In the past, being a single and trying to get on the Old Course was nearly impossible unless you brought a cot, blanket and pillow so that you could be comfortable sleeping outside the Old Pavilion for 12 hours or so in hopes of getting a tee time.
A single was not permitted to ballot, so sleeping in line was the only option, ticket holder or not, as has been the policy since the early 1900s. But in March 2024, the St. Andrews Links Trust changed the rules and created a singles ballot.
This eliminated the line, which could at times stretch to as many as 75 golfers or more, and provided some dignity to what was chaos in the early morning hours. The experiment worked, according to Links Trust. In 2024, almost 14,500 singles entered ballots — including a high of 227 entries one day — and more than 3,600 golfers successfully gained a next-day tee time.
The system is straightforward. With touch pads located at the Links Clubhouse and the Old Pavilion next to the first tee of the Old Course, prospective players can provide basic personal information and take a photo to confirm that it’s you when you pay your green fee — if you’re a lucky one.
At 5 p.m., a random draw determines who is lucky enough to get a time for the next day, and they are notified by text message and email.
It couldn’t be simpler and lets you sleep in versus sleeping next to the first tee all night with the seagulls wailing in your ear.