Single Golfers: Find a St Andrews Old Course tee time ballot partner

St Andrews BallotBuddy Service

Single Golfers: How to find an Old Course Ballot Partner

Are you a single golfer and want to play St Andrews Old Course?

Register on our BallotBuddy service and enter the dates you are coming to St Andrews.
If there is a date match with another single player we will hook you up.
As a 2 ball you can now enter the ballot for a tee time.
No more waiting in line!

Don’t wait in line – get a BallotBuddy!

Old Course St Andrews, view over Swilken Bridge and 17th fairway

Register Now

Your contact details
Please make sure these details are correct - I will use them to notify you of a potential BallotBuddy date match. All fields are required.
*
First Last
*
Enter Email Confirm Email
Your back up phone number will be used where it has not been possible to make contact via email. It will only be shared with your BallotBuddy
Country dialling code:*
Phone number:*

Your dates
Before entering your dates:
1. Check the Current Date Requests table below for current BallotBuddy requests.
2. Check the St Andrews Links Old Course Busy dates page to ensure your dates are available.
3. Note: There is NO PLAY on the Old Course on Sundays
You can flag a start time restriction but please be aware this may limit both your chances of securing a date match and a successful ballot outcome.
Enter up to 5 dates (please enter at least 1 date):
Please specify your availability to play for each of your chosen dates.
*
Date Format: DD dash MM dash YYYY
My availability to play on this date:*
I am available to START play from:*
Date Format: DD dash MM dash YYYY
My availability to play on this date:*
I am available to START play from:*
Date Format: DD dash MM dash YYYY
My availability to play on this date:*
I am available to START play from:*
Date Format: DD dash MM dash YYYY
My availability to play on this date:*
I am available to START play from:*
Date Format: DD dash MM dash YYYY
My availability to play on this date:*
I am available to START play from:*

Interest in an Advanced Guaranteed Tee time
Occasionally I am informed by my Authorised Provider contacts of last minute Advance Guaranteed Tee Time cancellation slots. If you would like to be added to a private list and be contacted if such a time becomes available on or around your Ballotbuddy registered dates please indicate below.
Interested in an Advance Guaranteed Tee Time?*
- YES - add me to your private list and contact me if a single slot becomes available
- NO - I am not interested
How you heard about BallotBuddy
BallotBuddy is a free service. The more people that know about it, the more successful it will be. It would therefore help us greatly if you could tell us how you heard about BallotBuddy:
*

And finally ... your consent
Consent*
I accept the following terms:
The success of this scheme relies 100% on your goodwill and honest intentions.
So please tick the box to accept the following declaration:

- I grant Ginger Beer Golf Travel permission to share my available dates and times above on its own website or other marketing channels for the purposes of soliciting other participants in the BallotBuddy scheme and, ultimately, to find me a BallotBuddy. Please note this excludes sharing personal information.

- I grant Ginger Beer Golf Travel permission to share my contact details with any other participant(s) in the BallotBuddy scheme where there is a date and time match, i.e. where at least one of their available dates and times matches at least one of my available dates and times above.

- I accept that matched dates and times will remain active on the BallotBuddy system to attract additional single players up to a total of four (a maximum of four golfers being allowed on one Old Course ballot application). I accept therefore, that for any given date and time my BallotBuddy may be one, two or three other single players.

- I submit my details to join the BallotBuddy scheme in good faith and with best intentions and will use all reasonable endeavours to be available on all the dates and times above to play the Old Course via a successful ballot application.

- If my availability changes and I don't yet have a BallotBuddy I will make Ginger Beer Golf Travel aware immediately. If my availability changes and I do have a BallotBuddy I will make my BallotBuddy and Ginger Beer Golf Travel aware immediately.

- In case of any dispute, common sense and the majority view should prevail. Ginger Beer will not be obliged to intervene in dispute resolution.

- Upon confirmation of my registration, I agree to share news of my BallotBuddy registration on my social media accounts and more generally with my friends, family and colleagues.

- I understand :

i. This service does not guarantee that Ginger Beer Golf Travel will find a BallotBuddy for me.

ii. Even if Ginger Beer Golf Travel finds a BallotBuddy for me, the responsibility to submit a ballot application rests solely and jointly with me and my BallotBuddy.

iii. This service does not guarantee Old Course ballot success.

iv. I hold neither Ginger Beer Golf Travel nor my BallotBuddy in any way responsible in the unlikely event that my BallotBuddy withdraws from the scheme at any stage, or changes his/her availability, rendering invalid either: my Old Course tee time ballot application or: my participation in Old Course tee time, in the event of ballot success.
Do you have any questions for me?
Please be sure to check your details carefully before submitting your application
Wait for the notification page and please read carefully
Thank you and good luck!
hidden 1
Name
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

View current date requests

How BallotBuddy works

Decide when you are coming to play the Old Course via a ballot time and register for my free BallotBuddy Service

Submit up to 5 dates.

It’s better if you can play any time but otherwise you can specify your time restrictions

Your dates / times will be added to a database of other BallotBuddy golfers looking to team up.

If you get a date/time match with a second golfer (or more, up to 4) I will connect you to your Ballotbuddy via email introduction

As a 2 (3 or 4) ball you are now eligible to apply for an Old Course ballot time.
It’s down to you and your BallotBuddy from this point forward.

More than 4 golfers with a match? Your dates / times will be added to the database of other golfers looking to team up

No Match? Don’t despair …

You can still use the ‘walk-up’ option and wait in line.
Read more about your chances of play in my in-depth report on the Single Golfer at St Andrews

Covid-19 – its impact on BallotBuddy and Old Course Tee times in 2020 and 2021 (updated Aug 2020)

Covid-19 latest update

Can BallotBuddy Help you?

