Scottish Golf and St Andrews Links Trust work together to bring new event to 2026 calendar for young players
A new Scotland-wide competition for aspiring junior golfers has been launched culminating in a grand final at St Andrews Links.
Scottish Golf and St Andrews Links Trust have joined forces to launch the Road to the Home of Golf, an event for youngsters aged 18 and under with handicaps between 8.5 and 54.
The aim of this event is to put the emphasis on fun and development – filling a gap in play for youngsters with mid-to-high handicaps by offering a pathway to competitive golf and a prized visit to the Home of Golf for the grand final. Providing access to aspirational experiences at early stages supports not only retention in the game but helps feed a healthy pipeline of golfers into the pathway from club to regional and national levels.
The Road to the Home of Golf represents a natural progression from Skills Challenges, Flag Events and the popular GolfSixes League format that already form key elements of Scottish Golf’s National Junior Framework.
The Framework provides a structure to drive junior participation with a record 175 clubs across Scotland delivering the programme in 2025.
Junior golfers, both male and female, can enter a qualifying event at their local club with 102 golfers (51 golfers in each handicap category) ultimately being invited to a final in St Andrews.
To ensure the event is accessible to a wide range of junior golfers, there will be two handicap categories with golfers between 8.5 – 19.4 playing their final on the Eden Course and golfers from 19.5 to 54 playing on the Strathtyrum Course.
Scottish Golf and St Andrews Links Trust are also committed to breaking down barriers to play. With that in mind, clubs the length and breadth of the country are encouraged to participate with financial support on offer for any youngsters requiring significant travel to attend the final. This has been included as part of the overall five-figure tournament budget underwritten by the Links Trust.
As golf continues to experience growing popularity across the globe, Scottish Golf junior golf programmes experienced a 55% increase with over 6,800 golfers taking part across the country last year.
The Road to the Home of Golf provides an entry-level step to competition for youngsters with golf clubs encouraged to sign up in the coming weeks to ensure their junior members can take part.
All affiliated clubs that engage with Scottish Golf’s National Junior Framework are eligible to compete in the Road to the Home of Golf.
Any clubs wishing to take part can follow two simple, initial steps:
Register an interest through the Scottish Golf website before 31 March deadline
Host a club qualifier before 17 August
A national leaderboard will then be created with 102 players invited to play in the finals over the Eden and Strathtyrum Courses at St Andrews comprising a practice round on 17th October and the final on Sunday 18th October.
Robbie Clyde, CEO of Scottish Golf said: “This event represents an extremely positive step forward for our National Junior Framework and the programmes within it.
“The Framework provides fun and structured events and competitions for juniors across Scotland. However beyond this, our role is to ensure programmes provide positive environments and experiences in golf that support and enhance junior development.
“The Road to the Home of Golf Final in October will provide a player experience to remember for those who qualify, rewarding and recognising their achievement.
“Clubs hosting qualifying events are also adding age and ability appropriate competitive events to their junior programme calendar which further strengthens the role of the National Junior Framework within the player pathway in Scotland.
“This event gives junior golfers involved in our development programmes an incredible opportunity to be part of a unique development-level experience at the Home of Golf, thanks to our evolving partnership with St Andrews Links Trust.”
Neil Coulson, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “Scotland’s junior golfers are the future of the game, and at the Home of Golf we believe we have a responsibility not just to provide playing opportunities, but competitive opportunities for youngsters to support them thrive in the sport.
“Working alongside Scottish Golf to develop the Road to the Home of Golf has enabled us to create a unique competition which ensures geography and costs of travel will not stop any young golfer from taking part.
“We are incredibly proud of the work which has already been done and we are looking forward to hosting the first annual competition later this year.
“I would encourage all eligible junior golfers at affiliated clubs to enter. The Road to the Home of Golf will be a great opportunity to play, but also to meet others and build friendships across the sport.”
For more information on the Road to the Home of Golf visit: https://standrews.com/page/road_to_the_home_of_golf
The Road to the Home of Golf is the latest collaboration between two of the key players in golf in Scotland and strengthens the existing bond between the organisations, who already work together on developing the junior game and making golf more accessible to golfers with a disability.
Scottish Golf and the St Andrews Links Trust are driven to provide juniors with more opportunities for play and to strengthen the game at grassroots level. The Road to the Home of Golf builds on that commitment.
As well as fun and engaging events and competitions for junior golfers, Scottish Golf’s National Junior Framework provides a suite of funding, support and toolkits for member clubs that support the recruitment and retention of young people.
The range of junior programmes and events available helps clubs to create positive environments and associations with the sport. They also encourage development through age and ability appropriate experiences.
This year will also see the PING Scottish Open for Golfers with a Disability held on the Eden Course at St Andrews Links in collaboration with Scottish Golf.
As the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links Trust has also launched a series of initiatives in recent months aimed at increasing access to Scotland’s most historic courses, while encouraging budding golfers to get involved in the sport.
The Drive, launched last year, offers golfers residing in Scotland the opportunity to play on courses – including the world-famous Old Course – at discounted rates, while it was announced that the Craigtoun Course, recently taken over by the Links Trust, will offer a special rate for Fife and Scottish golfers.
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Notes to Editors
About St Andrews Links Trust
St Andrews Links Trust is responsible for the management and maintenance eight courses at St Andrews, including the world-famous Old Course.
St Andrews Links Trust manages several additional facilities including four clubhouses, a golf academy and six retail stores. More than 280,000 rounds are played over the seven courses attracting visitors from around the world to follow in the footsteps of the world’s greatest golfers and become a part of golf’s rich history. As a charitable trust, all surplus derived from the Trust’s commercial activities is reinvested into the preservation of the Home of Golf for current and future generations and to deliver the Trust’s charitable objectives.
St Andrews Links Trust Media Contact
David Connor
Head of Communications
M: +44 (0)7586 709796
E: david.connor@standrews.com
About Scottish Golf
Scottish Golf is the governing body for the game of golf in Scotland. With 568 affiliated clubs and representing 210,000 individual golfers, we aim to grow the game and our mission is to make golf Scotland’s Game for Everyone. We offer governance, business, development and membership advice to our clubs, provide national and regional programmes for clubs to grow their membership, host over 34 national events every year, and manage the National performance squads. Our aim is to grow and develop the game in inclusive ways, and to ensure everyone, no matter their background or circumstance, can access golf and sees the game as a sport for them.
Scottish Golf Media Contact
Francesca Dymond
Head of Marketing and Communications
M: +44 (0)7956540595
E: f.dymond@scottishgolf.org
