The Old Course Hotel St Andrews Golf Resort & Spa, The Perfect Long Weekend Luxury Break

Arrival at the Home of Golf

When we received a wonderful invitation to stay and review The Old Course Hotel St Andrews Golf Resort & Spa in Scotland, we felt extremely privileged. A visit to the ‘home of golf’ is on the bucket list of every golf and sports enthusiast, and definitely one for me, as the Sports Editor for Luxuria Lifestyle International.

My girlfriend Georgie (one of our Luxuria food writers) and I took an early morning 1-hour flight from London to Edinburgh. We were greeted by the smart hotel transfer chauffeur in a spotless new black BMW 7 Series, fully equipped with massage seats, drinks, and plenty of room for comfort and our luggage. The trip from Edinburgh Airport to the hotel was just over an hour, travelling along the beautiful Scottish coastline. The scenery was stunning, and it was an enjoyable journey.

Luxury Junior Suite with Old Course Views

We checked into the hotel and were shown to our superb Junior Suite (one of 36), all featuring well-designed and traditionally decorated spacious living areas, a deluxe king-size bed, and a simply stunning luxurious bathroom with a selection of premium toiletries. The whole space was elegant and extremely comfortable. It included tea and coffee making facilities, high-speed Wi-Fi, fluffy gowns, a safe, and a very well-stocked mini-bar.

Our suite looked directly out onto the Old Course’s famous 17th hole, which for every golf fanatic is a dream. We unpacked and freshened up a little, in readiness for our lunch at the famous The Jigger Inn, where we enjoyed a superb couple of hours with delicious cuisine, fabulous service, drinks, and a relaxing ambience.

Dining at The Jigger Inn

This historic Jigger Inn dates back to the 1850s when it was the stationmaster’s lodge. Today, it is home to golfing memorabilia, crackling open-hearth fires, wonderful home-cooked food, and a superb selection of Scottish beers. After checking out the menu, we both decided to have the grilled halloumi salad to start, then the Cajun spiced chicken burger and St Andrews beer-battered fish goujons with chips. Everything was beautifully presented and thoroughly tasty.

Spa Relaxation and Hotel Highlights

Following our lunch and a brisk walk, we spent a few relaxing hours in the spa and then experienced a guided tour of the hotel to see everything to enjoy during our stay. Since the hotel re-opened in August this year, it now has two high-tech new function rooms, perfect for weddings or corporate events. We decided to take full advantage of our luxury suite and spent some downtime relaxing and watching television with a room service cocktail or two before dinner.

Fine Dining at The Road Hole Restaurant

The evening was a real treat for us. We were invited to savour the cuisine in The Road Hole, situated on the 4th floor and overlooking breathtaking views of the Old Course and St Andrews beach. The restaurant is predominantly steak and fine dining, with some excellent choices for vegetarians. They also have oysters, lobster, langoustines, scallops, and some fine Black Isle steaks. The menu was creative and enticing. We both decided the scallops sounded delicious to start, and they were presented beautifully and cooked to perfection. For the main course, we chose fillet steak, medium rare, accompanied by thick-cut chips and a side of vegetables. The wine recommended by the sommelier was light, crisp, and delicious. The whole meal was simply divine.

Golf on The Dukes Course and St Andrews Exploration

After a wonderful, peaceful night’s sleep, we had an early full English breakfast that was fresh, hot, and fantastic, with locally sourced ingredients, premium coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice, all very kindly delivered and set out in our suite by room service.

Now we were fully set up for the day, and I was ready for my private golf lesson with one of the pros at The Dukes Course, just five minutes’ walk away. My 40-minute lesson on my swing and putting stroke was really helpful, as I think I had recently picked up a few bad habits. I put all I had learned in my lesson to the test and played 18 holes on the Dukes course. I couldn’t believe the condition it was in—absolutely perfect. The greens were like velvet and very fast for this time of year, a few too many bunkers for me though as a late-teen handicapper. It was quite challenging at my level, but such an awesome experience to play where I carded an 87 with 2 birdies.

After my round of golf, we ventured into nearby St Andrews, which is a seaside town featuring all sorts of attractions from family-friendly spots to historic golfing wonders, as well as an abundance of stunning beaches, parks, and fantastic walks to explore. We had lunch in a very old and quaint pub, then headed back to the hotel where we spent a few more hours of chill-out time in the Kohler Waters Spa. Our experience continued with a couple’s deep, results-oriented full-body massage. They were firm but very relaxing; we left the spa with a sense of well-being.

Final Impressions and Walker on the Old Course

The following morning before heading home, and with a couple of hours to spare, I decided to walk around some of the holes of the very famous Old Course. I have seen many of these holes and golfing memories on television over the years, but they do not do this amazing venue and location justice. It was a very special experience I will never forget.

Our entire visit to the Old Course Hotel & Spa was one of the most wonderful travel review experiences I have ever had. We were treated like royalty, as I suspect every guest is, and I look forward to a return visit possibly as a spectator at next year’s 2022 British Open.