YES If you are single golfer without an advanced tee time

WHY? Because there must be at least 2 golfers on an Old Course ballot application

Your only other option is to ‘walk-up’ on the day, get up early and join the line outside the Old Pavilion

Chances of play that day are reliant entirely on gaps on the draw sheet and your place in the line

My unique, free and simple-to-use BallotBuddy service helps you find an Old Course ballot partner so you and your fellow golfer are eligible to submit an Old course ballot application together

BallotBuddy success

Don’t miss out

The numbers speak for themselves

2019

80% date match rate & 50 Old Course rounds played

2020

57% date match rate & 11 Old Course rounds played

DESPITE Covid-19 travel restrictions & course closures

Current BallotBuddy date match requests:

Last updated: March 8, 2021

Day	Month	All day	13:00 to last
Tue, 6	April 2021	1
Wed, 7	April 2021	1
Thu, 8	April 2021	1
Fri, 9	April 2021	1
Fri, 16	April 2021	1
Fri, 23	April 2021	1
Sat, 24	April 2021	1
Fri, 30	April 2021	1
Sat, 1	May 2021	1
Fri, 21	May 2021	1
Tue, 25	May 2021	1
Wed, 26	May 2021	1
Thu, 27	May 2021	1
Fri, 28	May 2021	2
Mon, 14	June 2021	1
Tue, 15	June 2021	1
Wed, 16	June 2021	2
Thu, 17	June 2021	2
Fri, 18	June 2021	2
Sat, 19	June 2021	2
Fri, 2	July 2021	2
Sat, 3	July 2021	1
Thu, 15	July 2021	1
Fri, 16	July 2021	1
Sat, 17	July 2021	1
Mon, 2	August 2021	1
Thu, 12	August 2021	1
Fri, 13	August 2021	1
Sat, 14	August 2021	1
Tue, 17	August 2021	1
Wed, 18	August 2021		1
Thu, 19	August 2021	2
Fri, 20	August 2021	2
Sat, 21	August 2021	1
Fri, 3	September 2021	1
Sat, 4	September 2021	1
Mon, 18	October 2021	1
Tue, 19	October 2021	1
Wed, 20	October 2021	1

BallotBuddy table notes:

Golfers are invited to register to find a BallotBuddy, specifying their availability to START play:
‘All day’ – golfer(s) available to start play at any time on that day.
‘First to 10:00’ – golfer(s) available to start play only between the first tee time and 10:00.
‘First to 13:00’ – golfer(s) available to start play only between the first tee time and 13:00.
’10:00 to 13:00′ – golfer(s) available to start play only between 10:00 and 13:00.
’10:00 to last’ – golfer(s) available to start play only between 10:00 and last tee time.
’13:00 to last’ – golfer(s) available to start play only between 13:00 and last tee time.
Note: First and last tee times will vary according to time of year and may be found when specifying your availability as part of your Old Course Ballot application with the St Andrews Links.
Dates and times with a number indicate where there has been a BallotBuddy date & time request and / or a BallotBuddy date & time match has been found.
The numbers indicate the current number of golfers registered for a date & time:

1 golfer seeking a date & time match with another golfer (3 slots remaining)
2 golfers with a date & time match (2 slots remaining)
3 golfers with a date & time match (1 slot remaining)
4 golfers with a date & time match (0 slots remaining). Group is now closed.
Where your preferred date & time already has 4 golfers and 0 slots remaining (and the group therefore is now closed) you are still encouraged to register on BallotBuddy. We will publish the date & time a second time, and indicate there is another golfer seeking a BallotBuddy.

BallotBuddy feedback & reviews…

Ginger Beer Golf Travel

Average rating:

9 reviews

Oct 29, 2020

by tommy walker on Ginger Beer Golf Travel

St Andrews Old Course

Most of this year because of restrictions, it has been impossible to play the Old Course as a single player walk-up. BallotBuddy was invaluable to join up with other golfers wishing to play the course and gain access. BallotBuddy paired me up with another golfer and we were successful on our second ballot attempt. Ginger Beer Golf Travel were invaluable helping me get another course off my bucket list when traditional options were very limited. I highly recommend them.

Sep 24, 2020

by Christian Beek on Ginger Beer Golf Travel

After 10 years....

We have the privilege of owning a property a mere 200 yards from the 1st tee of the Old Course since 2010. But that does not help at all in getting a tee time as a single player. Chris makes this possible and we succeeded in August of this year. His initiative is unique and deserves recognition.

Looking forward to the opportunities ahead! Christian

Sep 24, 2020

by Maurizio D'Arrigo on Ginger Beer Golf Travel

Old Course Ballot Success

I recently planned a trip to Scotland leveraging the low number of tourists due to Covid 19 situation. I did it in the spur of the moment, and I travelled alone. Of course playing the Old was a dream of mine, and I was very disappointed to know that due to Covid only 2+ people could apply to the Ballot and get a tee time. After looking around I found Chris' service to match up singles... I thought it was a scam, but my desire to play was just too big, so I gave it a try. Well... Chris emailed me back in a couple of hours with 2 options to pair up with other players. I immediately buddied up with Tom and as luck goes we got a tee time in the Old. We then played together Carnoustie and met again back here in London. So, what else to say other than I owe a big big big thank you to Chris and his service. If this is the way he manages his Golf Travel service, I would recommend him hands down. Thanks again Chris!!!

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