Mention the word Scotland to any golfer, and the first thing that comes to mind is The Old Course at St. Andrews, and to play it is a ‘not to be forgotten’ experience. It’s very difficult to secure tee times, and normally you go into a ballot the day before you want to play, and then hope like mad that you are successful! Fortunately we have access to some guaranteed tee times scattered throughout the year, so please contact us as soon as possible if you want to take advantage of them.

Some of the other courses in St. Andrews are the New Course (built at the end of the 19th Century by Old Tom Morris!), Jubilee, Eden, Strathtyrum, Balgowie and Castle courses. 7 Kilometres away is the sensational Kingsbarns, already voted the 6th best course in the UK. Nearby is The Dukes course, and at St. Andrews Bay, are The Torrance and Kittocks golf courses, so it really is a mecca for golf lovers. It’s also very expensive, so we suggest an alternative for you.

Why not combine a visit to St. Andrews for 3 nights, playing the Old Course (if we can secure you a guaranteed tee time) and perhaps combining it with one of the other courses in the area (my suggestion is Kingsbarns, as it really is the most wonderful golf course), then heading off to play some of the ‘hidden gems’ of Scotland, Spey Valley, Boat of Garten, Nairn, Brora and Tain. You could have a self-drive holiday, allowing you to travel at your own pace, with accommodation in B & B’s, so you would have the opportunity of meeting the locals and getting a totally different feel about Scotland.

Your preference may be to stay in luxurious hotels or golf resorts and you will find some really prestigious hotels and golf resorts throughout Scotland, such as Gleneagles, which has just been voted the best golf resort in the world!.

 

Perhaps you would prefer to play the Scottish courses you’ve seen the Pros master at the Open Championship. Courses such as:

The Ailsa course at Turnberry:
Turnberry has a century-plus history as a luxurious golf hotel on Scotland’s southwest shores, but it’s the newest addition to the rota, first hosting the Open in 1977, and is the sight of perhaps Tom Watson’s greatest triumph (the “Duel in the Sun”) and crushing defeat in 2009.

Carnoustie Championship Links:
Carnoustie was once considered to have a weak finish until alterations were made in 1937.

Today, the course is associated with heartbreak and collapse more than any other Open venue, thanks to Jean Van de Velde’s 1999 meltdown and Sergio Garcia’s missed par putt at the 72nd hole to win in 2007.

Old Course at Royal Troon:
In 1923, Royal Troon Golf Club took the Open reigns from its next-door neighbor Prestwick and has now hosted the Open eight times.

Troon features a traditional out-and-in routing with the real meat of links holes coming in the middle. That includes the Postage Stamp, one of golf’s great and influential short par 3s. The saying goes at Troon that patience usually prevails over power.

Muirfield:
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers moved to Muirfield in 1891, and its new course was instantly gratified, hosting the 1892 Open Championship, the first of 15.

Over the years, it would rise to the top of golf-rich East Lothian, thanks in part to an imaginative routing where no consecutive holes have the same wind direction.

Prestwick Golf Club:
The 2010 staging is the Open’s 150th anniversary thanks to Prestwick, which hosted the first open in 1860 on a 12-course loop.

Now with 18 holes, Prestwick easily remains the quirkiest of all the Open championship courses. Blind shots, the mighty Sahara bunker on No. 17 and a drivable 18th that, with a big bounce, could put your ball in lobby, makes for a maddening but all-too-enjoyable taste of golf the way it was once played.

Did you know that the first Open was played at Musselburgh Golf Club, which at the time was the epicentre for golf? It’s the oldest golf course in the world, as documented in the Guiness Book of Records. It’s rumoured that Mary, Queen of Scots played the original 8 holes in 1567!

There are so many fantastic courses to play in Scotland, and we can arrange a wonderful golfing holiday for you that won’t break the bank! Please contact judy@golfingholidays.com.au as we’d love the opportunity to work with you.