Scotland Golf Courses

West

Royal Troon (6641 yds. Par 71)
Frequent host to the British Open, Royal Troon is consistently ranked as one of the World's best links courses. It was created by the hand of Willie Fernie, one of the great early British golfers in 1878. A classic links course in every respect, the golfer is eased into the challenge with each hole appearing to get progressively tougher. Narrow fairways lined with trouble make tee shots critical, its bunkers are punishing and Troon's small greens require touch and imagination. Running straight out and back along the coast, Troon often changes dramatically from front nine to back. Its sister course, The Portland Course, is also a fine links.

Old Prestwick (6544 yds, Par 72)
Founded in 1851, the setting for the very first Open, this is one of the best known and most distinguished clubs in Scotland. The Club is situated just half an hour south west of Glasgow on the famous golfing Ayrshire coast. A stretch of land unequalled anywhere in the world for prime golfing terrain. Prestwick is every sense a true seaside course with traditional links turf.

Turnberry Ailsa (6848 yds, Par 71)
Long regarded as one of the finest courses in the world, polls now regularly acknowledge the Ailsa as one of Britain's top three courses. Confirmation that gives it eminence worldwide, with regular rankings within the world's top 20 courses. The scenic glories of the Ailsa Course are to be savoured - the granite dome of Ailsa Craig, the low form of the tip of Argyll and the peaks of Arran highlighting the changing patterns of light and shade. Closer at hand, the lighthouse, and the ninth's lovely back tee are other symbols of Turnberry, the hole's title adding an historic echo.

Turnberry Kintyre (6921 yds, Par 72)
The former Arran Course has been totally redesigned by well known course designer Donald Steel, and is now reopened as the Kintyre Course, offering a serious challenge to golfers of every level. The Kintyre offers more of a 'links' feel, with a variety of different tees, undulating greens and fairways, and spectacular views of Arran and the Irish Sea.

Glasgow Gailes (6535 yds, Par 72)
Glasgow Gailes course is owned and managed by Glasgow Golf Club, the 9th oldest golf club in the world. Less than an hour from Glasgow, Gailes is a challenging links course – tough and traditionally Scottish – consistently selected by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship. Gailes lies in the heart of Scotland’s Ayrshire Golf coast. The Clubhouse and facilities offer an ideal venue for enjoyable golfing including an extensive practice area, a Professional’s shop and high quality catering.

Dundonald Golf Course (6107 yds, Par 69)
The Dundonald Course, is like the Barassie Links a composite of the new nine holes and the other nine holes from the traditional course. The combination shortens the course to 6107 yards from the White Tees. The Dundonald is known locally as "the Winter Course" . The course still offers a very challenging Par 69 with one par five and four par threes - three of these on the front nine.

Barassie Golf Club (6484 yds, Par 72)
This is a really first-class seaside course, always maintained in excellent condition, which harmonizes well in an area so rich in good golf. It is very challenging and the length of the holes, as seen on the scorecard, in no way indicate their demands as seen on the course. The fairway bunkers are well placed for errant shots and the greens are immaculate.

Machrie Golf Course (Isle of Islay) (6292 yds, Par 71)
Willie Campbell originally laid out the course in 1891. Apart from a few changes made in the 1970s, the course remains very much the same as when Willie Campbell first constructed it all those years ago. Thus it is a traditional link course. Indeed, the Machrie's main claim to fame is its own Open Championship of 1901, which included the 'Great Triumvirate' of Harry Vardon, John Henry Taylor and James Braid. There are many reasons why you should play The Machrie, not least because of the stunning views over the bay, the fact that you can walk out of the hotel and onto the course and for its remarkable history.

Machrihanish Golf Course (6225 yds, Par 70)
The course has always been admired for occupying charming and particularly romantic linksland made more beautiful by its enigmatic isolation. Suffice it to say that Machrihanish offers a series of fourteen holes the likes of which you will find nowhere else. These include a multitude of intriguing blind shots across the most appealing undulations, to immaculate greens kept by a crew of four and the nurturing temperate winds of the Gulf Stream.

