Golf in Scotland: Top 5 destinations

Scotland has an almost endless choice of legendary courses, so we break it down to the top five destinations to visit on a trip to the birthplace golf.

Edinburgh

A good place to start is the nation’s capital. With buzzing nightlife and a thriving cultural and comedy scene, it’s little surprise that so many people make this historic city their base for a golf trip to Scotland. Prestonfield Golf Club is just 2.5km from the city centre, yet is a peaceful parkland layout set below the stunning backdrop of Arthur’s Seat on a former deer estate.

Another option just minutes away is Murrayfield Golf Club, one of the world’s best-located courses with legendary links such as North Berwick and Muirfield less than an hour away. The course itself is a mixture of park and heathland with spectacular views over Edinburgh.

Aberdeenshire

On the north-east coast of Scotland, the countryside and coastline of Aberdeenshire has ancient forests, rugged cliffs and sandy bays – great golfing country. Meldrum House Country Hotel & Golf Course is a fantastic place to stay, a 13th-century manor tucked away in 240 acres of tranquil countryside. Sample the world-class whisky and play at the Knights Golf Course, one of the finest parkland courses in Scotland.

Four historic Scottish links are less than 30 minutes away. Trump International Golf Links, on a beautiful stretch of Aberdeenshire coastline between the excellent courses at Murcar Links and Cruden Bay, is an exhilarating place to play golf through secluded valleys and huge dunes. Royal Aberdeen Golf Club is close by, the eighth oldest golf club in the world and one of the most testing and spectacular links courses in Scotland.

The Highlands

The Highlands is a mountainous region in north-west Scotland, with Loch Ness at the centre overlooked by the medieval Urquhart Castle. It’s a place of incredible scenery, over 30 golf clubs and historic whisky distilleries.

Probably the most famous courses here is Royal Dornoch Golf Club, one of Scotland’s most traditional and historic links courses. Tom Watson said it was the “most fun I’d ever had on a golf course”. Right next to the course is Links House Hotel, a wonderful place to stay, close to some of the best salmon fishing in the Highlands.

Brora Golf Club is just a 30 minutes’ drive away, one of Scotland’s lesser known gems. It’s a beautiful seaside links built on undulating duneland. A few miles away is Cabot Highlands, a modern links designed by Gil Hanse which opened in 2009. Previously known as Castle Stuart, it has already hosted four Scottish Opens and is enhanced by panoramic views of the Moray Firth.

Fife

Located on Scotland‘s east coast, Fife has been called the ‘cradle of the game’, home to over 50 courses including Tiger Woods’ favourite, St. Andrews. Magical golfing country awaits with quaint traditional Scottish hotels offering superb hospitality and service, while the beautiful town of St Andrews is full of superb pubs and restaurants with castles, distilleries and museums nearby.

In all, there are seven courses at ‘The Home of Golf’. Only The Old Course requires a handicap and there are plenty of options depending on your ability and budget. There’s The New Course, Jubilee Course, Eden Course, Strathtyrum Course, Castle Course, and the 9-hole Balgove Course.

For a complete change of scenery, there’s also the Duke’s Course, the only non-links inland course in St Andrews. Re-designed in 2004 by US based Kohler Company, the resort firm behind the world famous Whistling Straits, it’s one of the finest heathland courses anywhere in the UK.

Fairmont St Andrews is only a short drive south of St Andrews, a 5-star resort which is one of the best in Scotland. Housed in an ancient mansion in over 500 acres of coastal countryside, it’s home to the Torrance course, co-designed by former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, and the Kittocks course which has incredible sea views from cliff-top tees.

Only minutes from St Andrews, Dumbarnie Links opened in 2020 and has proved a worthy addition to Fife’s roster of fantastic links courses, while around 10km south of St Andrews is Kingsbarns Golf Links, designed by Kyle Phillips. Opened in 2000 to worldwide acclaim, it co-hosts the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the DP World Tour and hosted the AIG Women’s Open in 2017.

Ayrshire

Ayrshire in south-west Scotland is one of the best golf destinations in the world, with nearly 50 courses. The Open Championship returned to Royal Troon here in 2024, won by Xander Schauffele. Tom Watson and Arnold Palmer are among the other big names to have claimed the Claret Jug over this ancient links.

Trump Turnberry is another famous course here, set on the beautifully rugged Firth of Clyde. The resort provides 5-star facilities with the main hotel housed in a stunning Edwardian mansion facing the Irish Sea. Guests can play at one of the world’s iconic courses, The Ailsa Course, scene of the famous 1977 Open, better known as the ‘Duel in the Sun’ when Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson went head-to-head.

Close by is Dundonald Links which opened in 2005 and hosted the 2017 Scottish Open. Located at the heart of Ayrshire’s golf coast, it’s close to Open venues Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry and is just 30 minutes from Glasgow Airport and 90 minutes from Edinburgh Airport.

Explore our suggested golf travel packages to Trump Turnberry.

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Trip to Scotland: The Birthplace of Golf