Now over 100 years old, it is probably the oldest "new" course in the world. Opened
in April 1895, the course was built in response to increasing demand for golf at St Andrews,
both from locals and from the visitors who were flocking to the town in increasing numbers
on the recently constructed railway.
The construction of the New Course was paid for the Royal and Ancient Golf Club as part
of an arrangement under which the club was allocated the right to certain starting times
on the Old Course. These arrangements were enshrined in the first Act of Parliament concerning
the Links which was passed in 1894 and was the forerunner of the current Act of 1974
which specifies how the links are to be run.