Machrihanish Dunes (7175 yds, Par 72)
Machrihanish Dunes Golf Club is the first golf course to be have been built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSi) since the days of "Old Tom" himself. It is also the first 18-hole links golf course to be built on the west coast of Scotland in 100 years. Set hard against the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Machrihanish Dunes shares breathtaking views with the adjacent Machrihanish Golf Club links (ranked 39th by Golf Digest's "Top 100 Courses Outside the U.S." in 2008).

Southerness Golf Course (6566 yds, Par 67)
Southerness Golf Course was designed by McKenzie Ross, and built in 1947. This is a true Championship Links course. The course is situated on the Solway coast giving panoramic views of the Solway Firth, the Cumbrian Lake District to the south, and the Galloway Hills to the west. The terrain is level allowing for easy walking with no hills to climb.

The Carrick Golf Course (7082 yds, Par 71)
The Championship Carrick designed by Doug Carrick is an inspiration. The 18 holes are dividied by a fault line with the first nine holes in the Lowlands and the back nine in the Highlands, boasting stunning views of Ben Lomond and the great Loch. Beware the cheeky "Wee Demon", a deceiving nine hole wonder to test the bravest of golfing hearts.

North

Royal Aberdeen (6900 yds, Par 71)
Set alongside a picturesque shoreline featuring sweeping sand dunes, Royal Aberdeen is a highly rated traditional links course. Possessing many eye-catching features, most notably the quality of the opening and closing holes, it boasts a balance of long and short par 4's, testing par 3's and tricky par 5's, which due to wind speed and direction, play differently each day. Royal Aberdeen is ranked as the sixth oldest club in the world.

Murcar Golf Club (6170 yds, Par 71)
Murcar has been described as a kinder, gentler Ballybunion with a little of County Down thrown in. It is a natural course set out on a stretch of tumbling linksland which offers views of the sea from almost every hole. Consistently in the top 100 courses in the British Isles, Murcar is a challenging test of golf, calling for every shot in the book and if the wind is up a few more besides. Murcar is renowned for the way in which its sandhills have been used, not only to shape and define fairways and greens, but also to give elevation to tees and create spectacular views.

Old Moray (6995 yds, Par 71)
The ancient realm of Moray offers a wide choice of golf and its premier course is undoubtably Moray Old. The wide expanse of gorse encrusted links, between the town of Lossie and the Cove sea lighthouse, has proved ideal for the game and planted within it are two of the best courses on the Moray coast. On the old course the 1st and 18th are set next to the town, although the outlying holes zigzag more than the traditional links, nine out nine back configurations. Moray old provides perhaps the best finishing holes in Scotland, an impressive par four at 423 yards.

Nairn (6556 yds, Par 71)
This Traditional Scottish Golf Links Course was created on the shores of the Moray Firth from a Highland wilderness of whins and heather, and tests the talents of professional and amateur alike. Founded in 1887, it is now one of the best courses in Scotland, and hosted the 1999 Walker Cup. The configuration of Nairn is such that the course gets progressively more difficult as you go round. This makes it a very difficult course to score on. Good scores just gradually peter out as you hit the dangerous homeward stretch.

Castle Stuart (7009 yds, Par 72)
As Turnberry is to Ayrshire and Gleneagles is to Perthshire, Castle Stuart has been conceived to be for the Highlands - a beacon reaching out to golfers throughout the world. The centrepiece for this destination golf resort will be Castle Stuart Golf Links, a championship links course overlooking the Moray Firth and well-known landmarks that are synonymous with Inverness and the Black Isle - Kessock Bridge and Chanonry Lighthouse, perhaps the most notable.

Boat of Garten (5876 yds, Par 70)
Rightly billed as the golf course that every single Scottish golfer should play, 'The Boat', as it is known, is very much worthy of its lofty status. Make no mistake, this course can show its teeth to event most talented player. Sitting amongst the woods below the Cairngorms, with the River Spey visible from a number of holes, and the Strathspey Steam Railway running through the trees alongside the first seven, this course enjoys a truly majestic setting. Subtle alterations have been made to James Braid's original design, but the tough, yet incredibly inviting challenge of this Highland gems still remains.

