The Most Famous Golf Courses in Scotland
As the pound continues to tumble against the Euro, UK
golfers looking to travel abroad may find themselves
frustrated by the increased cost of travel, accommodation
and green fees in Europe. Traditional golf holiday
destinations such as France and the Algarve have become more
expensive, but the increased cost of golf abroad is the
perfect excuse to rediscover some of the finest golf courses
in the UK.
Keen players looking for the perfect UK golf break need look
no further than Scotland -its dramatic combination of
coastal and mountain scenery provides a stunning backdrop
for a golf holiday, and Scotland's numerous championship
courses are favoured by the very best players in the world.
It is the home of the links course - flat coastal courses
with few trees or water hazards, where the wind can have a
dramatic effect on your game. While the Scottish links
design has been much emulated around the world, it has never
been bettered.
There are literally hundreds of courses to choose from in
Scotland, including many of the world's biggest and best
alongside countless smaller hidden gems. But if you want to
play on the most famous and world renowned courses on your
golf holiday in Scotland, here are five that you simply must
play...
The Ailsa Course
The Turnberry Golf Club is perhaps the most famous in
Scotland. It contains three courses, but it is The Ailsa
that is the best and most challenging. Looking out across
the Mull of Kintyre, the Isle of Arran and the castle of
Robert the Bruce, it is certainly the most scenic golf
course in Scotland. But there's more here than fine views;
the strong winds demand even stronger drives, the ninth hole
(with a tee perched on the edge of the sea) is justly
famous, and the course as a whole is an absolute delight to
play on.
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Stunningly designed by Kyle Phillips, this course is a
masterpiece of links craftsmanship that hugs the coastline -
the North Sea is never out of sight. This intricate and
demanding course is only a decade old, but is already ranked
as one of the finest in Scotland. Watch out for the par five
12th hole, the signature hole on the Kingsbarns Golf Links.
Kyle Phillips may be a Californian, but he has created one
of the very best Scottish links courses in existence today.
Gleneagles Kings Course
There are a number of outstanding Gleneagles courses that
are well worth playing on your golf holiday in Scotland, but
the Gleneagles Kings Course is the pick of the bunch; it is
truly a course worthy of kings. Designed by James Braid, it
offers breathtaking views and superb design that has been
delighting and challenging golfers since 1919.
Carnoustie Golf Links
Skilled golfers looking for a real challenge on a golf
holiday in Scotland need look no further than Carnoustie
Golf Links. Widely regarded as the most difficult course in
the UK, it has hosted seven Open Championships in its time,
with even the world's best players often finishing well
above par. But if you are up to the challenge, the
Carnoustie will offer you a round of golf unlike any other
in Scotland.
St Andrews Old Course
Often regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, it is
believed that St Andrews Old Course has been in use for over
six hundred years. Not only is it the oldest, it is widely
rated as the best in the world. The natural terrain has
hardly been altered to create the course, and playing golf
here allows you to enjoy historic holes, classic scenery,
and one of the finest rounds of golf that you can play in
Scotland.
Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of GolfPlanet
Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf
holidays worldwide for over 25 years. The award-winning
specialist tour operator is privately-owned and determined
to ensure that both experienced golfers and novices can
enjoy unforgettable golf holidays in Scotland.
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