COURSE · RESORT · BUCKET LIST · TIER A
St Andrews, Fife, Scotland · St Andrews Bay
Two championship courses perched above the North Sea, within sight of the town that made golf what it is.
01 · Overview
~2 min read
Fairmont St Andrews sits on a clifftop two miles east of town, close enough to the Old Course to share its famous skyline yet firmly its own proposition. Opened in 2001 and operating two full championship layouts — the Torrance and the Kittocks — it occupies one of the most dramatically situated resort sites in Scottish golf.
The Torrance Course, designed by Sam Torrance and opened in June 2001, stretches to 7,230 yards across rolling, wind-exposed terrain above the Firth of Tay. Its character leans links-adjacent rather than pure: pot bunkers, burns, and a man-made lake on the third hole give it variety that straight links design would not permit. The Kittocks Course, which followed in 2002 under the direction of Bruce Devlin and Gene Sarazen before being substantially reworked by architect Gary Stephenson in 2009, draws its name from Kittock's Den — a coastal ravine designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest that bisects the back nine with genuine drama. Double greens on the Kittocks pay deliberate tribute to the Old Course just down the road.
Both courses have since accumulated a modest but credible championship history. The Torrance served as a Final Qualifying venue for the Open Championship and hosted the European Tour's 2020 Scottish Championship, won by Adrian Otaegui, and the 2021 Hero Open, which produced a home win for Grant Forrest — said to be the first by a Scotsman at a European Tour event on Scottish soil in nearly a decade. The Asian Tour's International Series arrived in 2023, underlining the resort's growing ambitions as a competitive venue.
What makes the courses genuinely testing is the exposure. Sitting on high ground above the sea, both layouts offer almost no shelter when a haar rolls in off the North Sea or a westerly gets up in the afternoon. The closing stretch on the Torrance, from the 15th through to the 18th, runs along and then away from the clifftops, meaning the same hole can play one club or three clubs differently depending on the day. The dramatic Rock and Spindle sea-stack formation — visible from the 16th and 17th — is a useful reminder that the geography here does real work.
THE WIND
Sitting on high ground above the North Sea, both courses offer minimal shelter. Prevailing westerlies and the occasional haar can shift club selection by two or three clubs across the same hole on different days.
THE BUNKERS
Pot bunkers of a distinctly Scottish character guard fairways and greens throughout the Torrance layout. The Kittocks adds a memorable cluster — informally known as the Mickey Mouse bunkers — on its 7th hole.
THE WATER
Crosses of water punctuate both layouts. The Torrance Lake demands a carry on the third hole, while burns thread through the fairways at the 12th and 14th, adding a penal dimension absent from pure links golf.
THE SETTING
Kittock's Den — a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest — delivers genuine elevation change and surprise on the back nine. The coastline beyond, with the Rock and Spindle sea-stack visible offshore, provides some of the most memorable scenery in Scottish resort golf.
02 · The Holes
5 of 5 · tap any hole to watch creators play it
Six holes carry more of the course's weight than the other twelve combined — and the creator vlogs that prove it.
HOLE 11 · par 3 · 162y
The shortest hole on the Torrance Course rewards accuracy over power. The green sits with panoramic views sweeping across the town of St Andrews and the West Sands beyond — a moment of stillness in the middle of a demanding back nine.
162 yards · Shortest hole on the course, yet among the most photographed.
HOLE 17 · par 3 · 198y
Played hard along the edge of the rocky cliffs with the North Sea filling the background, this late-round par 3 requires a composed stroke under the most distracting of circumstances. The Rock and Spindle sea-stack is visible just offshore.
198 yards · One of the most visually dramatic par 3s on any Scottish resort course.
HOLE 3 · par 5 · 587y
The standout challenge on the front nine. A long drive sets up an approach over the Torrance Lake, a man-made hazard that feeds into the burn running through the early holes. Conservative play pays here; hero golf rarely does.
587 yards · Only hole on the Torrance where water directly threatens the approach.
HOLE 16 · par 4 · 435y
Spills down toward the clifftops at the boundary of the property, with the ground falling away to the right and the sea opening up in full. The drive demands commitment; the approach must avoid coming up short of a fast, sloping green.
435 yards
HOLE 7 · par 4 · 454y
A tough, long par 4 with views stretching out over the Tay Estuary. The tee shot must thread between the fairway bunkers, and a celebrated cluster of three bunkers — said to resemble Mickey Mouse — guards the approach on the left.
454 yards
05 · In Their Words
5 on-camera verdicts · spoken while filming here
The most intense golf thing I've ever been involved in.
Fairmont St. Andrews is the ultimate host for this knockout.
The glorious Fairmont St. Andrews
I'm so impressed with this whole place and the people that work it.
The golf course has been closed since yesterday; there is an unbelievable blanket of fog.
