It is the most famous course in world golf, with a round beyond the realms of reasonable affordability for the average golfer living within striking distance. Now, golfers in Scotland are being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to walk in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus by playing the Old Course at St Andrews - for just a fraction of the standard cost. Under the initiative starting next month, golfers will be able to play a round at the historic Old Course for just £42.50 - an eighth of the usual high-season price of £340. Swing away with our weekly golf newsletter from Martin Dempster In total, 179 tee times will be made available at reduced prices for golf enthusiasts who live in Scotland across dates from May to October. The allocation means 716 golfers in total will be able to access a tee time across the Old, Castle, Jubilee and Eden courses at a fraction of the usual cost. Under the St Andrews Links Trust initiative, a round on the iconic venue’s Castle Course will cost just £22.50 - down from the usual green fees of £180. Rounds on the Jubilee and Eden courses will cost just £18.75 (down from £150) and £9.50 ( down from £75) each respectively. Neil Coulson, chief executive of St Andrews Links Trust, said: “As the Home of Golf, St Andrews Links Trust takes its responsibility to the sport incredibly seriously. That is why we are so excited to launch a new initiative offering golfers across Scotland the opportunity to play our historic and iconic courses at a lower price. “Widening access to golf is a key objective for us, and over the coming years we hope we can continue to provide opportunities to golfers of all ages and abilities. “Golf has become increasingly popular in recent years and with this demand for our courses has surged to unprecedented levels. We will continue to ensure that our ticket holders and visitors have the best experience possible, while ensuring that one of the country’s most precious golfing assets is available for the public too.” Eleven tee times will be made available on the Old Course on May 21 on the first day of the initiative. There will also be a week-long stretch of tee times provided on the Eden Course from May 27 to June 3 linked to themed days. Those working in the armed forces and frontline emergency services, as well as volunteers and disabled golfers, will have allocations. Players who want to be allocated a round will be able to enter a two-ball ballot. Successful applicants will then be paired up and allocated a tee time. A family ballot option, involving one player under the age of 18 per group, will also be offered. The St Andrews Link Trust said all tee times under the initiative would be taken from existing visitor allocations. All applicants must be a resident in Scotland and unable to hold an existing St Andrews Links Yearly Ticket. Residents in St Andrews already benefit from an annual Links ticket giving access to seven courses for just £386. The initiative has been launched at a time when green fees have been soaring across Scotland. Analysis published by The Scotsman last month revealed green fees had increased by an average of 67 per cent over the past five years across 30 of the nation’s best known courses. At Gleneagles, the peak summer cost of a round on the Kings course has gone from £140 to £330 over the past five years, while the peak period fees at the Duke’s course at St Andrews have risen from £100 to £220.