Kingsbarns Golf Links

Q: Which hole is hardest at Kingsbarns Golf Links?

Hole 6 has stroke index 1 — the hardest hole on the scorecard.

St Andrews, Scotland

Par

Holes

Yards

7,212

Par 3 / 4 / 5

4 · 10 · 4

Image: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)

Course Layout

151 features mapped — fairways, greens, bunkers, tees, water. Data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Fairway Green Bunker Tee Water

Hole-by-Hole Strategy

Dogleg and layup calls derived from hole centerline geometry. 10 doglegs · 7 layup holes.

#	Par	Yards	Plays Like	Shape	Call
1	4	422	416 -6y · -20ft	Moderate dogleg right (35.4°)	Favor the left side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
2	3	188	187 -1y · -3ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
3	5	502	508 +6y · +20ft	Slight dogleg right (19.2°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 502y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
4	4	429	427 -2y · -7ft	Sharp dogleg left (40.2°)	LAYUP Sharp left-hand dogleg (40.2°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
5	4	426	426 +0y · +0ft	Sharp dogleg right (40.8°)	LAYUP Sharp right-hand dogleg (40.8°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
6	4	334	327 -7y · -23ft	Sharp dogleg left (41.9°)	LAYUP Sharp left-hand dogleg (41.9°). Driver runs through the corner — 3-wood or long iron off the tee.
7	4	482	475 -7y · -23ft	Slight dogleg left (19.7°)	LAYUP 482y par 4 with a slight dogleg. Treat as a three-shot hole unless you carry 280+ off the tee.
8	3	160	156 -4y · -13ft	Straight	Par 3 — pick the club that fits the full yardage, not one short.
9	5	535	538 +3y · +10ft	Slight dogleg right (14.5°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 535y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
10	4	394	391 -3y · -10ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
11	4	477	469 -8y · -26ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
14	4	392	394 +2y · +7ft	Straight	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
16	5	579	584 +5y · +16ft	Moderate dogleg right (35.0°)	LAYUP Par 5 at 579y — two-shot reach is elite only. Layup to your wedge distance wins scorecards.
17	4	455	465 +10y · +33ft	Slight dogleg right (23.9°)	Straightaway — driver safe if you're hitting it well.
18	4	441	442 +1y · +3ft	Moderate dogleg left (32.3°)	Favor the right side off the tee — opens the angle for your approach.
Total	61	6,216	Distances from OSM centerlines; elevation from SRTM (Open-Meteo).

Course by the Numbers

Calculated from 151 mapped features. Areas are measured directly from the polygon geometry.

67 bunkers

2,128 sq yd of sand — 3.7 bunkers per hole on average.

950 sq yd avg green

Classification: Massive greens (>8,000 sq ft avg) — links/championship scale. Enormous — expect many first putts from 50+ feet.

10 doglegs

3 sharp, 7 moderate. Plotting a line off the tee matters more here than pure distance.

7 layup holes

Best played as three-shot holes for anyone outside single figures — chasing them turns pars into doubles.

Hole 16: 579y

The longest hole on the card — par 5. Know your layup number before you tee off.

67 bunkers · 18 greens · 0 fairway zones · 55 tee boxes · 6 water hazards.

About Kingsbarns Golf Links

Kingsbarns Golf Links is a seaside Scottish links golf course along 1.8 miles of shoreline near St Andrews, Scotland. It opened in 2000 and has been rated as one of the best courses in Scotland. It has also been ranked as one of the top 100 courses in the world, and received numerous media and industry awards.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What Should You Expect to Shoot?

These expected scores use the World Handicap System formula: your handicap index × slope ÷ 113, plus course rating. Use them to set a realistic target before you tee off.

