The Old Course at St Andrews, often called the home of golf, is located in Scotland.
It lies in the town of St Andrews in Fife, on Scotland's east coast. The course is part of the public St Andrews Links and is widely regarded as the oldest golf course in the world. Its historic links, shared greens, deep bunkers, and coastal terrain helped shape the form of modern golf.
Golf was being played at St Andrews by the early 15th century. In 1457, King James II banned golf because he believed it distracted young men from archery practice; the ban was later lifted after James IV became a golfer. In 1552, local people received formal rights to play on the links.
The Old Course originally had 22 holes. In 1764, the first four and last four holes were combined, producing an 18-hole layout that influenced the standard used worldwide. It was called the Old Course after the neighboring New Course opened in 1895. The Old Course has hosted The Open Championship more often than any other venue.