Welcome to this introduction to some of Scotland's golf courses, resorts and hotels. No matter what you've read or heard elsewhere, Scotland really is the home of golf. Sooner or later, most golfers who take the game seriously will want to play at least one of the famous Scottish golf courses. More often than not it will be the Old Course at St. Andrews.
There are more than 600 golf courses in Scotland; some old, some new, some famous and some you’ve never heard of. My goal is to offer information about some of the finest of those golf courses and the hotels and resorts that support them. You'll also find other helpful information here: tips for vacation planning, weather and travel info, and the travel documents you'll need to enter the UK. Not only that, you should also try to plan a sightseeing visit to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland - the scenery, wildlife... and golf are all spectacular
Most golfers are familiar with the great links of Scotland, especially those that have hosted the Open Championship: St. Andrews, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Royal Troon, Gleneagles, Prestwick, and so on. These, arguably, are some of the best and most famous golf courses in the world.
But there are many more fine courses scattered across the country that you should be aware of. Traditionally, Scotland has always been broken down into four geographic areas - The Heartland, The Southeast, The Southwest and, of course the Scottish Highlands, Braveheart country. Here are just a few of the courses I recommend you consider:
The Heartland
The Heartland of Scotland boasts some 106 golf courses in the counties of Perthshire, Angus and Dundee, and in the Kingdom of Fife. Try these two:
The South West
There are more than 100 golf courses in and around Ayrshire. Of those, three are absolutely outstanding:
The South East
The Scottish Southeast encompasses Edinburgh, Lothian and the Border Counties:
The Highlands
The Scottish Highlands are home to some of the most remote and scenically beautiful courses to be found anywhere in the world. Here are three I can personally recommend:Most Scottish golf vacations last for a week or 10 days, which leaves little time to play more than four or five rounds. That being so, there are a half-dozen you should consider “not to be missed.” To visit the home of golf and come away without playing at least one of them, well... I just can't imagine it.
This makes sense when you realize that access to many of the most famous courses can often be difficult, sometimes even impossible, as well as expensive.
Tee times, if not booked months in advance, are often obtainable only by lottery. Your name goes into a hat. If you're lucky, you get to play that day. If not.... That's the way they do it at St. Andrews.
