Located within St Andrews, the Duke’s is an 18-hole championship heathland course designed by five-time Open Champion Peter Thomson. It is known for its challenging layout, which can be played from 5,216 to 7,512 yards.
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St Andrews Links Trust chief executive Neil Coulson said a deal would represent a significant addition to the facilities under the charity’s care. These include the Old Course, New Course, Castle Course, Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum and Balgove, along with three clubhouses, a golf academy and five retail outlets.
“This would be an exciting opportunity to expand the range of exceptional golfing experiences we offer,” Mr Coulson said. “The addition of the Duke’s Course to our portfolio would increase tee time availability for our ticket holders and visitors while continuing to uphold the traditions and excellence synonymous with St Andrews.
“We have a strong and long-standing relationship with the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa as our close neighbours in St Andrews and as positive talks continue, we hope to be able to announce more details soon.”
Latest financial accounts from the Links Trust show it returned to financial health following the blow of the Covid pandemic with a record £44m in operating revenue generated in 2023. Operating profit also hit an all-time high of £11.5m, up from £3.7m in 2022.
Neil Coulson (Image: St Andrews Links Trust)
However, the trust came in for criticism last year when a group calling itself the St Andrews Resident Golfer Association revealed that more than 80% of 100-plus people surveyed said their experience had become “worse” or “much worse” in recent years, with the vast majority citing a lack of available tee times.
The Old Course Hotel was built in 1968 on the site of the old St Andrews railway station and is majority-owned by US plumbing giant Kohler, which bought the spa resort from British Transport Hotels in 2004. The R&A owns 0.2% of the business.
“We are pleased that the Duke’s could play a role in satisfying the high demand for golf in St Andrews,” said Phyllis Wilkie, general manager at the Old Course Hotel. “The inclusion of the Duke’s in the St Andrews Links Trust roster would provide ticket holders and visitors with yet another outstanding golf experience.
“We look forward to progressing these positive discussions.”