06 · How to Play Here
7 routes to a tee time
Visitor Online Booking · single
Standard visitor tee times for The Torrance and The Kittocks courses. Pricing is dynamic and seasonal.
Visitor Green Fee Dynamic (Typically £80–£200+ depending on season)
Fairmont Fairways Package · hotel package
Luxurious overnight stay with breakfast and one round of golf on either The Kittocks or The Torrance Course.
Stay & Play From £395
Golfers Dream Package · hotel package
Five-night stay in a Manor Home including guaranteed Old Course tee times, rounds at Jubilee, Kingsbarns, and Dumbarnie, plus unlimited golf on Fairmont courses.
Luxury Package Price on enquiry
Scottish Resident Rate · single
Preferential rates for residents of Scotland, bookable online or via phone.
Resident Rate From £80 (Summer) / £40 (Winter)
GolfNow Discount Times · external
Discounted 'hot deal' tee times sometimes available via third-party aggregators.
Discount Rate Varies
Golfbreaks Stay & Play · package
External travel provider packages including accommodation and multiple rounds.
Tour Package Varies
Individual & Corporate Membership · members only
Unlimited championship golf on both courses, priority tee times, and resort benefits.
Annual Fee On enquiry
07 · History
9 moments · 2001–2023
2001
Founded by American entrepreneur Don Panoz, the resort opened in June 2001 as the St Andrews Bay Golf Resort & Spa, with the Sam Torrance-designed Torrance Course as its flagship layout.
2002
The resort's second championship layout, designed by Bruce Devlin and Gene Sarazen, opened for play — a more dramatic, cliffside companion to the Torrance.
2006
Following acquisition by Apollo Real Estate Advisors, the resort joined the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio. That same year it served as the venue for Northern Ireland peace talks.
2008
As part of a £17 million renovation, the Devlin Course was renamed the Kittocks Course, taking its name from the coastal ravine and Site of Special Scientific Interest running through the grounds.
2009
Architect Gary Stephenson reworked both courses, swapping several holes between the two layouts. The newly configured Torrance then hosted the Scottish Senior Open.
2010
The Torrance Course achieved a landmark status by serving as a Final Qualifying venue for the Open Championship at the Old Course.
2020
The Torrance Course hosted the European Tour's Scottish Championship as part of the 'UK Swing', with Adrian Otaegui claiming victory.
2021
Grant Forrest won the Hero Open at the resort, reportedly becoming the first Scotsman to win a European Tour event on home soil in close to a decade.
2023
The Asian Tour's International Series made its first appearance at Fairmont St Andrews, producing a dramatic playoff won by Eugenio Chacarra over Matt Jones.
08 · Common Questions
7 questions · sourced from 9 vlogs
Visitor tee times on both the Torrance and Kittocks courses can be booked directly through the resort's online booking system, powered by Chronogolf. Pricing is dynamic and seasonal, typically ranging from around £80 to £200 or more per round. Discounted times occasionally appear via third-party aggregators such as GolfNow, and Scottish residents qualify for preferential rates bookable online or by phone.
No. Both courses are open to visitors without a hotel stay. That said, the resort offers stay-and-play packages — including the Fairmont Fairways Package from around £395 — that combine an overnight stay with breakfast and a round of golf. For those seeking the full experience, a five-night 'Golfer's Dream' package can also include guaranteed Old Course tee times and rounds at Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie.
The Torrance Course is the longer of the two at 7,230 yards, with a more open, wind-exposed character, burns in play, and a man-made lake on the third hole. The Kittocks Course is defined by Kittock's Den — a dramatic coastal ravine — and features double greens designed as a tribute to the Old Course. Both are full championship layouts, though the Torrance has hosted more competitive events.
Buggies are available to hire at Fairmont St Andrews. Given the clifftop terrain and elevation changes, particularly on the Kittocks Course around Kittock's Den, a buggy can be practical for those who prefer it. Caddies may also be arranged through the resort's concierge.
The resort sits approximately two miles east of St Andrews town centre. By car the journey takes around five minutes. Edinburgh Airport is roughly 50 miles away — about an hour's drive — and the nearest rail station is Leuchars, approximately five miles distant, with a 15–20 minute taxi ride to the resort.
Yes. The Torrance Course served as a Final Qualifying venue for the Open Championship and has hosted several European Tour events, including the 2020 Scottish Championship (won by Adrian Otaegui) and the 2021 Hero Open (won by Grant Forrest). The Asian Tour's International Series also made its debut at the resort in 2023.
Both courses offer multiple tee options and, while the Torrance plays to 7,230 yards from the back markers with a slope rating of 138, shorter tee positions make it accessible to a wider range of handicaps. Wind is the great equaliser here — a calm day will play considerably more straightforwardly than a typical Scottish afternoon.
10 · The Library
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