The deal makes commercial logic on both sides, and it’s difficult to pinpoint any critics.
The Links Trust has been close to overwhelmed by demand since the pandemic receded. The Duke’s, with roughly 300 members, is not operating close to full capacity.
Read more:
That is perhaps as some members of the Duke’s prefer, given the reported difficulties faced by resident Links Trust ticketholders in securing tee times elsewhere in the home of golf. Both groups will be keen to hear more about the allocation of tee times during the upcoming season, which could be a point of contention further down the line.
The Duke’s held a special place in the heart of the late Herb Kohler Jr, who acquired the golf course as part of the purchase of the Old Course Hotel from Japan’s Kosaido Company in 2004. But with fixed annual payments coming in from the Links Trust, and relieved of the costs of maintaining a championship course, the prospects of the Old Course Hotel returning to profitability are undoubtedly lifted.
Speaking recently, one industry leader familiar with the discussions said “everyone” is excited about the deal.
“It’s a win-win for both camps, so I think it’s going to be great for the Duke’s to evolve and realise its potential because it’s under-performed for so many years, and I think with the massive Links Trust behind it and marketing the Duke’s, it’s going to be great.
Read more:
“The golf course is always in great condition. They’ve spent a great deal of money on drainage in the last two years, the course manager up there is superb and runs a great team, so it should be a great result for both sides and for the townsfolk who have links tickets and can access another golf course with their ticket.”
Laurie Watson, director of engagement at the Links Trust, reckons there will be plenty of appetite among the roughly 1,300 resident ticketholders to make the three mile journey from the centre of St Andrews and check things out.
“There’s no doubt part of the attraction and desire to do this from our side is that capacity challenge that we have faced coming out of Covid and the huge demand from both ticketholders and visitors,” he said.
“From the feedback we have had over the course of this year, providing an opportunity to play another 18-hole championship golf course – irrespective of whether it fits the mould of a traditional links course or is an alternative offering – has been very, very positive.”
Read more:
But is the Duke’s a long-term solution, or temporary breathing space?
“That’s a good question,” Mr Watson said. “I think it’s certainly going to go a long way to helping us alleviate some of the pressure from demand and capacity, but we’ve got to deliver a really good experience up there for it to work, so that’s the focus for us going forward.”
Golfers playing at St Andrews in 2024 generated £48.5 million in revenue for the Links Trust, resulting in a surplus of £10.8m. More than 281,000 rounds were played across the seven courses under the trust’s umbrella, similar to the post-pandemic high of 2023.
The number of rounds in 2025 “will certainly” match those of last year, Mr Watson said, and could creep a bit higher if the weather is favourable in the closing weeks of this year. The Old Course accounts for about 50,000 of the total, split roughly between ticketholders and visiting golfers.
At the height of the golfing season the Links Trust employs about 450 people, though this number varies with the seasonality of the game. A further 20 members of staff will be coming on board from the Duke’s.
Read more:
Current members of the Duke’s will be able to retain their membership at the Craigtoun under existing terms throughout 2026. The trust said more details on green fee pricing for visitors at the Craigtoun will be published in the coming weeks.
“I think we have got a good track record with the existing suite of courses, and we will look to manage and balance the expectations of the existing membership base, our ticketholders, and provide an opportunity for visitors to play,” Mr Watson said.
“In terms of managing that from a pricing point of view, as part of our values and objectives here we are always trying to create pathways to participation, so we will look at ways we can integrate some of our existing schemes, whether it’s The Drive and some of the other packages that we put together, that will be part of the plan up there as well.”
For their part, Kohler and the Old Course Hotel say the Duke’s is destined for a bright future under the new management structure.
“We are pleased to have agreed a long-term lease with St Andrews Links Trust that will see the Duke’s course join its portfolio of world-renowned golf courses, benefitting from the trust’s expertise and passion for bringing the joy of golf to even more people across the world,” hotel manager Phyllis Wilkie said.