1471 Golf Ban repeated (James III).
1491 Golf Ban repeated (James IV).
1502 James IV takes up golf and buys his first golf clubs.
1552 Archbishop John Hamilton is given permission by the burgh to establish a rabbit warren on the links.
The charter confirms the rights of townspeople to play golf over the links.
1583 Two St Andrews boys were rebuked by Kirk Session for golfing on Sabbath.
1726 William Gib granted permission to put rabbits on the links, with a proviso that the golfing area must not be damaged.
1754 Society of St Andrews Golfers founded.
1764 Standard round of golf established at 18 holes.
1769 Exchange of land between Laird of Strathtyrum and Town Council, with a condition that the golfing area is not to be ploughed up or enclosed.
1771 Fees of caddies fixed.
1797 St Andrews Town Council reported to be in financial difficulty. Robert Gourlay and John Gunn advance money to the Town Council on the security of the links.
Gourlay and Gunn exercise their right to sell the links by disposing of part of the land to Thomas Erskine of Cambo.
1799 Links sold to Charles and Cathcart Dempster, who introduce rabbits on a commercial scale.
1801 George Cheape, Captain of the Society of St Andrews Golfers, complains that rabbits are destroying the links.
1805 Court of Session decided that inhabitants of St Andrews have the right to kill and destroy rabbits on the links, and the Rabbit Wars begins.
1817 Thistle Golf Club founded.
1821 James Cheape of Strathtyrum buys the links and brings the Rabbit Wars to an end.
1834 Society of St Andrews Golfers becomes Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
1842 Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair elected Provost of St Andrews.
1843 St Andrews Golf Club founded.
1848 George Cheape redeems the fee duty on the Links for £1,000. The gutta ball is invented in St Andrews by Robert Adams Paterson.
1853 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and Union Club unite.
1854 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Clubhouse built.
1856 Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair appointed captain of Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Two holes cut on each green of Old Course.
1857 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews spring meeting approves cutting of two holes on each green.
1865 Tom Morris takes over as Custodian of the Links.
1866 Tom Morris sets up his own club - and ballmaking business.
1867 Ladies' Golf Club formed.
1868 Rose Golf Club formed.
1869 A bunker disappears from the Old Course and is then reinstated and named Sutherland.
Evening classes for caddies begin.
Improvements at Links Road and approaches to Old Course.
Eighteenth fairway returfed.
1870 New green created west of Swilcan Burn, enabling the Old Course to be played on left- or right-hand circuits.
1872 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews Clubhouse extended.
1873 Tom Kidd wins first ever Open over Old Course.
1876 Davie Strath ties for Open at St Andrews but loses on a technicality.
1880 The Links Road War.
1893 St Andrews Town Council sets up a committee to examine golfing facilities on the links.
Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews appoints a committee to confer with James Cheape with a view to purchasing the links.
Dr.Thomas Thornton advises Town Council to seek parliamentary authority to acquire the links.
Town Council offer £4,500 for the links; Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrewsoffer £5,000. JamesCheape sells the links to Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
Town Council petitions Parliament for power to acquire the links.
George Bruce plans Bruce Embankment reclamation.
1894 St Andrews Links Bill goes before Scottish Select Committee. Town Council and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews tell Select Committee that agreement has been reached between them.
St Andrews Links Act 1894 receives the Royal Assent (20 July). James Cheape asks for compensation for loss of pre-emption rights. Andrew Greig appointed Starter at Old Course.
1895 New Course opened for play. Rusack's chimney built.
1896 James Cheape's pre-emption claims settled and fee disposition between Town Council and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews formally signed.
First rules for caddies approved by Town Council.
1897 Jubilee Course opened (22 June) - 12 holes.
1902 New Golf Club founded.
1903 Sheriff of Fife approves bye-laws for caddies.
Tom Morris retires as Custodian of the Links.
1904 Andra' Kirkaldy prosecuted for caddying. Caddies' shelter erected behind 18th green of Old Course. Death of Robert Adams Paterson, inventor of gutta ball.
1905 Jubilee Course extended to 18 holes. St Andrews Golf Club buys a clubhouse.
1907 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews build a shelter at first tee of New Course. Planting of whin bushes on sand dunes at Jubilee Course.
1908 Tom Morris dies after an accident in New Golf Club (24 May).
1912 Rumours that Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews might leave St Andrews. Proposals for a new Provisional Order the subject of a plebiscite.
1913 Links Act receives the Royal Assent (10 July). James Cheape leases land to Town Council for fourth (Eden) course. H.S. Colt commissioned to design Eden Course.
1914 Eden Course formally opened (4 July) with first match between a local team and a team of Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews members.
1915 Links gets its own water supply from Cairnsmill.
St Andrews Town Council begins formation of West Sands Road by controlled refuse dumping.
Andrew Greig, Starter at Old Course, dies (29 April).
