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One of the great aspects of golf is the availability of so many of the world’s top golf courses to relatively modest enthusiastic amateurs with the necessary disposable income or possibly contact list, allowing you to challenge yourself on the same layouts on which the great champions of the game have displayed their imperious talents over many decades and many championships.
Granted, the level of access to the very best golf courses across USA is still significantly more restricted including numerous U.S. Open and Ryder Cup venues.
Across the pond in Europe and certainly within The British Isles, the history of the game and the long standing tradition of most private member clubs actively encouraging visitors continues to drive very healthy international bookings for many of our most prestigious golf clubs.
Rather surprisingly Scotland has only hosted The Ryder Cup on two occasions; 1973 at Muirfield in East Lothian, home course of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and more recently on the PGA Centenary Course at the majestic Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire. https://gleneagles.com/
The PGA Centenary course also played host for an incredibly successful Solheim Cup in 2019.
Admittedly tee times for visitors at Muirfield are still very limited; often completely booked out 12 months in advance, but golf at Gleneagles is largely focussed on hotel guests and visitors supplemented with corporate golf days and a number of very well supported open competitions and charity days.
Regularly voted by the international travel industry as one of the world’s finest golf resorts, Gleneagles will almost certainly be on many golfers’ must play/must visit locations; if not quite making the “ bucket list “ nominations.
If ticking off a couple of genuine bucket list Scottish links golf courses is the plan then you will want to head north east from Gleneagles for about an hour, bringing you to the mighty Open Championship course at Carnoustie https://www.carnoustiegolflinks.com/on the Angus coast.
So what other Scottish golf courses would feature on your own list and what are your plans to fulfil these golf dreams ?
The Old Course at St Andrews remains in top spot, followed by the other Open venues at Muirfield, Royal Troon, Turnberry and the historic Prestwick.
Royal Dornoch https://royaldornoch.com/ North Berwick and Machrihanish are well established favourites and these great tracks have now been joined by the likes of
Cruden Bay https://crudenbaygolfclub.co.uk
Western Gailes
Askernish https://www.askernishgolfclub.com
Ardfin
Cabot Highlands https://cabothighlands.com/
So you and your group finally agree on the “ big courses “ you are heading to but where should you play your golf alongside these famous layouts.
If it’s East Lothian for Muirfield & North Berwick then Gullane’s 3 courses and excellent short game area will get your golf game in good shape.
Kilspindie, Longniddry, & Dunbar present a really nice challenge to golfers of all abilities.
Across the Forth Bridge into The Kingdom of Fife
Everyone around the world who has ever picked up a golf club and many more who haven’t certainly know about The Old Course.
What is not so well known is the fact the Auld Grey Toon of St Andrews is home to seven golf courses all of which are operated by a non profit links trust.
Outside of the town many golf visitors will inevitably head for Kingsbarns and Scotland’s newest links Dumbarnie, located close to Leven & Lundin links courses.
We would recommend allowing time on your golf schedule for Crail, Elie, Anstruther and Scotscraig.
Over on the west coast Ayrshire offers a fantastic mix of historic links and some recent developments.
Offset the high value green fees at Turnberry & Royal Troon with superb golf at Kilmarnock Barassie, Glasgow Gailes, West Kilbride and Dundonald.
Heading north to the Highlands and across to Aberdeenshire delivers countless top class golf at a reasonable fee.
Around Inverness we suggest both Inverness and Kings Club together with.
Fortrose & Rosemarkiehttps://fortrosegolfclub.co.uk
Tain Golf Club https://tain-golfclub.co.uk/
The Moray Firth offers both standard 18 hole and several 9 hole layouts including Moray with its 2 courses, Hopeman, Covesea, Cullen and Fraserburgh. If the funds allow you should secure a round at both Nairn and Nairn Dunbar.
Aberdeenshire now offers a fine list of prestigious links such as Cruden Bay, Murcar, Royal Aberdeen and Trump International.
To experience some classic parkland and heathland Scottish golf head west inland from Aberdeen to enjoy Aboyne, Braemar and Ballater amidst the glorious scenery of Royal Deeside.
The options available to a golf visitor coming to Scotland are endless.
A fantastic mixture of premium level courses and lesser known gems exists across all regions of this golf mad country.
Spend some time on your golf vacation seeking out these fine golf clubs and courses; better still let our knowledgeable team at Kard & Brown create a fully tailored Scottish golf tour for you incorporating a well balanced list of superb courses.
Whether your preference is for the big name courses or the less well known, we can guarantee you will have an incredible golf and life experience and you will be very warmly welcomed.
To start planning your fully tailored Scottish Golf Tour for this season or possibly 2025, please contact us
e mail: info@kardandbrown.com