Chandni Canan BauerThere are golf holidays that promise you a view of the Old Course. The 1867 Club promises you a round on it.
That is the distinction at the heart of a new women’s golf experience in St Andrews from luxury golf tour operator The Experience Golf. Running from 12–17 June 2027, the five-night trip is limited to just 16 guests, with four rounds across some of the area’s best-known links courses and a guaranteed appearance on the Old Course to finish.
For golfers who have spent years entertaining the idea of playing St Andrews, that final detail is likely to command rather more attention than the thread count at the hotel. Although, as it happens, the accommodation is hardly an afterthought either.
The proposition is straightforward: a small women-only group, a carefully arranged golfing programme and the logistical details taken care of. It is a premium approach to a destination that hardly struggles for golfing appeal.
The Old Course Is the Main Attraction
Let’s not pretend otherwise. Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie Links and the Jubilee Course would make a respectable golfing itinerary without any assistance from their famous neighbour.
But the Old Course is the reason this particular trip stands apart.
The Experience Golf has built the itinerary around four rounds, with the most famous name saved until last. Crucially, the Old Course round is guaranteed as part of the experience, removing a significant uncertainty from the planning of a St Andrews golf holiday.
That certainty matters. Golf travel can involve a fair amount of organisation before anyone gets near the first tee. Knowing that the principal round is included gives prospective guests something definite to plan around.
There is, of course, one distinction worth preserving. A guaranteed round does not guarantee anything about the golf itself. St Andrews will still expect you to supply your own swing, short game and suitable temperament.
The Experience Golf is handling the arrangements. The golfing consequences remain very much in the hands of the player.
Four Rounds That Offer More Than One View of St Andrews
The itinerary includes Kingsbarns Golf Links, Dumbarnie Links and the Jubilee Course before finishing on the Old Course.
Each brings a different element to the week. Rather than building an entire holiday around a single headline booking, The 1867 Club offers four championship links experiences within the wider St Andrews area.
<text weight=”medium”>Kingsbarns Golf Links</text> and <text weight=”medium”>Dumbarnie Links</text> provide two of the rounds, while the <text weight=”medium”>Jubilee Course</text> adds another dimension to the St Andrews golfing programme.
There is a practical attraction to that variety. Four rounds mean four different courses to understand, four sets of decisions to make and plenty of opportunities for the sort of conversations that begin with a perfectly reasonable club selection and end somewhere considerably less charitable.
The final Old Course round also gives the itinerary a natural progression. The other three courses are substantial attractions in their own right, but the concluding visit to the Home of Golf provides a clear centrepiece.
For anyone considering the trip, the appeal rests as much on the overall course selection as on the guaranteed finale.
Why The 1867 Club Has a Name Worth Explaining
The name is a deliberate reference to women’s place in the history of golf at St Andrews.
In 1867, women first putted around the Himalayas course in the town. The Experience Golf has adopted that year for its new event, linking a contemporary women-only golf experience to an earlier chapter of the game’s history.
It is a thoughtful choice for a trip based in St Andrews.
Golf has never lacked enthusiasm for its own past, although that history is sometimes discussed through a fairly narrow selection of famous names and championship achievements. The reference to the Himalayas offers a different starting point.
The modern experience is not presented as a historical recreation. It is very much a luxury golfing holiday, complete with championship courses and five-star accommodation.
Still, the name gives the event an identity beyond its itinerary. It also reflects the intention to bring together a relatively small group of women who share an interest in playing links golf in one of the game’s most recognisable settings.
Sixteen places should make for a different atmosphere from a large organised tour, although the success of that smaller-group format will ultimately depend on the experience itself.
Five Nights at the Old Course Hotel
For the duration of the trip, guests will stay at the five-star Old Course Hotel, overlooking the course that provides the programme’s final round.
Keeping the group in one hotel for all five nights is a sensible arrangement. It means no changing accommodation midway through the trip and leaves more time for the golf and everything surrounding it.
The hospitality programme includes a welcome dinner at 18 at Rusacks St Andrews and a farewell dinner at the Old Course Hotel.
There is also time to explore St Andrews independently or use the hotel’s spa facilities. That balance is important in a trip where the appeal extends beyond four scorecards.
The Experience Golf has included daily transfers between the hotel and golf courses, a full golf bag transfer service, group airport transfers from Edinburgh and refreshments during play.
Bespoke gifts are also part of the package, while a dedicated Experience Golf team will be available throughout the stay.
None of those details will excite a golfer quite as much as the Old Course, but they contribute to the practical value of an organised luxury trip. Transporting luggage and golf equipment is rarely anyone’s favourite part of a holiday.
Who Can Join The 1867 Club in 2027?
The event is open to women aged 18 and over, with participation limited to 16 guests.
There is one particularly important playing requirement: anyone taking part in the Old Course round must hold a valid handicap certificate of 36 or lower.
Prospective guests should check that requirement before making arrangements, particularly if the guaranteed Old Course round is their principal reason for travelling.
The first edition runs from 12–17 June 2027, covering five nights and four rounds of golf.
The package price has not been specified in the announced details, so anyone weighing up the trip will need to establish the total cost and booking conditions directly with The Experience Golf. Those details will matter when assessing the value of a premium experience, however attractive the course list appears.
Guests can also arrange to extend their visit to Scotland, with additional championship golf, sightseeing, distillery visits and other bespoke experiences available.
That flexibility may appeal to visitors looking to make a longer holiday out of their time in Scotland rather than travelling solely for the organised five-night programme.
Further information about the experience and booking arrangements is available through The Experience Golf’s official 1867 Club page.
Ultimately, The 1867 Club has one particularly persuasive advantage: its biggest golfing attraction is already included in the itinerary.
A place on the Old Course is guaranteed. A friendly bounce, regrettably, remains beyond even the finest concierge service.
