St Andrews courses to the west.
It would be fair to say that the Jubilee was an ordinary course before Donald Steel got his hands on it, but it’s now full of variety and character with a very strong collection of par threes. So it’s no surprise that since Steel’s changes, the Jubilee has already played host to a number of important amateur championships. | |
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If the above course review article is not accurate, let us know by clicking here |
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 |  | | Average Reviewers Score: |   | | | On checking my records I found that it had been 6 long years since I last walked on the fairways and greens of the St Andrews Jubilee course. Astonishingly, the course hadn’t left any lasting impression on me what so ever. I would like to think that the subsequent 6 years have improved my overall golfing education consequently, I found my visit to the Jubilee, on the 3rd last day of 2011, to be a truly captivating experience. Many people will travel to the Auld Grey Toon to have a crack at the Grand Old Lady, and that is understandable as there is no greater golfing experience than playing the Old Course. I would urge visitors to make time in their itinerary to play the Jubilee which, to paraphrase Keats, hast thou music too. With its offset tee shots to hummocky fairways bordered by penal rough and ridgid bunkering I found the Jubilee to be a greater test of golf than the Old Course (so much for your self proclaimed enlightened golfing education I hear the purists cry) with only the prosaic short 5th hole a disappointment. This slight let down was completely forgotten and forgiven after playing the sublime 15th, a lesson to us all that par 4’s don’t have to be long to be scintillating. So another golfing year comes to an end, 68 rounds and not one of them at my home course of Askernish. It would be remiss of me not to thank the people who make this golfing odyssey a reality for me. So, without any further ado, a great big thanks to Keith, for allowing two daft Glaswegians to represent the top 100 website not only in Scotland, but sometimes over the border (the Welsh trip will live long in the memory) and even on special occasions, over the sea to Ireland, To Andy, for the great day ay Archerfield. To Rachelle, for putting up with all the duff images that I submit and last, but certainly not least, to my commanding officer, Mr McCann who astonishingly has put up with me for another year. Roll on 2012. MPPJ |
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| 31 December 2011
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| Response: | | | Keith Baxter | 01 January 2012 | | With Jim and yourself at the controls, Scotland is in great hands. It’s our correspondents and contributors that make the Top 100 website what it is. I read every review posted on the site and I thoroughly enjoy your comments. Thank you MPPJ for your continued contribution… it’s genuinely appreciated. We’ll work with you during 2012 to get tee times at the two remaining venues required to complete your personal Scottish Top 100. It will be great to have two people on the Top 100 team that have played them all. Beware though. We are about to publish our new Tartan Ton which will bring in new, previously unranked Scottish courses. Watch this space! Happy New Year. |
| | The Jubilee course completed my golfing year in fine style when our 4-ball took advantage of a wee weather window today to tee it up here. I thought the only disappointing hole on the outward half was the rather bland par three 5th, though the short winter tee position to the left of the fairway did nothing for a run of the mill short hole. That said, similar offset tee positions to many of the other fairways added great interest to those holes (Western Gailes is like this in the winter too). The elevated tee position on the 8th, overlooking the Eden estuary is a glorious vantage point to look back down the course and it precedes a more open section between the par threes at holes 9 and 13. I just love the way that holes 1 to 6 and 14 to 18 alternate in a figure of eight on either side of a sizeable dune ridge that houses one of the best holes in Scottish golf; the wonderful 15th (“Steel’s Gem”), with its ultra-narrow entrance, dunes to the right, drop off into gorse on the left and a huge swale in front of a raised green. It’s a brilliant (and treacherous) doglegged short par four that none of our group managed to master (though even a five here felt like a decent result). By all means play the Old course, and don’t discount the charms of the somewhat taken for granted New course, but you’re really missing out if you haven’t yet played the Jubilee. Jim McCann |
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| 29 December 2011
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| | The Old Course gets no attention, and it deserves it. But don't forget about the Jubilee, if you go there. It is a stern test of golf and the course has some teeth and penal aspects that are not typical of a links course. Play it and be ready for the challenge. |
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| 13 August 2011
