The ownership of the St Andrews Links, including the Old Course, lies with the St Andrews Links Trust, a charitable organization. The Trust was established by acts of Parliament to manage and care for these historic public golf courses on behalf of the town and the people of St Andrews[1][2][3]. The courses are not owned by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club (R&A); although the R&A was once a temporary owner after purchasing the links in 1893, public intervention through parliamentary acts in 1894 returned ownership to the town, resulting in public and community stewardship[2][4][8].
The St Andrews Links Trust currently oversees seven world-renowned courses in St Andrews—the Old Course, New Course, Jubilee Course, Eden Course, Strathtyrum Course, Castle Course, and Balgove Course—along with associated facilities[5][7]. The management and operation of the links are explicitly mandated to keep the courses open for public enjoyment, making them some of the most accessible championship courses in the world[1][3][4].
References
- [1] History of Saint Andrews Links: The Home of Golf
- [2] Old Course, St Andrews
- [3] St Andrews Links – Wikipedia
- [4] Scottish Golf History
- [5] Golf trust in advanced talks to take over championship course in St Andrews
- [7] Old Course Reversed back for 2025 – Destination Golf
- [8] Development of the Links at St Andrews “Home of Golf”
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