How to play the Old Course in reverse — without flying to Scotland
In its original configuration, the Old Course was played clockwise.
Fred Vuich
Old Course. New technology.
That pairing of opposites has inspired a first-of-its-kind virtual competition involving the ancient home of golf. From now through the end of April, visitors to any driving range equipped with Toptracer shot-tracing technology will have a chance to compete on a simulated version of the Old Course at St Andrews in its reverse routing. The player with the lowest gross score on this virtual setup will win a sweet real-world prize: a tee time for two on the Old Course Reversed in 2026.
As many golf history buffs know, the Old Course was originally played in a clockwise direction, starting on the current first tee and playing to the 17th green, then around the course backward, before ending on the current 18th green. That changed in the 1860s, though, after then-greenskeeper Old Tom Morris separated the first and 17th greens, a tweak that gave rise to the routing golfers recognize today. For decades after, play on the Old Course alternated between the clockwise and counterclockwise routings, with the counterclockwise option eventually winning out. Of the 30 Open Championships staged on the Old Course, all have been played in the counterclockwise routing.
Last year, the St Andrews Trust revived the reverse routing for three days in April, giving the public a crack at what was essentially a “lost” version of the Old Course. Demand for those limited tee times was so high that the Trust has turned the reverse routing into an annual April offering, with tee times awarded through a lottery system.
And, now, a competition for 2026. (The 2025 iteration of the Old Course Reversed is being held this week; it is sold out).
As an official partner of St Andrews Links, Toptracer is the only platform that allows golfers to play a virtual version of the Old Course (and, this month, the Old Course Reversed) at the driving range. There are 1,250 Toptracer Ranges around the world, so finding one is relatively easy. Winning the competition is more challenging, but it’s impossible if you don’t enter. You can learn more about the competition here.
