After nearly three decades under the name of the disgraced Duke of York, The Duke’s Course in St Andrews is undergoing a quiet but pointed transformation. Come January 5, it will be known as The Craigtoun Course, marking a clean break from a royal name now mired in controversy.
St Andrews Once Honored, Now Discarded
Nestled three miles from the center of the university town, The Duke’s has long stood out among the famed links of St Andrews. Opened in 1995 by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, then Prince Andrew, the heathland course brought variety to a region renowned for its windswept seaside designs. It also reflected Andrew’s deep ties to the area, including his tenure as captain of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, one of the most prestigious titles in the sport.
But times change, and reputations fall.
In the wake of Prince Andrew’s now-infamous association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, his public image has unraveled. Gone are the royal titles. Gone is the honorary club membership. And now, gone is the course that bore his ducal name. The rebranding to Craigtoun, named after a nearby country park, comes with a redesigned logo, swapping the lion rampant and saltire for a simpler image of trees. Symbolically, it’s a move from pomp to nature — and from scandal to subtlety.
Royal Legacy Meets Public Outrage
The timing is no accident. Public pressure has mounted ever since the Epstein saga cast an unrelenting shadow over Andrew’s life. The palace has gradually withdrawn its support, culminating in Andrew’s slow retreat from public and royal life. His failure to respond to a formal request by U.S. lawmakers investigating Epstein has only deepened the unease.
Meanwhile, his forced relocation from Royal Lodge to Sandringham’s more modest accommodations quietly signaled the end of an era. Stripped of his status, stripped of his patronages, and now stripped of this public-facing symbol in St Andrews, the unraveling has been systematic.
The Craigtoun Course: A Strategic Reset
Now, the management of the course passes to the St Andrews Links Trust, which oversees seven other courses in the town, including the iconic Old Course. For them, this is more than a name change; it’s an expansion, a reclamation, and a quiet reset. “A revitalised identity,” the press release called it, notably omitting the name of the man it is leaving behind.
In many ways, the story of The Craigtoun Course mirrors Andrew’s own reversal: from prominence to obscurity, from privilege to consequence. Only time will tell how well the rebrand takes root, but one thing is certain: the Home of Golf is intent on preserving its legacy, untainted by scandal.
