Old Course: plan your bag before you play
Prepare for the Old Course at St Andrews by checking the course set-up and the shots you can repeat. Keep your current bag as the starting point. Changing no clubs is a valid outcome.
Context:Course: Old Course, St Andrews. Scope: pre-round planning; confirm your assigned tees locally. Sources checked: 14 October 2026.
01 · Confirm the course you will play
The R&A announced tee and bunker work ahead of the 2027 Open, including a change to the daily-play tee on the 14th, a restored route left of the Principal’s Nose on the 16th, and work on the Road Hole bunker. These are announced changes, not a statement that every feature is complete or in use on your date. Read the R&A announcement.
Before travelling, check St Andrews Links’ visitor information. At the course, confirm your tee markers, current scorecard, local rules and any temporary arrangements. Championship yardages and a hole’s total length do not tell you the carry needed for your chosen line.
02 · Four bag-planning questions
The course observations below are source-based context. The practice questions are Build My 14’s editorial suggestions, not a club prescription or an official St Andrews recommendation.
01 · Tee-shot control
Context: The announced changes on the 16th concern the route around Principal’s Nose and nearby bunkers. R&A restoration announcement.
Question: Which club gives you a repeatable start line and a miss you can plan around? Compare your normal tee shot with an alternative you already use. Confirm the actual landing area on the day.
02 · Long approaches
Context: The R&A’s 2022 guide describes shared greens and approaches affected by wind and pin position. Treat that guide as background, not a current visitor yardage book. 2022 championship course guide.
Question: What are your usual carry, landing flight and left/right misses with neighbouring long clubs? Record several representative shots. A club number alone does not establish a useful gap.
03 · Short game
Context: The Road Hole bunker is included in the announced restoration work. R&A restoration announcement.
Question: Which familiar club and shot can you repeat from the lies you find? Practise a simple running shot, your usual pitch and a bunker escape where permitted. Check the actual sand and turf before changing your wedge choices.
04 · Putting
Context: The 2022 championship guide describes several large shared putting surfaces. 2022 championship course guide.
Question: Can you control pace over longer putts and recognise the correct flag? Use the practice green to check pace rather than adding a club because of the course’s reputation.
03 · Take this checklist to practice
- Record normal carry, typical misses and landing behaviour for the long clubs you already carry.
- Note your selected tees and playing date, then reassess wind, turf and sand on arrival.
- Keep a club change only if it solves an observed problem; retaining your current set is a valid choice.
04 · Review your own bag
Build your starting bag from your own answers, then compare its club roles with your practice notes. In My bag, you can swap a Long approach club, undo a change and export the current list. Reading this guide does not change your saved answers or bag.
Further reading: What clubs should be in a 14-club bag? · Wood vs hybrid selector
05 · Sources and reviewChecked 14 October 2026
- The R&A — Old Course enhancement and restoration announcement (28 October 2025).
- The R&A — 150th Open course guide (2022; historical championship context).
- St Andrews Links — Before your round (current visitor-information starting point).
Sources checked 14 October 2026. Confirm current playing arrangements with St Andrews Links before your round. Independent guide; not affiliated with St Andrews Links or The R&A.