Hotels
The Open 2027 at St Andrews: where to stay
A century after Bobby Jones won on the Old Course, golf's oldest major returns to the Home of Golf. Here is where to sleep, from the 18th fairway to Edinburgh.
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In short: The Open 2027 at St Andrews
The 155th Open is played on the Old Course at St Andrews from 15 to 18 July 2027. In 2022 the town welcomed 290,000 spectators, so rooms go early. Stay in town to walk to the course, in Fife or Angus for a country house, or in Edinburgh for city evenings.
Our first choice: Rusacks St Andrews, looking straight down the 18th fairway. Check availability and prices
Every golfer who reaches the Swilcan Bridge seems to slow down. The little stone arch has carried players across the burn for centuries, and almost everyone stops for the photograph before walking on towards the 18th green and the R&A clubhouse.
In July 2027 The Open comes back for the 31st time, more than to any other venue, and exactly a hundred years after the amateur Bobby Jones won here. When the championship last visited in 2022, 290,000 people squeezed into a university town built around three main streets.
We have grouped the hotels in three zones, depending on how far you are happy to travel each morning. Most of them make just as good a base for a golf break in any other summer.
Three zones around the Old Course
In St Andrews: walk to the course in the morning and to the pubs on North Street at night. This is where rooms are scarcest.
Fife and Angus, 30 to 45 minutes away: country houses and courses of their own, with time for a round between championship days. You will need a car.
Edinburgh: the widest choice of hotels and restaurants. The train to Leuchars takes about an hour, then a bus or taxi covers the last few miles.
St Andrews: walk to the 18th
Staying in town means no queues on the approach roads. The catch is choice: there are only so many rooms, and these are the ones that go first.
the Old Course Hotel
The rooftop terrace at the Old Course Hotel looks over the links and the North Sea.
Old Course Hotel: a balcony over the Road Hole
The hotel sits right beside the 17th, the Road Hole, where the tee shot is played over a row of dark sheds in the hotel grounds. From the balconies you look down on one of the most talked about holes in championship golf.
With a spa and several restaurants under one roof, it is easy to stay put when a squall blows in off the North Sea. Ideal if you want to follow the leaders from your room between sessions.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at the Old Course Hotel
Rusacks St Andrews: a rooftop above the final fairway
Rusacks stands on Pilmour Links with the 18th on one side and West Sands just beyond. Its rooftop restaurant looks straight down the closing hole.
That is the seat you want on Sunday afternoon, when the leader walks up towards the green and the roar rolls back from the grandstands. Best for couples and small groups who want the championship in the window.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Rusacks St Andrews
Hotel du Vin St Andrews
From the windows of Hotel du Vin you look straight out over the bay.
Hotel du Vin: on the clifftop road
This one sits on The Scores, the road that runs along the cliffs above the bay, a few hundred yards from the R&A clubhouse. Its bistro and bar take the pressure off in a week when every table in town is booked weeks ahead.
A good pick if you would rather have a proper wine list than a spa.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Hotel du Vin St Andrews
Rufflets
The lounge at Rufflets opens onto the gardens.
Rufflets: a country house on the edge of town
Rufflets stands in large gardens just west of the centre. You are minutes from the course, yet far enough away for the evenings to be quiet.
After a long day in the wind on the links, coming back to lawns rather than a crowded street makes a real difference. Choose it for calm without a long drive.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Rufflets
Fairmont St Andrews
The Fairmont clubhouse stands on the clifftop above the North Sea.
Fairmont St Andrews: clifftops and two courses
The Fairmont sits on the cliffs a few miles east of town, with two golf courses of its own. You get sea views and the chance to hit a few balls yourself before heading in to watch.
With plenty of rooms and generous public spaces, it works for groups of friends and corporate trips who want to stay together. The trade off is a drive or taxi into town.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Fairmont St Andrews
Fife and Angus: golf where the locals play
Half an hour out, the crowds thin and the countryside opens up. This is where you build a whole golf week around the championship, with rounds of your own on the days without a ticket.
Balbirnie House
The lawn in front of Balbirnie House, for breakfast outside on mild days.
Balbirnie House: a Georgian mansion in Markinch
Balbirnie is a Georgian mansion set in a large park, with a golf course in the same grounds. St Andrews is around half an hour away by car.
Breakfast is unhurried and you can set off once the traffic has eased. Ideal if you want a country house stay and the championship in one trip.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Balbirnie House
Carnoustie Golf Hotel
Carnoustie Golf Hotel looks straight onto the 18th green, where Opens have been decided.
