Golf has inflated prices in the ‘Home of Golf’ but every so often you find a diamond in the rough…
Property prices in St Andrews have risen dramatically over the past decade and the trend shows little sign of slowing down.
The ‘Home of Golf’ needs no introduction, seven links courses – including The Old Course – and home to The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Imagine ambling out of your front door and walking, clubs across your back, through quaint cobbled streets.
The fresh seaside air is alive with the playful din of gulls wheeling overhead.
The echo of clubs clanking is as common as the pressurised ‘scoosch’ of hot milk in barista coffee shops and the excitable chatter of undergraduates – books clenched tight – in the many nooks, crannies, wynds and side streets.
Stride naturally quickens as you reach North Street and the joy-filled descent towards The Dunvegan.
Turning right at Auchterlonies and striding along Golf Place towards the first tee of The Old Course, passing the iconic white posts and green picket fencing.
This could be your reality, thanks to an affordably priced two-bedroom ground floor St Andrews apartment that has just gone on sale for offers over £225,000.
11 Sandy Herd Court, St Andrews (KY16 8HL), is on the market with Thorntons and is just over a mile from The Old, New and Jubilee courses.
Whether you’re looking for an affordable holiday home or a buy-to-let investment, it’s rare to find property in St Andrews within walking distance of the golf courses, for less than £450,000.
According to property website Right Move, the average house price in St Andrews is £474,134, while Zoopla lists its average sold price at £486,609. *Figures accurate at time of publication
- Golf Guide to St Andrews and Fife
- Love letter to The Old Course
- Hawkswood House: Luxury St Andrews retreat
Properties on the town’s three main streets, North, South and Market Street, are the most expensive and desirable; but often the least private as they throng with students, golfers and day trippers.
Thorntons describes this ground-floor flat as being part of an exclusive development, with two bedrooms, a living room, a breakfasting kitchen, and shower room.
The interiors look contemporary, well-appointed and of good specification. The property enjoys private front and rear gardens and access to unrestricted on-street parking.
For more information, visit: 11 Sandy Herd Court
Do you need to be a resident to get a yearly St Andrews Links Ticket?
Owning a home in St Andrews can help you gain access to the town’s local clubs and a yearly links ticket to play the six 18-hole courses and one nine-hole course operated by the St Andrews Links Trust.
To qualify for a full annual links ticket, which costs £357, you must be resident permanently in St Andrews and be on the electoral register with entitlement to vote.
The boundaries of the town were defined in March 1996 by North East Fife District Council.
Anybody owning a holiday home in St Andrews can apply to join one of the qualifying golf clubs in the town such as The New Golf Club and The St Andrews Golf Club to be eligible for an annual links ticket priced £861.
We spoke to a member of The St Andrews Golf Club who told us that the process is not always straightforward and can involve lengthy waiting lists. The boom in property prices is driven by golf and the enduring fascination that golfers have for the ‘Auld Grey Toon’ on the East Neuk of Fife.