Championship

Rating 75.8 · Slope 142 · Par 72 · 7,212 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	10	86	+14
10	16	92	+20
15	23	98	+26
20	29	105	+33
25	35	111	+39
30	41	117	+45

Medal

Rating 73.2 · Slope 136 · Par 72 · 6,659 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	80	+8
10	13	86	+14
15	19	92	+20
20	25	98	+26
25	31	104	+32
30	37	111	+39

Club

Rating 71.3 · Slope 133 · Par 72 · 6,408 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	5	76	+4
10	11	82	+10
15	17	88	+16
20	23	94	+22
25	29	100	+28
30	35	106	+34

Ladies

Rating 73.0 · Slope 130 · Par 72 · 5,400 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	7	80	+8
10	13	86	+14
15	18	91	+19
20	24	97	+25
25	30	103	+31
30	36	109	+37

Forward

Rating 70.7 · Slope 126 · Par 72 · 5,171 yards

Your Handicap	Course HCP	Expected Score	Over Par
5	4	75	+3
10	10	81	+9
15	15	86	+14
20	21	92	+20
25	27	97	+25
30	32	103	+31

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Out	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	In	Total
Par	4	3	5	4	4	4	4	3	5	36	4	4	5	3	4	3	5	4	4	36	72
Yards	414	200	516	411	424	337	470	168	589	3,529	387	481	606	148	366	212	565	474	444	3,683	7,212
Stroke Index	7	3	13	11	17	1	9	15	5		8	4	16	2	10	6	18	12	14

Holes That Decide Your Round

Hardest Hole · SI 1

Hole 6

Par 4 · 337 yards

Play for the fat of the green and take bogey off the table. Build your pre-round plan →

Longest Hole

Hole 12

Par 5 · 606 yards

Three good shots beats two heroic ones. Bogey here is a solid result for anyone above 10 handicap.

Scoring Opportunity

Hole 13

Par 3 · 148 yards

Attack the pin — if your wedge game is on, this is where strokes get gained back.

Easiest Hole · SI 18

Hole 16

Par 5 · 565 yards

Expected par or better. If you drop a stroke here, it's usually a mental mistake — which is trackable.

Pre-Round Checklist for Kingsbarns Golf Links

Know your average distance off the tee — budget for 10 par-4 tee shots. Check 4 par-3 yardages — pick your go-to clubs now, not on the tee. Plan hole 6 (hardest) for bogey — don't chase birdie there. Hole 12 is long — know your layup number. Arrive 45 min early — 15 range, 10 short game, 10 putting, 10 to the tee.

Your Game Plan for Kingsbarns Golf Links

The scorecard tells you the course. The Grand Plan assessment tells you you — which part of your game is actually bleeding strokes. Pair both, and you have a pre-round strategy tailored to this course AND your weaknesses.

Take the 2-min Assessment Try the App Free for 30 Days

Tee Sets

Championship

Yards:: 7,212
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 75.8
Slope:: 142

Medal

Yards:: 6,659
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 73.2
Slope:: 136

Club

Yards:: 6,408
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 71.3
Slope:: 133

Ladies

Yards:: 5,400
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 73.0
Slope:: 130

Forward

Yards:: 5,171
Par:: 72
Course Rating:: 70.7
Slope:: 126

Other Notable Courses near St Andrews

Muirfield

Champ

Gullane, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·6,808 yd

Mapped Strategy

Carnoustie Golf Links

Champ

Carnoustie, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·6,696 yd

Mapped Strategy

North Berwick Golf Club

North Berwick, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·6,168 yd

Mapped Strategy

Dumbarnie Links

Leven, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·6,769 yd

Mapped Strategy

Muirfield (Honourable Company)

Gullane, Scotland

Par 71 ·18 holes ·7,087 yd

Mapped Strategy

St Andrews Links (Old Course)

St Andrews, Scotland

Par 72 ·18 holes ·7,312 yd

Mapped Strategy

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the par at Kingsbarns Golf Links?

Kingsbarns Golf Links is a par 72 course with 18 holes measuring 7,212 total yards. Front nine par 36 (3,529 yards), back nine par 36 (3,683 yards).

What is the longest hole at Kingsbarns Golf Links?

The longest hole is hole 12, a par 5 playing 606 yards.

Which hole is hardest at Kingsbarns Golf Links?

Hole 6 has the lowest stroke index (1). It's a par 4 playing 337 yards.

What should I shoot at Kingsbarns Golf Links?

Use the expected-score table above — it's calculated from your handicap and this course's official WHS rating and slope. A 15 handicap typically shoots mid-80s to low-90s depending on the tee set; a 25 handicap mid-90s to low-100s. Track your actual scores against these targets to see how your game travels.