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| | In my opinion this is the best actual 'course' in St Andrews. Dont get me wrong - I enjoy playing the Old more than the Jubilee just for the sheer history / experience factor, and I probably enjoy playing th New more than the Jubilee because it is slightly easier, but in terms of hole architecture, variety, challenge and views I think the Jubilee trumps its more famous neighbours by a considerable margin. Standout holes for me are the 2nd (a gorgeous gentle dogleg right with a fantastic kidney shaped green guarded by a quaint tree), the 8th (gorgeous short dogleg left in the basin of the dunes out by the sea) , the superb 15th which is the desingers favourite and has the green tucked behind a spectacular dune and the 16th which requires a great drive through the dunes before hitting to the most fun green in the whole of St Andrews due to its size and elevation changes. Whilst the Jubilee is pretty much as flat as the Old and the New, the routing through the dunes makes it much more interesting. It is also considerable harder in my opinion, although the back to back par 5's (11th & 12th) offer a chance to steady your score. The only slight negative comments are that the 1st and last are fairly nondescript holes that also come into pretty close contact with the Greenkeepers village although attempts have been made to obscure it from view as much as possible. I would also say that the greens, whilst excellent, didnt seem to be as fast as the New. So in summary - If you want history and spinetingling play the Old; if you want a gentle round on a effortlessly classy layout play the New but if you want to play the hardest course in the town which aslo happens to be the most interesting, play the Jubilee. |
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| 16 November 2010
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| | It seems ironic that when the original 12 holes of the Jubilee were laid-out, they were intended mostly for short-hitting ladies, beginners and juniors. The course has now developed into the toughest test of golf in the auld grey toon, especially when the wind blows. Expect the best sea views of any of the St Andrews links courses, with plenty of elevated tees and steep terrain changes through the dunes. The fairways get tighter as the holes progress and there are plenty of challenging approaches. My favourite shot on the course is playing up to the raised 15th green, through a valley created by sand dunes just short of the putting surface. From the tee, the shape of the fairway gives the impression that the right side might be favourable. However, a drive tight down the left, even in the rough behind the fairway bunker, will yield the best line into the green. If you're planning a golfing trip to the East Neuk of Fife, sure, play the standard Old, New, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie circuit; but you might find a round on the Jubilee to be the sternest test of your game. |
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| 21 July 2010
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| | Easily the toughest course in St Andrews...also a great test of golf. If you can play well here you can pay well on any course in Scotland. While it is tough, it is a fair test and tremendous fun. While I scored better on the New, I would pick Jubilee over it everyday. |
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| 09 July 2010
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| | I really love the Old and the New, but for me the true under rated Gem of St Andrews has to be the Jubilee. In the back 9 there are a couple of holes whereby you have distracting green keeper infrastructure but other than that there are probably more memorable holes than the New. Also some great 100 yard putting opportunities, and who doesn't love that ? Highly recommended. |
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| 19 March 2010
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| | Played the front 7 downwind and found it easy. Pretty much a continuation of the New course, which we had played that morning. Then we got to 8 and for me, that's where this course got great. There a couple of really good par 4's coming in with high dunes, that really make it fun for those who can appreciate blind shots. Played the course a different day, with different wind, and the front 7 were much more difficult. This course is way under rated in my opinion. ANDYMAC |
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| 24 July 2009
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| | Visited St. Andrews on numerous occasions and never played the Jubilee until May 2009, big mistake. A very good course which was both challenging and enjoyable, do not miss out on your next trip to St. Andrews just because it isn’t in a Top 100 listing. |
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| 04 June 2009
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| | A good course that makes you hit the ball straight and it will set you up nicely if playing on before the venturing onto the Old. Not overlong and some of the Par 5s are reachable in two if the wind is in a certain direction. Best holes are probably 14, 15, 16 and 17 as they return back to the clubhouse. We also liked the elevation around 8 and 9 as the sea is visible and you get a good sense of how far you have travelled from the town. |
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| 15 June 2008
