Beside the 17th fairway of the Old Course, an old railway stationmaster’s lodge has become one of golf’s great gathering places. Major champions, world leaders, locals and visiting golfers have all found their way to the Jigger Inn — and everyone still has to wait their turn at the bar.
There are few pubs in the world where the view from the beer garden includes one of the most famous golf holes ever created.
At the Jigger Inn, that's simply the view.
The little stone building sits alongside the Old Course, almost tucked beneath the imposing Old Course Hotel, with the 17th — the Road Hole — running past its door.
Inside, there's an open fire, dark wood, golfing memorabilia and the sort of atmosphere that makes ordering another pint feel entirely reasonable.
Outside, golfers pass by attempting to negotiate one of the most intimidating closing stretches in the game.
For half a century, people have been coming here after their rounds.
Some have won majors.
Some have run countries.
Others have just shot 104.
At the Jigger, it doesn't particularly matter.
Before the Golfers, There Was a Railway
The building's story begins long before it became a pub.
Dating to the 1850s, it was originally the stationmaster's lodge for the railway that once brought visitors into St Andrews. (Old Course Hotel)
The railway disappeared.
The building survived.
And eventually this modest stone lodge found itself occupying one of the most enviable locations in golf: beside the Old Course, only moments from the 17th fairway.
For the past 50 years, the Jigger has built a reputation as the 19th hole of St Andrews.
The Old Course Hotel itself goes further.
It calls it “the most famous pub in golf.” (Old Course Hotel)
It's difficult to come up with many serious challengers.
Where Tiger Woods Still Has to Queue
Fame can ruin a good pub.
The Jigger's great achievement is that it hasn't.
Its walls carry evidence of the people who've passed through: golfing memorabilia and caps signed by major champions, including Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer. (Old Course Hotel)
World leaders and international sporting personalities have drunk here.
Yet you'll also find local fishermen, students and golfers who've wandered in after a perfectly ordinary Wednesday round.
Louise Dougall, who has worked at the Jigger since 2006 and has managed it since 2015, summed up its approach rather beautifully when speaking to the Old Course Hotel.
There is no special treatment.
Even the major champions have to queue. (Old Course Hotel)
That might tell you more about the Jigger Inn than anything else.
Everyone gets the same pub.
The Room You Hope Hasn't Changed
The Jigger recently underwent a refurbishment to mark its 50th birthday.
The intention was almost paradoxical:
Make it better without making it look different.
That's because people have surprisingly strong memories attached to this little room.
A particular chair by the window.
The table where they sat on their first golf trip.
The corner where they drank after finally playing the Old Course.
Dougall describes the pub as being built around emotional connections with the past, and that's precisely what a slick redesign could have destroyed. (Old Course Hotel)
Instead, it still feels like the Jigger.
Open-hearth fires crackle during colder months. Golf memorabilia fills the walls. Tables sit close enough together that conversations have a habit of spreading.
On a wet Scottish afternoon, when the wind is blowing across the Links and there's a fire going inside, there are few places we'd rather be.
Order the Jigger Ale
Every famous pub needs its drink.
Here it's Jigger Ale.
The pub's own beer is unusually difficult to find elsewhere. According to the Old Course Hotel, it's served in only two places: here in St Andrews and at the Horse & Plow at The American Club in Kohler, Wisconsin. (Old Course Hotel)
So have one.
The rest of the drinks selection leans appropriately Scottish, with Scottish beers alongside the usual pub choices.
But there's something satisfying about sitting beside the Old Course drinking a beer bearing the name of the pub you're sitting in.
Sometimes the obvious choice is the right one.
What to Eat
The Jigger isn't trying to reinvent pub food.
That's a compliment.
The current menu is built around the sort of dishes you actually want after several hours walking a links course.
There's traditional Cullen skink, haggis on a toasted crumpet, steak and chips, sausage and mash and a beef burger. (Old Course Hotel)
And then there's the obvious order:
Jigger Ale-battered haddock and chips.
The pub's own ale goes into the batter, served with tartare sauce, lemon, mushy peas and chunky chips. (Old Course Hotel)
Finish with sticky toffee pudding and you've constructed a fairly convincing Scottish post-golf lunch.
This isn't the place for an elaborate tasting menu.
It's the place for hearty food, a cold pint and an afternoon you're in no particular hurry to finish.
The Beer Garden Has One of the Best Views in Town
Then summer arrives.
And the Jigger changes.
Tables spill outside into the beer garden, with views directly across the Old Course. The Road Hole is right there. (Old Course Hotel)
Golfers wander past.
Some look relaxed.
Others have just discovered why the 17th has the reputation it does.
Watching from the safety of the beer garden with a pint in your hand is considerably less stressful.
The garden is also dog-friendly, although dogs aren't permitted inside the Jigger itself. (Old Course Hotel)
On a bright St Andrews afternoon, this is one of those places where the original plan of “just one” can unravel rather quickly.
Come Even If You Haven't Played
Calling the Jigger a 19th hole creates one small problem.
It suggests you need to have played the first 18.
You don't.
The Jigger is part of the Old Course Hotel, but you don't need to be staying there either.
Come for lunch.
Come for a drink after walking West Sands.
Come after watching golfers finish on the Old Course.
Or make it part of an afternoon exploring the western end of St Andrews.
In fact, non-golfers may appreciate the location almost as much as those carrying scorecards.
You get the atmosphere of the Old Course without having to spend four hours trying to avoid its bunkers.
Who Is the Jigger Inn For?
Golfers are the obvious answer.
For someone making a pilgrimage to St Andrews, having a pint at the Jigger is almost part of the ritual.
But reducing it to a golfers' pub undersells it.
Come if you like historic pubs.
Come if you want hearty Scottish food.
Come for the open fire on a miserable afternoon.
Come for the beer garden when Scotland unexpectedly produces a glorious one.
And come because places with this much history can sometimes become overly conscious of their own importance.
The Jigger hasn't.
That's a large part of its appeal.
Know Before You Go
The Jigger Inn is beside the Old Course at the Old Course Hotel, Old Station Road, St Andrews, KY16 9SP.
It's currently open seven days a week from noon until 11pm, with last seating for food at 10pm. (Old Course Hotel)
It's a small and extremely popular pub, particularly during the golf season and major events in St Andrews, so we'd recommend booking if food is important to your plans.
The Jigger is on the ground floor and has an accessible toilet available nearby. (Old Course Hotel)
Dogs are welcome in the outdoor patio and beer garden, but not inside. (Old Course Hotel)
The Visit St Andrews View
Go for a pint even if you haven't played a round.
The Jigger Inn occupies an unusual place in St Andrews.
It's part of a five-star hotel, sits beside one of the most famous golf courses on earth and has welcomed the sort of guests whose photographs normally end up framed on restaurant walls.
Yet somehow it still feels like a pub.
A very good one.
Find a table. Order the Jigger Ale. Get the fish and chips if you're hungry. Sit outside if the weather allows it, or beside the fire if it doesn't.
And look around.
There might be a major champion at the next table.
There might be a local who's been drinking here for 30 years.
At the Jigger Inn, that's rather the point.
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