One of the most fun rounds of golf I’ve had in 2025 was playing The old course at St Andrews back.
The only downside was that it wasn’t in Scotland. It was at The Oaks in Somersworth, NH And at some point in the next few weeks, I’ll get to do it again.
Let me explain.
Toptracerthe official driving range technology at The Home of Golf and the #1 driving range technology in the world, is giving you the chance to play the Reversed Old Course now through May 17th.
And if you have the game, you can only win a time for two to actually do it.
In Scotland.
In the real old course.
It turns upside down.
Toptracer and the old course is back
For the second year in a row, Toptracer is running an Old Course Reversed contest. Now until May 17, you can visit any of the world’s 1,250 Toptracer-equipped driving ranges (including the one at St Andrews) and play The Old Course backwards as it was originally intended.
If you post the lowest gross score during that time, you’ll win twice to actually play the old course back to “Old” in April 2027.
The course is played in Toptracer’s simulation mode and, as we reported last year, it’s pretty fun as long as you understand it’s a video game. You play the old course backwards, meaning the opening hole plays from the first tee box on 17th green (road hole). Then play from the 18thth tee to 16th green, then 17th until the 15thth green, and so on. The final hole crosses the opening hole as you play from the second tee to 18th green.
Toptracer ran this virtual competition last year. Golfers from 35 countries played more than 41,000 rounds on the old reverse course.
Why play the old reverse course?
Well, for starters, it’s fun.
Second, if you’re a history buff, this is how the old course was played for over 100 years. In 1774, the old course was reduced from 22 holes to the now standard 18. At that point, the standard play path was clockwise. The first tee at the time was where the 18thth the green is now also the 17th Fairway Holeth the green was part of a larger shared green. Golfers will share fairways and, when played in this configuration, some of the oddly placed bunkers suddenly make sense.
Old Tom Morris rebuilt the old course in the 1870s to its current counterclockwise course. The course would still regularly be set in the reverse configuration for play until the 1970s. However, by then, St Andrews had become a global destination for golfers and the decision was made to make the counterclockwise course permanent.
However, in 2024, the St Andrews Links Trust made the Reversed Old Course an annual event, creating a global ballot for players to apply for a weekend’s available time.
Toptracer officially partnering with St Andrews Links Trust in 2022. As part of this partnership, Toptracer is the only platform where you can play the old course within a driving distance. More than 800,000 rounds of the Old Course were played at Toptracer venues in 2025.
About the contest
As you would expect for such a coveted prize, the rules for the old reverse course competition are quite strict. There are 18 holes of gross (flawless) hitting from the black tees. No mulligans are allowed and the maximum score per hole is limited to five over par.
In the event of a tie, whoever scored the lowest point first will win. Price is green fees only. Airfare, accommodation, card fees, meals are not included.
There is also a closest-to-the-pin competition, played on the opposite 11thth hole. In case of a tie, whoever scores the closest shot first wins. In the case of multiple holes in one, it’s also whoever posts first. The winner receives a St Andrews merchandise pack.
However, Toptracer ranges in Arizona, North Dakota, Colorado, Tennessee and Maryland are not participating in the event. These states have strict legal requirements for skill-based competitions that require consideration (payment for range balls or lap time). These states classify this type of activity as regulated gambling or recreational gaming as opposed to a simple marketing contest.
Instead of going through the legal and legislative rigamarole, Toptracer is simply not offering the contest in those states.
For a list of participating Toptracer facilities, see Toptracer website.