Royal Dornoch (6556 yds, Par 71)
This is undoubtedly the most important and intriguing golf course in the area and has been rated by Golf Monthly as the best course in the U.K. and one of the six best in the world. This is praise indeed and a fine tribute to a beautifully designed layout, which is scrupulously fair and an exciting challenge.

Tain (6109 yds, Par 70)
Overlooking the Dornoch Firth, Tain Golf Club arguably offers one of the best settings imaginable in the highlands for a round of golf. With sea on one side and the backdrop of the mountains behind, every day brings a different aspect to this challenging and beautiful course.

Brora (6110 yds, Par 69)
Brora presents all the attributes of the Scottish seaside links, there is bent and gorse, juniper and thyme in profusion. The layout is classic and will ensure that you can use every club in the bag and that you will have to adapt and manufacture according to whether the course is running fast or slow. The greens are renowned for their texture and the ball runs true on the seaside fescue.

Golspie (6021 yds, Par 70)
Only 15 miles from the famous Royal Dornoch and within a short drive of the other local courses Tain and Brora, Golspie offers a unique blend of seaside links, heath and parkland golf. Founded in 1889 and designed by the legendary James Braid, the course offers a refreshing challenge to all abilities of golfer.

Central

Montrose (6544 yds, Par 71)
Montrose is believed to be the fifth oldest golf club in the world, situated just to the north of the ancient town between Dundee and Aberdeen. Montrose is a public links in the best Scottish tradition, joining the likes of St. Andrews and Carnoustie.

Blairgowrie Rosemount (6630 yds, Par 72)
Described by Tom Morris as, "The most beautiful inland green I have ever seen", the Rosemount Course certainly lives up to its reputation. Designed by James Braid with influences from Dr. Alistair McKenzie, the renowned architect of the Augusta National course, Rosemount has played host to a number of prestigious professional and amateur tournaments. It was the scene of Greg Norman's first European Tour victory in the 1977 Martini event. Rosemount was voted 11th best course to play in Scotland by the readers of Scotland's premier golf magazine.

Gleneagles (Kings) (6452 yds, Par 71)
The King’s Course, opened in 1919, is a masterpiece of design which has tested the aristocracy of golf, both professional and amateur. When Lee Trevino first played the King’s he memorably remarked: “If Heaven is as good as this, I sure hope they have some tee times left.” Selecting the right club for each approach shot is the secret on the King’s. It is certainly one of the most beautiful and exhilarating places to play golf in the world.

Gleneagles (PGA Course) (7060 yds, Par 74)
The PGA Centenary Course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic, combining the best of both earlier designs. Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, The PGA Centenary Course was a challenge. A feature of The PGA Centenary Course is the feast of views of the spectacular countryside in which Gleneagles is set. Putting on the two-tier second green, you are distracted by the lush panorama of the rich Perthshire straths.

East

St. Andrews Old Course (6933 yds, Par 72)
Handicap Limit – Men: 24, Ladies: 36. The oldest golf course in the world has many remarkable features which help make it so special to golfers around the world. It is the Home of Golf where golf was first played 600 years ago and yet it remains a real test of golf for today's champions. Despite its reputation and status, it is a public course. The course is known for its particular physical features including 112 bunkers, some of which are especially famous e.g. 'Hell' on the long 14th, 'Strath' on the short 11th and the Road Bunker at what is probably the most famous golf hole in the world, the 17th or Road Hole (so called because a road - which is in play - runs hard against the back edge of the green). The Old Course’s truly remarkable feature is that in today's modern golfing world, a course which has evolved over six centuries, remains a true test of championship golf.

St. Andrews Jubilee Course (6805 yds, Par 73)
Created on a narrow strip of land between the New Course and the sea, the Jubilee was originally a 12 hole course intended for ladies and beginners, the Jubilee was eventually extended to an 18 hole format. In 1988 the re-design of the Jubilee to championship standard was carried out by Donald Steel of Cotton, Pennink, Steel & Partners, golf course architects. It is the longest course at St. Andrews and now has the reputation as the toughest links course. It is also used regularly for championship events. Other courses at St. Andrews: The New, The Eden, and The Strathtyrum.

