A record-breaking number of golfers have applied to play the famous Old Course at St Andrews as applications for tee times in 2013 opened on Wednesday.
More than 1900 requests from prospective visitors have been received by St Andrews Links Trust - which manages all seven Links Trust Courses at the Home of Golf - breaking the previous record of 1800 set for 2012.
Each September, golfers are invited to apply online directly to the trust for tee times the following year. Demand exceeds the number of times available, so a ballot or lottery system is employed to select the lucky winners.
The Old Course - host of the 2015 Open Championship - is world-renowned as the place was golf was first played and for staging 28 Major Championships, with the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods in its gallery of champions.
Golfers can also book tee times online for the other six courses in St Andrews Links Trust's portfolio: The New, The Jubilee, The Eden, The Strathtyrum, The Balgove and The Castle.
"We are encouraged to receive such a high number of tee time applications. Normally in the second year after the Open Championship we would expect to see applications flatten out off but this year has seen record numbers apply," said Euan Loudon, Chief Executive of St Andrews Links Trust.
"These are still challenging times in terms of the economy so it is important for Scottish golf tourism that we continue to see high numbers of visiting golfers choosing to come to play here and elsewhere in Scotland."
The Old Course, The New Course, The Jubilee Course and The Castle Course have all ranked in the prestigious Golf Digest Top 100 Courses list, with the latter winning the New Course of the Year Award by America's Travel and Leisure Golf Magazine after opening in 2008.
"We hope those who come here enjoy an outstanding experience playing the Old and the other links courses. St Andrews Links offers a truly unique experience whether you have come to play, learn, shop or relax," added Loudon.
The tee time applications will be processed over the coming weeks and applicants will be notified directly if they have been successful.
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