Golf Tours

Scotland > Fife, Lothians & Ayrshire

Course Information / Course Map

As the 'home of golf' there is no better place to play than Scotland. The scenery is magnificent, the roads are quiet, the people are friendly and of course the golf is without par! Whilst everybody thinks of St. Andrews, Troon, Gleneagles, Carnoustie etc and imagines themselves playing in the footsteps of the great Open winners, these courses can be extremely difficult to obtain tee times and the green fees might not fit everyone's budget. However, there are many wonderful 'hidden gems' set in beautiful Scottish valleys and glens or along the coast. Our Scottish office has all the local knowledge to organise a full itinerary for you including accommodation to suit both your budget and preferences.

Courses

Crail / Elie / Gullane / Irvine Bogside / Kingsbarns / Ladybank / Marriott Dalmahoy / Muirfield / North Berwick / Prestwick / Prestwick St Nicholas / Royal Troon / Scotscraig / St Andrews / St Andrews Dukes / Turnberry Hotel / Western Gailes / Whitekirk

* Soft spikes are mandatory. As we anticipate that more clubs will change to a soft spike policy, we recommend that you consider having your spikes changed before you travel.

1 Scotscraig Golf Club
Founded in 1817 it is the thirteenth oldest club in Scotland and was designed by James Braid. It is a gently undulating links course with much heather and gorse rough surrounded by coniferous plantations. It is more a heathland than a links course.

Located: 10 miles north of St Andrews
Length: 6496 yards SSS 72
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

2 St Andrews Dukes Club
Designed by Peter Thomson and owned by the Old Course Hotel, it overlooks the university town and links of St Andrews and the North Sea beyond. A wooded parkland course where buggies are recommended, as there are some steep slopes to climb. Luxurious clubhouse with spectacular views.

Located: Just inland from St Andrews
Length: 7171 yards SSS 74
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

3 St Andrews
The home of golf itself, has a total of six eighteen hole and one nine hole course, all adjacent to each other on a strip of sandy links between the sea and the Eden estuary. While the Old Course has the most famous reputation, it is almost impossible to get tee times unless one is lucky in the daily ballot. However, it is much easier to get on either the New or the Jubilee, which lie on either side of it and almost indistinguishable except in name (and fame). In fact, the locals reckon that the New Course is the better course. It is 'New' in name only having been built in 1895. Similarly, the Jubilee is no chicken either having been built in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

4 Kingsbarns Golf Course
Kingsbarns is unusual in being a man made links course. Based on the site of an ancient 9-hole course, it has been lovingly constructed by American Mark Persimmon who has gone to great lengths to ensure its authenticity. Opening in summer 2000, it has the potential to hold its own alongside Fife's more ancient links courses.

Located: On the A917 St Andrews - Crail road just east of the village of Kingsbarns
Length: Yards SSS
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

5 Crail Golf Club
Crail's original course, Balcomie links is situated on the extreme easternmost tip of the Kingdom of Fife, Fifeness, with views of the May Island and the Forth Estuary. It is not a true links course in that there are no sand dunes, rather a rocky foreshore which has been the graveyard of many ships. Crail's second course, built with Lottery money, the Craighead Links is a parkland course that opened in 1999.

Located: 11 miles Southeast of St Andrews on the A917
Length: Balcomie: 5860 yards SSS 69; Craighead: 6700 yards SSS 72
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

6 Elie Golf House Club
Golf has been played on the Earlsferry links at Elie since the 16th Century. The links are gently undulating with no marked dunes ridges except along the seaward edge of the course. The drive from the 1st tee is up over a ridge and the starter makes use of an old submarine periscope to make sure the fairway is clear.

Located: 10 miles south of St Andrews on the A917
Length: 6273 yards SSS70
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

7 Ladybank Golf Club
An Open Qualifier, one of the finest inland courses anywhere in the British Isles, it is famed for its dense gorse and heather fringed fairways. Very restricted access at weekends

Located: On the B9129 off the A91 15 miles from St Andrews
Length: 6641 yards SSS 72
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

8 Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club
Originally designed by 5 time Open Champion James Braid, Dalmahoy boasts 36 holes of excellent golf together with first class on-site accommodation. An ideal venue located just outside Edinburgh, for those seeking a quality golfing break or a base from which to explore the other fine courses that we feature in this area. Access restricted to residents at weekends.

