Choosing where to play on a Scotland golf tour is no easy task, especially if it is your first journey across the pond. But before you can decide on when to begin the planning process, or even who to invite on your golf trip, identifying where to go is probably the most pressing piece of the puzzle.
The best golf in Scotland is mostly concentrated within six distinct regions. Which areas are the right choice for your trip will depend on many things. If it’s your first and possibly only trip, the makeup of your group, the amount of sightseeing at hand, and of course, your budget, are just a few of the factors that may influence your decision on where to play.
What follows are the best regions to visit on a golf trip to Scotland, as well as the pros and cons of each, ordered by their popularity among our travelers.
St. Andrews
Pros
- Three marquee courses, two of which are Open Championship host courses, in one place: The Old Course, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns Golf Links.
- Excellent selection of less-heralded courses. Many of these often become favorites of the H&B Forces, as evidenced in St. Andrews Off the Beaten Path.
- Great for all types of groups: Buddies, Couples, Family.
- The array of pubs and 19th holes in St. Andrews is arguably the best in golf.
- Wide variety of Scottish history and culture both in town and within an easy drive.
- It’s The Home of Golf. Full stop.
Cons
- St. Andrews, especially if booking guaranteed Old Course tee times, will often hit deeper into the wallet than other regions in Scotland.
- Due to its popularity, St. Andrews requires planning further in advance than many imagine.
- You may add “hit my drive onto the roof of a hotel” to your golf resume.
Edinburgh & East Lothian
Pros
- The area known as Scotland’s Golf Coast features one of the highest concentrations of outstanding links golf in the country.
- Home to Muirfield and perhaps the finest single day in golf.
- The combination of golf and city life in Edinburgh and the selection of great hotels, restaurants, shopping and nightlife that comes with it.
- An ideal choice for all types of groups.
- Some of Scotland’s most famous sites, such as Edinburgh and Stirling Castles, are found here or nearby.
- Excellent choice to begin or end a trip given the proximity to Edinburgh airport.
Cons
- Like St. Andrews, securing tee times at Muirfield usually requires over a year of advance planning.
- Most of the best hotels in this region are found in the heart of Edinburgh, requiring a daily commute of roughly 45 minutes to the courses. One of many reasons to tap the services of an H&B Driver-Host.
- You may add “ricocheted my chip off the wall short of the green” to your golf resume.
Our free guide includes over 40 pages of valuable insight, plus links to nearly 50 additional resources, on Golf and the Good Life in Scotland.
The Highlands
Pros
- Home to the highest ranked golf course in Scotland by Golf Digest: Royal Dornoch.
- Castle Stuart, a four-time Scottish Open host, is also ranked one of nearly a dozen Top 100 golf courses in Scotland.
- Some of the finest touring options in Scotland are found in The Highlands. From Loch Ness and Culloden Battlefield to Dunrobin Castle and the Glenmorangie Distillery.
- The Highlands is a whisky lovers’ dream with multiple distillery touring options available.
- In terms of sheer natural beauty, no other region can match The Highlands.
- Although we still advocate planning as early as possible, the booking window in The Highlands is not as pressing as the other regions in Scotland.
Cons
- No members of The Open Rota.
- With the exception of Kintyre, The Highlands requires the longest transfer from the other golfing regions of Scotland.
- You may add “tripped on the electric fence around the green” to your golf resume.
Ayrshire
Pros
- Two members of The Open rota: Royal Troon and Turnberry Ailsa.
- Home to Prestwick Golf Club, The Birthplace of The Open Championship.
- Access to one of the best hotels in golf at Turnberry.
- Roughly one-hour to Glasgow airport providing an easy arrival or departure transfer.
- Ideal for trips made up entirely of golfers.
- Ferry service to Belfast allows travelers to combine Ayrshire with the links of Northern Ireland without having to board an airplane.
Cons
- The amount of nearby sightseeing is fairly limited as compared to the first three regions. Outside of the Good Life at the Turnberry resort, tourists may have little left to see after a single day of touring.
- You may add “hit my drive into an oncoming train” to your golf resume.
Aberdeen
Pros
- Home to three members of Golf Digest’s World Top-100: Cruden Bay, Trump International, and Royal Aberdeen.
- Cruden Bay has achieved “cult favorite” status among golf’s most devoted aficionados.
- Thanks to some of the largest dunes in Britain, Trump International is one of Scotland’s most visually stunning courses.
- Those in search of a vibrant pub and nightlife scene will find it in the heart of Aberdeen.
- Within a short drive of Aberdeen, the ruins of Dunnottar Castle is one of Scotland’s most visited and spectacular attractions.
Cons
- Like Ayrshire, the sightseeing options in Aberdeen are limited. Tourists may long for The Highlands or Edinburgh after one day of exploration.
- No members of The Open rota.
- You may add “drove two par-4s, made bogey on both” to your golf resume.
Kintyre
Pros
- Home to Machrihanish Golf Club, an Old Tom Morris design which features one of the finest opening tee shots in golf.
- Machrihanish Dunes is regarded as “the world’s most natural course” and was designed by Bandon Dunes architect David McLay Kidd.
- Here we find one of the best combinations of whisky and golf travel in Scotland, thanks to the Springbank Distillery and the whisky bar at the Ardshiel Hotel in Campbeltown.
- A pilgrimage for the most ardent of golf history buffs, those in search of peace and solitude will find it in no short supply in Kintyre.
- Like Ayrshire, Kintyre is typically most enjoyed by trips made up entirely of golfers.
Cons
- The most remote of all the golf regions of Scotland, getting to Kintyre requires either a helicopter, a ferry from Ayrshire, or a lengthy drive down Paul McCartney’s Long and Winding Road.
- You may add “lost two off the first into the Atlantic” to your golf resume.
Choosing which regions to visit during a Scotland golf trip can be a stressful task, especially if it is your first trip. As always, our advice here is to divide and conquer. You can easily visit two of these regions in a typical weeklong itinerary, but certainly no more than three. So pick the regions which are of most interest to you and save the rest for the next trip across the pond.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to Scotland, visit the pages below, read our Scotland golf trip reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
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