The Duke’s Course in St Andrews, originally named after Prince Andrew, is undergoing a significant rebranding. Renamed as the Craigtoun Course, it is situated near a country park and was inaugurated by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor back in 1995. He later served as the captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, located in the town of Fife on Scotland’s east coast.
This decision follows Prince Andrew losing his prince title and HRH style, along with other honors, in early November due to mounting controversy surrounding his association with Jeffrey Epstein. Consequently, he was also stripped of the Duke of York title and is expected to relocate from the Royal Lodge to a smaller cottage on the Sandringham Estate next year.
In line with his withdrawal from public engagements, Prince Andrew has relinquished his honorary membership at the golf club. The St Andrews Links Trust will soon take over the management of the course and club through a long-term lease, adding to its existing management of seven public golf courses in the vicinity.
The club is modifying its logo to eliminate any royal connections, replacing the previous design featuring a lion with a saltire flag with an illustration of trees. While the Kohler-owned Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa presently manages the Duke’s Course, this responsibility will shift to the St Andrews Links Trust effective January 5, marking the official transition to the Craigtoun Course.
Neil Coulson, the CEO of St Andrews Links Trust, expressed enthusiasm about the agreement for The Craigtoun Course, highlighting it as the first new addition to the Home of Golf’s portfolio in nearly two decades. He emphasized the opportunity to enhance the golf offerings in the area and build on the course’s existing reputation as a valuable asset for St Andrews and Scotland.