Carnoustie Golf Hotel: behind a fearsome 18th green
The hotel stands directly behind the 18th green at Carnoustie, one of the toughest courses on the Open rota. St Andrews is about 45 minutes away, over the Tay Road Bridge and past Dundee.
Play Carnoustie yourself before or after the week and you will understand why the professionals treat it with respect. For golfers who want to turn The Open into a proper golf trip.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Carnoustie Golf Hotel
Edinburgh: city evenings
If you want the championship by day and good restaurants by night, base yourself in the capital. Trains north to Leuchars leave from Waverley, and from there it is a short hop into St Andrews. For a resort stay, Gleneagles in Perthshire is about an hour and a quarter away by car.
The Balmoral
The Balmoral's clock runs a little fast, a kindness to anyone with a train to catch.
The Balmoral: the clock that runs fast
The clock on The Balmoral's tower is kept a few minutes fast so travellers do not miss their trains at Waverley. Handy, in a week of early departures north.
The hotel stands at the east end of Princes Street with the station directly below. For anyone who wants the shortest possible walk to the platform and a grand address.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Balmoral
The Caledonian
From The Caledonian you look up at Edinburgh Castle.
The Caledonian: the old railway hotel below the castle
The Caledonian stands at the west end of Princes Street, in the former railway hotel of the long-gone Caledonian station. Many rooms look straight up at Edinburgh Castle.
The tram and Haymarket station, where many northbound trains stop, are close by. A good choice for combining The Open with a classic city break.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at The Caledonian
Kimpton Charlotte Square
Kimpton Charlotte Square fills a terrace of Georgian houses in the New Town.
Kimpton Charlotte Square: Georgian New Town
Kimpton Charlotte Square occupies a terrace of Georgian houses on Charlotte Square, the New Town's grandest address. George Street and its restaurants and bars begin outside the door.
Relaxed in style, it suits groups of friends who want a night out after a long day on the course.
Book your stay: Check availability and prices at Kimpton Charlotte Square
When should you book?
As early as you can in St Andrews: the town has few hotels, and the small places near the course fill first.
Think about the whole week: the R&A treats the championship week as starting on 11 July, with practice rounds before the tournament. More days of crowds, but more golf to watch too.
Choose a flexible rate: if the ticket ballot does not go your way, you want to be able to change plans without losing money.
Good to know
Tickets are sold by the R&A at theopen.com. The nearest railway station is Leuchars, a few miles north of town. The weather on the east coast changes fast, even in July, so pack waterproofs and an extra layer.
Planning the Ryder Cup too? It is played in Ireland in September. See hotels near Adare Manor.
Our first choice in St Andrews
Rusacks St Andrews
Rusacks is where we would most like to stay for The Open 2027. It stands beside the 18th fairway of the Old Course, with West Sands and the sea just beyond, and the first tee is a few minutes' walk away. The rooftop restaurant looks down on the players as they walk in to the final green, and the pubs and restaurants of the town are round the corner. Once the championship has gone, the same address makes Rusacks an easy choice for a golf weekend in St Andrews.
The Open 2027: your questions answered
When is The Open 2027?
The 155th Open is played on the Old Course at St Andrews from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 July 2027. Practice rounds come first, as the R&A counts the championship week from 11 July. It will be the 31st Open at St Andrews, more than at any other venue, and the centenary of Bobby Jones's win here.
Where should I stay for The Open 2027?
Stay in St Andrews if you want to walk to the course, at Rusacks or the Old Course Hotel for example. If the town is full, the country houses of Fife and Angus are 30 to 45 minutes away by car. Edinburgh has the widest choice, with trains to Leuchars in about an hour. Book a flexible rate.
How do I get tickets for The Open 2027?
Tickets are sold by the R&A at theopen.com, and the most popular days are usually allocated through a ballot. Register early and follow the official channels for release dates. Avoid unofficial resellers, and keep your hotel booking flexible until you know whether your application has been successful.
How do I get to St Andrews by train?
Take the train to Leuchars, the nearest station, a few miles north of town. Services from Edinburgh Waverley take around an hour, and buses and taxis run from Leuchars into St Andrews. During the championship, check the official travel advice, as extra services and road closures are normally announced nearer the time.
Can I play the Old Course myself?
Yes. The Old Course is a public course, and anyone can apply for a tee time through St Andrews Links Trust. Some times are allocated through a daily ballot, alongside advance bookings. The course closes to normal play around the championship, so plan your own round for a different week.