The operators of the course, St Andrews Links Trust, hoped to register the town’s name as a trademark for travel, accommodation and catering services.

The Trust already owns exclusive rights to the name for goods including golf equipment, jewellery, clothing and kitchen utensils. However, the firm hoped to extend the rights to protect the brand and prevent other companies around the world from using.

However, the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) said that the name of a town could not be trademarked for the services which the trust had applied for.

St Andrew Links then argued that customers would think of its courses when they saw the name, but trademark experts said they could associate the goods with the town rather than golf, The Times reports. 

In the ruling, EUIPO said: “St Andrews is a well-known town due to the reputation of its golf-sport facilities and the oldest university in Scotland. The town also contains a cathedral, medieval churches and town gates, ancient castle ruins overlooking the sea, numerous museums, a botanic garden and an aquarium. The mark applied for must be refused registration.”

The decision was made by the EUIPO’s appeal board in April after the initial application was refused in September last year.

A spokesman for St Andrews Links Trust said: “As one of the world’s most famous and renowned sporting venues, St Andrews Links is the owner of numerous registrations for the mark, St Andrews, across a wide variety of product and service categories. This includes numerous registrations issued by EUIPO.

“St Andrews Links invests in protecting its brands and reputation globally for the benefit of the Links, its partners, and the many stakeholders who share in our commitment to protecting the reputation and renown of St Andrews as the home of golf.”