St Andrews Old Course History Tour with Richard Falconer: A Deep Dive into Golf Heritage

Experience the ultimate golf history tour with Richard Falconer, author and historian. Learn about the origins and development of golf at the iconic St Andrews Old Course and discover the Open and Dunhill history. Join now!

Duration: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Hotel du Vin St Andrews - Meet Richard at the front of the hotel to begin your shared tour. Please be punctual as these public tours will not wait. Tour start: Get an overview of the town’s history leading to the 1123 Links charter.
  • The Links - Explore the origins and early development of golf, from the 13th-century stick and ball games in…
What's Included
  • Professional local guide/historian - 1980s Old Course Caddie
  • Professionally taken photo on the Swilkan Bridge (excludes tournament days)
Additional Information

These are award-winning bucket list tours led by Richard Falconer, a renowned author, historian, guide, and former Old Course Caddie from the 1980s.
Designed for those with a keen interest in golf, participants will explore the origins and evolution of the game and the Old Course, covering a timeline from the 13th to the 20th century. The tour also…

Location
Hotel du Vin St Andrews
The Scores
Meeting point: Hotel du Vin, 40 The Scores, St Andrews. Richard will see you outside the front of the Hotel for your shared tour. Please be on time as these public tours will not wait. The hotel is also open to the public for refreshments (not included).
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(147 Ratings)
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Morelianaenchatham
Aug 24, 2025
Learned a lot! - Great times! Excellent guide! Must do to learn things you won’t find any other place. All my questions were answered. We strongly recommend taking this tour if you love golf.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frank_h
Aug 23, 2025
Richard, the tour guide... - Richard, the tour guide was great. Very knowledgeable and a great since of humor and personality. We had a great time.
Review provided by Viator
Resort01030786233
Aug 22, 2025
Tour of a lifetime…informative - Well this was definitely a tour that was on my husband’s bucket list and it did not disappoint. Richard our tour guide was a great story teller, adding a bit of humour along the way. We had a gorgeous sunny day. Loved that Richard took some photos for us at key spots. Thanks for the Jigger Inn suggestion Richard, the Fish and Chips were fantastic.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Julie_v
Aug 22, 2025
Very happy golf tragic - Our guide Richard was very informative and a wicked sense of humour which we enjoyed. Great walking tour
Review provided by Viator
Mslilrds
Aug 14, 2025
This is a must due tour! - We ended up with a private tour with Richard and it was amazing. The knowledge Richard had was very in depth. We learned so much more than we would’ve ever learned online.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Myriah
Aug 10, 2025
Just Ask a Caddy - Taking a walk around the 1 & 18th green with an experienced caddy is a great way to familiarize yourself with the history of this special place!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
483gordonl
Jul 1, 2025
Special! Not to be missed if you're interested in golf. - Richard added lots of interest, colour & humourous details to our tour of St Andrews. It was cut short as half the party had a prior commitment. Shame that. Walking the hallowed ground was surreal...
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Gary_p
Jun 24, 2025
Aussie’s in St Andrews - Richard was very informative. As well as golf history, we learned the history of St Andrews. It was great
Review provided by Viator
Pearsonfamilyoh
Jul 29, 2025
More Old Course on the Old Course Tour - Richard was knowledgeable and humorous. He's direct and no nonsense. Wonderful guide. The tour was mostly in the street leading up to the course. We kind of wish more of the course was involved, especially because it's a walkable park.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katrina_l
Jun 25, 2025
This was an excellent... - This was an excellent tour. At the beginning we had a hard time hearing our tour guide because his head was turned facing the opposite direction of where we were situated. It wasn’t a huge deal, because once we got on the course, we were able to hear him well. This was well worth this once in a lifetime opportunity!
Review provided by Viator
From $21
up to 15 guests
2 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).