Located: 7 miles west of Edinburgh on A71.
Length: East 6677 yards SSS 72; West 5185 yards SSS 66
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

9 Gullane Golf Club
There are three beautiful links courses at Gullane and No 1 Course has hosted many major championships. The scenery is majestic and golf at any level can be accommodated. Visitor times limited on Course No 1

Located: 18 miles east of Edinburgh on A198 Edinburgh to North Berwick coast road.
Length: No 1 6466 yards SSS 72; No 2 6344 yards SSS 70; No 3 5252 yards SSS 66
Handicap restrictions: Course No 1 24/30; Courses 2 & 3 28 / 45

10 Muirfield (The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers)
One of the oldest private Golf Clubs in the world, with traditions dating back over two hundred and fifty years. The Championship course at Muirfield is extremely difficult to obtain tee times and has to be booked 18 months in advance. Visitors may play only on Tuesday and Thursday. Ladies may only play if accompanied by a gentleman player and may not lunch in the Clubhouse.

Located: Northeast outskirts of Gullane
Length: 6963 yards SSS 75
Handicap restrictions: 18 / 24

11 North Berwick Golf Club
A true links course, though no monster in length it demands the full repertoire of shot making. Every hole is memorable, there are blind shots, drives over walls and burns, shots across the bay and bunkers in which you can disappear from view. This is how golf used to be played!

Located: West of North Berwick situated on the A198 24 miles east of Edinburgh
Length: 6420 yards SSS 71
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

12 Whitekirk Golf Course
Situated near Dunbar, Whitekirk is one of Scotland's newer hidden gems with spectacular views of the Bass Rock and other islands, as well as East Lothian itself.

Located: East of North Berwick off the main A1 Edinburgh-Berwick Road on the A198
Length: 6526 Yards SSS 72
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

13 Turnberry Hotel
36 Holes of Championship links golf together with a 5 star hotel make Turnberry the sort of place at which to spoil yourself. Turnberry has played host to the Open Championship on 3 occasions, which makes it a very sought after venue. Hotel residents have priority for access to the course; non-residents can only get confirmations 2 weeks prior.

Located: 5 miles north of Girvan on A77
Length: Aisla 6976 yards SSS 74; Arran 6014 yards SSS 69
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

14 Prestwick Golf Club
Scene of the very first Open Championship in 1851, Prestwick is the definitive links course. No weekend access.

Located: Prestwick Airport 1 mile, near to railway station
Length: 6668 yards SSS 73
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

15 Prestwick St Nicholas Golf Club
Founded in 1851, St Nicholas is a classic links test that has often been used for Open Championship qualifying. Tom Morris was one its original members.

Located: Prestwick
Length: 5952 yards SSS 69
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

16 Royal Troon Golf Club
Seven-time venue for The Open Championship Royal Troon is a must play course for any itinerary on the Ayrshire coast. Not only does Royal Troon boast its championship Old Course but also offers the somewhat shorter but still challenging Portland course. As with all the Open Championship venues early booking is strongly advised, visitors allowed on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays only, lunch is included with the green fee. Lady golfers and those under 18 years of age are not permitted to play the Old Course.

Located: Southeast side of Troon, B749.
Length: Old 7007 yards SSS 74; Portland 6289 yards SSS 71
Handicap restrictions: 20 / 00

17 Irvine Bogside Golf Club
In relative terms Irvine Bogside is a new links course, it was only founded in 1887! Often used as a qualifying course for the Open Championship it is well worth including in any itinerary of Ayrshire courses.

Located: 1 mile north of Irvine towards Kilwinning.
Length: 6408 yards SSS 71
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

18 Western Gailes Golf Club
Classic championship links on the Ayrshire coast. No access to visitors on Thursday Saturday & very limited access on Sundays. No ladies on a Tuesday.

Located: 3 miles north of Troon on A78
Length: 6673 yards SSS 73
Handicap restrictions: 28 / 45

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