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| | st andrews is a little special so i was looking forward to playing the jubilee however i came away dissapointed.I found most of the holes very bland,nothing special.The day before i played Lundin Links which in comparison blew me away. |
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| 02 June 2008
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| | What a special place in my heart, the first links course I ever played. The summer of 1980, and I was on a weekend trip to Edinburgh up from London, where I was spending the summer. I played with Ian and Duncan, two locals from St. Andrews, and it was an exhilirating experience to play over the flat but uneven terrain and experience the wonders of links golf which I had only known through the book "Golf in The Kingdom." On the back nine I had a short wedge shot into a par 4, and hit a dead skull that never got off the ground, but miraculously wound up a foot from the hole. Duncan saw only the result and yelled out "Great Shot!" Ian had seen the actual shot, and came up huffing and puffing with his trolly. As he passed he never broke stride and said "A much underrated shot- the fluke!" How could you not fall in love with this style of golf and people. I haven't played here in quite a while but I have played several times since, and my general sense is that I prefer the Jubilee over the New and that it is a fine test of links golf. Richard Smith Knoxville, Tennessee |
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| 17 December 2007
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| | I played this course after a corporate day on the Eden course at St. Andrews. We started very early, and had a brillinat round on an empty course. Really good test, especially in the wind, which makes for 2 very different 9's. Well worth playing, but worth starting early as the course does goes busy once everyone is on it. |
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| 06 October 2006
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| | As you would expect with St Andrews the set up is pretty good. The new club house works very well and has great locker facilities. The one thing about St Andrews is that there is no sense of fuss, the whole place is full of people on there once in a life time trip but the locals go about arranging a few rounds of golf in a very cheerful un flustered manner. I think the St Andrews folk understand that whilst they are lucky to have the most famous course in the world, they don't posess the mast amzing links land in the world. So they ask you to pay a reasonable green fee and organise your whole trip in a very friendly and welcoming way.
The course is a good one, it starts off a little bland but builds around the turn. It certainly has great views of the town and surrounding estuary from it's raised tees, especially as you hit the turn. As you head back from the furthest point the course builds and throws up some really good holes with dunes larger than I was expecting at St Andrews, certainly the 16th is the feature hole and would grace any links and is possibly only challenged by the 8th.
Anyway as you can tell I'm a fan of the place and it makes for a good golfers destination ......... where else would it be perfectly normal to see people walking down the high street in full golf paraphnalia .......... oh and it's worth coming to see the Americans dress up .....nice people terrible dress sense. |
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| 09 September 2006
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| | You will be fed up hearing this from me by now, but how many courses adjacent to more reknowned links get overlooked when they are excellent courses in their own right? Yes, this is yet another one of those that would standout if it was miles from any other golfing venue. Greens are smaller and fairways are tighter than the Old and New next door and the dunes give it far more definition than the other two big brothers. As expected in winter time, plenty of bunkers were out of play due to repair work but that's no great hardship if you land in one! There is a great run of holes when you finally head for home from the par 5 12th and they make good use of the low dunes for green placements and teeing grounds. I like the New better than the Old and I think I now like the Jubilee even better than the New. Play for half price without a mat as a winter warmer and you will not be short changed. James McCann |
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| 06 February 2006
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| | Not got the tradition of the Old or the New but still an excellent course with many outstanding holes. The large and often unusually shaped greens make it particularly difficult to get close to the flags meaning that three putts are a common occurrence and being the closest of the courses to the beach the wind can make this a really tough course. |
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| 28 October 2005
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| | A fun, old fashioned links course. Narrow at times, so good to get that straight game in shape before a jaunt down grandpa Old. Also gets the brunt of the sea breezes so a nice little wind education awaits the eager student. Greens as fast as the other two courses. A nice, reasonably priced round for the traditional Links lover. |
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| 01 June 2004
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