I am frequently asked to give my opinion on the definitive Scottish golfing itinerary. While I am not the hem and haw type, I know that my answer is not the answer most golfers are waiting to hear. When a group of golfers first approach the idea of playing golf at the Home of Golf, their inclination is to line up all of the courses that they have heard about without considering the geography of the itinerary. Scotland’s land mass covers over 30,000 square miles and while the country’s infrastructure is above average, driving can still take considerably longer than it might in the United States. Trips that are arranged to cover Scotland’s most notable courses are trips that are spent in an automobile.
Before I get into specific itineraries, let’s look at the courses themselves. This table shows the primary list of courses that most people think about when playing golf in Scotland. Undoubtedly, this is a great list of courses and with the exception of Kingsbarns, all have hosted an Open Championship at one time or another. It’s no wonder why everyone wants to play them. The question then becomes, is this a practical itinerary? The answer is, it is certainly doable. But what you need to ask yourself is, do you want to spend 9 hours and 30 minutes (more if you return to a central location) in a car during your week’s holiday? My guess is you’d do it and at week’s end you would need another holiday.
I think the most practical way to look at golf in Scotland is to break the country down into golfing regions. Then you can look at the density of golf courses by region and better plan the trip of a lifetime. You may not get to everywhere on your list on the first try but guaranteed you will return to your home with a new list of places for your friends to visit and you won’t be exhausted from driving to the ends of the earth.
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There’s no doubt one could break down Scotland’s golfing regions differently than I did but let’s start here for the sake of argument. I have roughly drawn five regions where there is a significant density of golf courses. Take a look at the map. Regions A, B & C are fertile territory for golf and all of the above courses are in one of those regions. My suggestion for first time visitors is for you to stay in St Andrews if at all possible. Is it more expensive? Yes. Is it worth it? A thousand fold yes. If you are staying in St Andrews, you can take one road trip and it won’t ruin the vacation. All other regions are well within reach.
When planning a trip, try to play some of the Open Championship rota courses as above but also sprinkle in a course or two with historic significance and 1 or 2 hidden gems.
The table below shows the some of other notable courses in Scotland by region. Include any of these in your road trip within the region you are staying for guaranteed results.
COURSE REGION
Machrahanish A
Western Gailes A
Glasgow Gailes A
Dundonald A
Kilmarnock (Barassie) A
Irvine A
North Berwick West B
Dunbar B
Gullane I & II B
Musselburgh (Old) B
Braid Hills (No. 1) B
Crail (Balcomie) C
Elie (Golf House Club) C
Lundin Links C
Downfield C
St Andrews (New) C
St Andrews (Castle) C
Montrose (Medal) C
Panmure C
Royal Aberdeen D
Murcar D
Cruden Bay D
Fraserburgh (Corbie) D
Peterhead (Old) D
Grantown-on-Spey E
Royal Dornoch E
Nairn E
Brora E
Moray (Old) E
Boat of Garten E
Tain E
Fortrose & Rosemarkie E
By no means is this the definitive list of golf in Scotland.There are plenty more courses for you to discover. This is a guideline if nothing else. I have played all of these courses and can tell you this: you will be warmly welcomed, play a challenging round of golf and never forget your experience. What more could you possibly want?
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