St. Andrews Castle Course (6759 yds, Par 71)
St Andrews Links Trust is creating a seventh eighteen hole course to join its portfolio of six courses. The Castle Course opened in the summer of 2008. Following the coastline east of St Andrews, The Castle Course is two miles from the town centre. The designer, David McLay Kidd, creator of Bandon Dunes on the West Coast of America, has created a typical Scottish golf experience. Each hole has a choice of five tees and the course will be playable between about 5300-7200 yards.

St. Andrews New Course (6725 yds, Par 72)
Opened in April 1895, the course was built in response to increasing demand for golf at St Andrews. The New Course is a classic links course which uses the natural features of the land to create a first class golfing challenge. The course has the traditional out and back layout, with the 18th green just to the right of the first tee. It also has, in the great St Andrews tradition, shared fairways and even a double green at the 3rd and 15th holes. It has frequently been said that if the New Course were not situated next to the Old, then its star would have shone with a far greater degree of brilliance.

Dukes (7171 yds, Par 72)
Designed by five time Open winner Peter Thomson, The Duke's Course is situated two miles inland from St. Andrews, on land surrounding Craigtoun Park. In its elevated parkland setting, with majestic views over St. Andrews.

Carnoustie (7272 yds, Par72)
Regarded by many including Walter Hagen and Gary Player as one of the best links in the world, Carnoustie, though certainly long, is not a course for the unthinking big-hitter. With judgment of wind and distance critical, every tee shot needs careful placement to set up an approach to the green. Whilst there may be little dramatic background scenery, the beauty of Carnoustie is to be found in the golf course itself. The layout is such that no two consecutive holes face the same direction, a factor that does nothing for the golfer in finding their rhythm in the face of often-stiff winds. Carnoustie's famous burns that snake their way around the course - Jockie's Burn and the Barry Burn represent two more obstacles to posting a respectable tally.

Fairmont Kittocks (7192 yds, Par72)
Kittocks name is taken from the SSSI area of land on the course that is inhabited by a family of deer. This protected area comes into view on several holes and provides abundant wildlife to be seen during a round on Kittocks, including pheasants, rabbits and hares, deer, grouse and badgers. The coastal land the course is built on reminded the legendary golfer, Gene Sarazen, of Pebble Beach when he first visited the site as one of the course's original architects. Kittocks re-designed courses are worthy of their accolades including being named 18th Best Golf Resort in the World by Conde Nast Traveler.

Crail Balcomie (5720 yds, Par69)
Crail Golfing Society celebrated their bi-centenary in 1986 hosts two courses. The Balcomie, the shorter of the two, is an unusual course in that the holes have been laid out with the front nine containing six par fours and the back nine only three. There have also been some interesting names given to the holes, such like Fluke Dub (4th), Hell's Hole (5th) and Lang Whang all good Scots names. The 5th Hell's Hole does live up to its name, with the decision to be brave and chance the ball over the rocks and beach or just to play safe. Onto the last few holes you will find their challenge are only made more daunting with knowing that the onlookers from the clubhouse will be watching our every stroke.

Panmure (6511 yds, Par 72)
Located in between Carnoustie and Dundee, Panmure has often been used as an Open Championship qualifying course. It is located in an area whose golfing pedigree is rich. Its main features being curiously looking hillocks, resembling inflated beehives, hardly qualifying as dunes but very similar in nature, and their bite can be equally as venomous with a helping of heather mixed in.

Lundin Links (6371 yds, Par 71)
'Lundie' as the locals call it, is a superb example of links golf along with a three hole parkland section where the route climbs onto higher ground. Conditions and presentation are always exceptional, linksey swells and firm ground call for particular skills that can only be achieved by playing these truly original golf courses, one of the reasons why this unique course is used for final qualifying for the Open Championship when at St Andrews and the annual East of Scotland Championship.