1919 Jimmy Alexander appointed Starter at Old Course.
1920 Eden Tournament inaugurated.
1923 Granny Clark's Wynd gets a tarmacadam face-lift.
1924 1924 Links Act receives the Royal Assent (29 May).
1931 Championship Committee proposes gate money as a means of regulating crowds.
1932 Links Act receives the Royal Assent (16 June).
1936 James Cheape sells part of Eden Course to Town Council.
1938 Proposals for adapting New Course to become a new Super Championship course.
Willie Auchterlonie authorised to supervise reconstruction of Jubilee Course.
1941 Air Cadets Parkinson and Tulip play first legalised Sunday golf over Eden Course.
1945 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrewsadmits difficulty in meeting its commitments to the courses.
Local plebiscite favours Sunday golf on Eden Course.
1946 Tribunal meets in Edinburgh (26 and 27 July) to consider Town Council's petition to Parliament.
1946 Links Act receives the Royal Assent, abolishing the St Andrews citizens' right to free golf (19 December).
Reconstructed Jubilee Course opened (1 June).
1949 Hull's bunker on 15th fairway of Old Course filled in.
Lord Brabazon introduces the caddie cart to Old Course.
1953 Town Council and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews discuss the club's financial difficulties.
Agreement between council and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews to set up a Joint Links Committee for the control and management of all courses.
1958 Death of Jimmy Alexander, Starter at Old Course.
1963 Town Council reviews conditions of 1953 Agreement and decides that there should be no change.
1964 Town Council commissions Hawtree Report.
1965 Reservation fees introduced.
Hawtree Report submitted with proposals for redeveloping New and Jubilee Courses.
1966 Town Council agrees Alcan Tournament to be played at St Andrews in 1967.
1967 Town Council and Championship Committee agree that gate money limits be removed.
Estimates approved for changing-room complex to serve New and Jubilee Courses.
Old Course Hotel built.
1967 Links Act receives the Royal Assent (14 July).
Overhead irrigation system installed on Old Course.
1969 St Andrews-Leuchars railway line closed.
Wheatley report published on Local Government Reform in Scotland.
Car parking provided on Bruce Embankment.
1970 Local golf clubs join with Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews in seeking to retain control and management of the links within the town.
1971 Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews issue a Memorandum (27 May) outlining their proposals for control and management by establishing a Links Trust.
Town Council agrees (11 August) to seek power to establish a Links Trust and Management Committee.
Irrigation system installed on Eden, New and Jubilee Courses.
Land acquired from Strathtyrum Estate to form Balgove Course.
1972 Tenth hole of Old Course named Bobby Jones' (10 September).
1973 Mr C.D. Lawrie submits proposals for redesigning Eden Course.
Plans for changing-rooms behind 18th green of Old Course considered and rejected; Bruce Embankment site considered and rejected.
1974 Links Act receives the Royal Assent (10 April).
Links Trust rejects the C.D. Lawrie proposals on the advice of St Andrews Town Council.
1981 Links Trust acquires Rusacks Hotel.
1983 Starting and finishing areas of Jubilee Course designated a 'Practice Area' during major events.
Links Trust agrees Jubilee Course be upgraded to Championship status. Links Trust seeks 20 acres of land from Strathtyrum Estate for practice facilities.
1985 Links Trust sells Rusacks Hotel to Trust House Forte.
1986 Mrs Gladys Cheape agrees to sell 118 acres of Strathtyrum land to Links Trust.
Architects commissioned to produce plans for development of newly acquired land and contiguous areas of the Links.
1987 Links Trust approves plans for reconstruction of Eden Course. Water supply from Cairnsmill under review and a storage reservoir provided near Jubilee Course.
Borehole sunk on North Haugh.
1988 Plan for changing-rooms beside Himalayas rejected.
1989 Upgraded Jubilee Course formally opened by Curtis Strange. Reconstructed Eden Course opened with free transport service for course users.
1990 Links Trust acquires Pilmour Cottage from owners of Old Course Hotel in exchange for a 99-year lease of ground between 18th green of Eden Course and the old pavilion.
Free transport service for Eden Course users withdrawn due to lack of demand.
Links Trust announces Development Plan for the recently acquired land. Links Trust decides to convey water directly from borehole to pumping station.
1992 Links Trust buys out all the significant Strathtyrum rights. Extensive consultations by Links Trust on proposed Links Clubhouse sited west of the Himalayas for all golfers playing the Old, New and Jubilee Courses. Plans significantly revised and submitted for planning permission.
1993 Planning permission for Clubhouse obtained from North East Fife District Council.
Redesigned nine-hole Balgove Course opened.
Golf Practice Centre officially opened by Catriona Lambert, and Strathtyrum Course formally opened for play on the same day (1st July).
1994 Building of Clubhouse begins (January).
1995 St Andrews Links Clubhouse opened.