Ten years after my first visit to the Home of Golf my son and I spent ten days on a bucket list trip playing some of the finest courses in St. Andrews and North Berwick.  As always there were other somewhat golf and non-golf things to take in while we were there.

We were lucky enough to get a tour of the members clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club just behind the first tee of the Old Course.  This by itself is a sacred experience.  You have to dress properly to enter and best manners are observed at all times.

The trophy case you see when you first walk in has in it the Open Championship’s Claret Jug, Women’s British Open Championship trophy, the Men’s and Women’s British Amateur trophies, and the Red Leather Belt that was the Open Championship’s original prize.  When Young Tom Morris won it three times in a row back in the mid-1800’s they gave the belt to him to keep and the Claret Jug was introduced as the official prize from that point forward. Note the size of the amateur trophies in the top of the photo reflect the relative importance of amateur golf to the R & A from the beginning.

The R & A building displays a trove of artifacts, trophies, paintings, and other memorabilia that cover the history of golf over 150 years since it was built.  This original painting is of the burgeoning crowd attending the 1896 Championship.

One of my favorite pieces that connects the R & A to it’s American counterpart the USGA is this portrait of Frances Ouimet, winner of the U.S. Open at Brookline in 1913 and one of the greatest American amateurs of our time.  In 1951 Frances was the first non-Brit to be elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.  More significantly this portrait of Ouimet in his official R & A Red Jacket was painted by U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower in 1953 and donated to Augusta National where Eisenhower was a member at the time and subsequently donated by Bobby Jones to the R & A.

We made a must visit to the St. Andrews Womens Putting Club that is adjacent to the second hole of the Old Course.  It has been a long tradition that the women of St. Andrews administer this recreational putting facility affectionately referred to as The Himalayas.  The women still hold fiercely competitive putting events here on a regular basis .

This is a family recreational facility that attracts hordes of people of all ages as well as their canine companions.  In this case Harry the CavaPooh was helping this couple gauge the speed and breaks of the green.

If you are looking for something sweet to start your day find your way to Fisher and Donaldson for their delectable baked goodies they have been making for over 100 years.

The fudge donuts, actually more like boston creams from the states, are beyond decadent.  Get there early because once they are gone they are gone for the day.

There are plenty of other freshly baked delicacies to choose from and you can get a nice barista made coffee to go with it. 

They live up to their motto….you will not be disappointed.

If you are looking for a folkloric Italian dinner check out Little Italy just off the beaten path but right in the middle of town.

This is a festive atmosphere with a robust menu full of all of your Italian favorites prepared with family attention to detail.  You won’t go away hungry.

For a unique Scottish Bar/Pub dining experience loiter over to the Criterion on South Street.  They don’t take reservations but it is worth the wait.

An authentic Scottish Pub open 10 a.m.to midnight every day they have all the libations you can want with a robust bar menu of amazing comfort food. But after 6 p.m. they retire the full bar menu and they only serve their World Famous Cri Pies.  These are delectable crusted pot pies that come in varieties that include, Steak & Ale, Chicken Chorizo, Mac n Cheese, and Haggis for the adventuresome. Mac n Cheese and the Chicken Chorizo pictured below.

For a perfect nightcap wander just down the street to Jannetta’s Gelateria where their selection of freshly made gelato flavors seems endless.  This is a favorite hangout of the St. Andrews University crowd and tourists alike.

As you can see there is more to St. Andrews then just the golf.  Get out an explore some of the other treasures of this historic city while you are in town.

May 2026

For other experiences click this link to review our previous walk about St. Andrews in 2016

Click this link for a look at the British Golf Museum in St. Andrews