Traveler.com brings you great resources to plan your Scotland golf vacation. We can help you find hidden Scotland golf gems, learn how to play once-in-lifetime Open courses, pick the right hotels, and more.
Top Scotland Golf Deals
Free Scotland golf guide
* Best places to play, stay and dine
* Secrets resorts don't want you to know
* Tips known only to locals and a few
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Scotland Golf Vacations and Golf Schools
Best Scotland golf vacation operators
Perry Golf; runs tours in 12 nations, but with a long history in Ireland
Jerry Quinlan's Celtic Golf; long history in Ireland and Scotland, and one of the most recognized names
Golf Scotland; don't be fooled by the "Official Golf Scotland Site" designation - it's a private company, but a good one
Golf International; the only American company to win the prestigious "Icons of Scotland Award" for excellence in tourism
SGH Golf; in business since 1983; covers multiple countries with in-destination offices
Wide World of Golf; 50 years of experience with multiple international destinations
Top golf school vacations
The Dukes Golf Academy; at St. Andrews, part of the Kohler Destination St. Andrews experience
Top Scotland Golf Courses
East Lothian and Fife
St. Andrews Links Trust; the Scotland golf club entrusted with managing and preserving St. Andrews'-area courses
Old Course at St. Andrews; the altar of Scotland golf; home of the game
Castle Course; smashing new David McLay Kidd course on the cliffs
New golf course, Jubilee golf course and Eden golf course
The Dukes Course St. Andrews; fully-renovated by the Kohler Destination St. Andrews group
Carnoustie Golf Links; commonly believed one of the toughest courses in the world; regular host of the British Open Championship
The Devlin Course / Kittocks; Fairmont St. Andrews renamed the Devlin Course as the Kittocks course in 2008
Kingsbarns Golf Links; the best new course in decades in the St. Andrews area - until the Castle course
Gleneagles Hotel; famous 5-Star resort; 54 holes; the new PGA Centenary will host the 2014 Ryder Cup
Crail Golfing Society; the 7th-oldest golf club in the world
Balcomie Links; one of Scotland golf's top challenges, right on the Firth of Forth
Craighead Links; opened in 1998, a very worthy companion course to the Balcomie Links
Muirfield Golf Club; one of the Top 10 courses in the world; regular British Open host
West Coast and Islands
Ailsa golf course; 2009's British Open course
Kintyre golf course; solid companion course to Ailsa
Royal Troon Golf Club; another British Open classic; home of the famous "Postage Stamp"
Prestwick Golf Club; historic course in a more parkland setting
Machrihanish Golf Club; remote, but worth the trip and famous for its opening hole
Machrie Golf Links; becoming known as one of the world's top links courses
Highlands and Northeast
Royal Dornoch Golf Club; a classic; one of the world's top courses
Boat of Garten Golf Club; popular and challening links course
Carnegie Club at Skobo Castle; In a secluded corner of Scotland's eastern highlands, on the shores of the Dornoch Firth, sits Skibo Castle
Royal Aberdeen; 6th oldest club in the world; host of the 2011 Walker Cup
Cruden Bay Golf Club; #52 in World by Golf Magazine
Tain Golf Club; views over mountains and sea and benefits from a sheltered climate
Nairn Golf Club; on the shores of the Moray Firth
Moray Golf Club; 36 holes of links golf by Old Tom Morris and Henry Cotton
Golspie Golf Club; views over the Dornoch Firth and the towering backdrop of Ben Bhraggie
Durness Golf Club; the most North Westerly Course on Mainland Britain
Secret Tips For Your Scotland Golf Vacation
Secrets to Playing Turnberry on a Scotland Golf Vacation
This year's British Open will be at the Ailsa course at the Westin Turnberry Resort, in case you're thinking about playing it on a Scotland golf vacation.
You may know we highly recommend playing Turnberry's Ailsa golf course. It is scenic, has fantastic golf, and has the history of hosting the British Open for the 4th time.
Unfortunately, we can't tout the overall experience at Turnberry Resort now. Unlike most other British Open courses, Turnberry is a large resort that caters to corporate groups and maximizes rounds played. Play can be irritatingly slow.
On the first day, we were backed up from the first tee. It happens. We understand, but there were no attempts to speed up play.
As for rooms at the Turnberry Resort, get a forward-facing, ocean-view room if you opt for the Classic Single category on your Scotland golf vacation. Ours, number 241, was quite cramped, got hot, and had one tiny window that let in more noise from the back of the hotel than fresh air.
Professor "Warns" Old Course Could Be Destroyed
Have you seen the University of St. Andrews' professor's quotes about the Old Course at St. Andrews in danger of "crumbling into the sea?" Well, don't cancel your Scotland golf plans...
The rumors are based on a recent speech about how the classic St. Andrews golf course could be destroyed by 2050 if effects of climate change or warming grow. From the Daily Telegraph about the director of the St. Andrews Sustainability Institute:
"She said the old course...could be destroyed by strong storm surges...'There is a lot of coastal erosion...already because of stronger storms,' she said. 'I wanted to use something iconic to demonstrate what we stand to lose.'"
Did you catch that last line? "I wanted to use something..."
Scotland Golf Course Map