Leven Links (6506 yds, Par 71)
During the 2000 Open at St. Andrews, the Leven championship course was used as one of the four final pre-qualifying courses. As well as boasting the 11th oldest golf club in the world, The Leven Golfing Society, gifted by the company in 1870, lays claim to the title of "The Oldest Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship in the World". A true sea-side course - the editor of Golf Monthly described the older part of the Leven Links as 'being one of the best stands of Bent and Fescues in Scotland'.

Scotscraig (6669 yds, Par 71)
Although close to the sea, there is something of a heathland nature to Scotscraig, with far more trees in evidence than on most links. Combined with many whin bushes and the rolling nature of the fairways, the course is quite demanding but, at the same time, interesting. The most memorable hole is the 4th, a Par 4 of average length but with a formidable finish over lumpy, heather covered terrain to a plateau green that is very difficult to hit and hold. A more lengthy challenge is the Par 5 14th, a test that calls for precise positioning in order to reach the well-guarded green. Players of all levels will find a day's golf at Scotscraig truly enjoyable.

EAST LOTHIAN

Muirfield (6970 yds, Par 71)
Handicap Limit – Men: 18, Ladies: 20. Muirfield is the home of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and is the most exclusive golf club in the U.K. Founded in 1744, the existing course is designed in two loops of nine holes. Players have a constantly changing battle with the wind, and the beautifully constructed bunkers (over 150 in total), which never allow a bad shot to escape, are a great feature of the course.

North Berwick (West Course) (6315 yds, Par70)
Measuring 6317 yards, it’s no monster in length, but such is its trickery that it demands a full repertoire of shot making. Founded in 1832, the club is one of the oldest in the world. Former Prime Minister, Lord Balfour, was captain here in 1891-92. Every hole is memorable - there are blind shots across the bay, and bunkers in which you can disappear from sight. It is great fun and a real test of skill.

Archerfield (Fidra Links) (6948 yds, Par 72)
The Archerfield Fidra course lies between the 8th hole at Muirfield and 9th hole at North Berwick and, although it only opened for play in 2004, the Fidra blends very well into the group of premium golfing destinations in this corner of East Lothian. The Fidra course measures almost 7000 yards though there are four sets of tees at every hole to allow for varying abilities. Greens are large and receptive, with subtle borrows to test the best of putters. Many putting surfaces have run-up areas in front, enabling golfers to play a traditional bump-and-run shot along the ground.

Archerfield (Dirleton Links) (6946 yds, Par 72)
The Dirleton Course measures from between 5503 and 6946 yards, depending on which of the four sets of tees is selected for play. There are over sixty sand traps on the course, many of them old fashioned pot bunkers with revetted faces and wooden stair at the rear. Like the Fidra course, many of the large, links quality greens have run-up areas in front, enabling the execution of traditional bump-and-run approaches along the ground - putting on such green baize surfaces, incidentally, is an absolute joy.

Gullane No. 1 (6466 yds, Par 71)
Gullane Golf Club was founded in 1882, the golf courses here, of which there are three, are linked as one. It offers championship quality links courses with dramatic views across the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh and Fife. The 3rd hole was recently voted one of the top 500 holes in the world by Golf Magazine (USA). The world famous view from the highest point of the Course on the 7th tee across the course and over to Edinburgh, Fife and way beyond is worth the green fee alone. With every hole having its own distinct character, the Course is both memorable and enjoyable.

Gullane No. 2 (6385 yds, Par 71)
Gullane No.2 Course was built in 1898 and the first and last holes of the course are on the east side of the road. The Course runs alongside Gullane No.1 for the first seven holes and then sweeps down to the nature reserve next to Aberlady Bay, before turning back towards the Visitors' Clubhouse. One feature of the Course is its excellent short holes, particularly the 11th with its magnificent view and tricky club selection.

Dunbar (6426 yds, Par 71)
On the journey south from Gullane, nestled along the rocky shore a few miles northwest of St. Abb's Head, lies another of East Lothian's fabulous seaside links.