When your golf trip calls for a little sightseeing, there are an abundance of must-see stops in Scotland, Ireland, and England.
In this episode of the Golf and the Good Life podcast, join Connor and D.J. as they explore some of their favorite places to enjoy the Good Life across the pond.
The highlights include a climb to the top of a 1000 year old tower, a stroll through the ancient streets of Scotland’s capital, and a visit to the club that gave us the most famous band in the world.
When most travelers plan an overseas golf trip, the Open Championship venues are often at the top of their list.
Not to be overlooked, however, are the former Ryder Cup host courses in Great Britain & Ireland.
In the long history of the matches, the cup has been contested on many of the great venues of the game, not to mention a few favored stops for H&B Expeditions.
Here are a few of the Ryder Cup courses you can play across the pond.
Adare Manor
When J.P. McManus purchased Adare Manor in 2015, there was little hiding his ambition to transform the resort into a world-class venue worthy of the Ryder Cup. Less than two years after Adare Manor emerged from an exhaustive restoration, that goal became a reality.
Adare Manor will host the 2027 Ryder Cup, shining a well-deserved spotlight on what might be the best combination of Golf and the Good Life in Ireland. Of course, this leaves plenty of time to experience the “Augusta of Ireland” first-hand before the best in the world arrive.
If you’re counting down to an Adare Manor golf trip, the link above is a helpful guide for when the day finally arrives.
The members of Ridglea Country Club at Adare Manor.
Royal Birkdale
Picture it: Sunday afternoon. The final singles match of the Ryder Cup featuring a healthy Tiger Woods and Ian Poulter reaches the 18th green with the fate of the cup still on the line. Tiger, safely in for par, concedes a dicey little 3-footer to Ian, ending the competition in a tie.
Such a scene is simply unimaginable today given the patriotic rancor surrounding the matches, but in 1969 at Royal Birkdale “The Concession” gave us one of the greatest moments in Ryder Cup history.
The matches that year had been marred by acrimony between the two sides, and yet they ended with a show of sportsmanship which has always been so vital to our great game.
It also marked the start of a beautiful friendship between Jack Nicklaus and Tony Jacklin.
John Panek, PGA and the members of Davenport Country Club at Royal Birkdale.
Southport & Ainsdale
The region known as England’s Golf Coast has hosted 6 editions of the Ryder Cup, two of which were held at the James Braid designed Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club.
In 1937, the United States, led by the trio of Snead, Sarazen, and Nelson, marched into England and took home the cup – the first time the matches were won by a visiting side.
While this was the final time S&A would host the Ryder Cup, it has gone on to serve as qualifying location for The Open eight times, and hosted the Amateur Championship as recently as 2005.
Credit: Southport & Ainsdale.
The K Club
In the history of the Ryder Cup, no one has won more singles or foursomes matches for the United States than Arnold Palmer. So it is with great irony that the American’s biggest defeat came in 2006 on the Palmer Course at the Kildare Hotel & Golf Club, designed by The King himself.
Perhaps the American side was far too comfortable in the K Club’s posh five-star hotel to get their competitive juices flowing. Or maybe the course simply wasn’t their cup of tea – an unfamiliar sentiment for Rory McIlroy who won the Irish Open here in 2016.
Credit: The K Club
Muirfield
For all of the rich history found at Muirfield and the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, one that is often overlooked is its place among the Ryder Cup host courses.
The newly named Great Britain & Ireland team was soundly defeated by the United States, thanks to a starting five of Nicklaus, Palmer, Casper, Trevino, and Weiskopf.
That’s not to say, however, that the team of GB&I went down without a fight.
On the final day, relative unknown Maurice Bembridge halved his morning singles match with the Golden Bear, and took him to the 18th hole before finally giving up the point in the afternoon session.
Kyle Horton, PGA with his Kalamazoo Country Club members at Muirfield.
Gleneagles
When the Ryder Cup was hosted by Gleneagles in 2014, it was just the 2nd time the matches were held in The Home of Golf.
The end result repeated a common refrain from the matches over the last two decades: the Europeans kept the cup on their soil in rather easy fashion.
For golfers looking to follow in the footsteps of this history, it’s worth nothing that the 2014 Ryder Cup wasn’t hosted at the best course at Gleneagles.
That title goes to The Kings, and serves as a true testament to the quality of the golf found here. The Good Life is pretty exceptional as well, as noted in our complete guide to Gleneagles.
Credit: Gleneagles
Valderrama
If golf on the Costa del Sol has a crown jewel, it is certainly Valderrama.
The club played host to the 1997 Ryder Cup, where the American side lost by just a single point.
The European celebration, led by a jubilant Seve Ballesteros, was one for the ages.
As for the course itself, Valderrama meanders through an ancient cork forest and – stop us if you’ve heard this before – is often referred to as the “Augusta of Europe.”
The Expedition led by Jock Olson, PGA at Valderrama.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to Ireland, visit the pages below, read our Ireland golf trip reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
If you’re ready to experience Golf at its Finest with Haversham & Baker…
In this edition of Perspectives, Daniel Jones – H&B Marketing & Communications Manager – takes us on a journey to the edge of the Earth with a round at the improbable Cruit Island Golf Club.
“If you lose a golf ball at Cruit Island, it might end up in Newfoundland.”
Every time one of us mentioned to a local that we were playing Cruit Island Golf Club, the knowing glint in their eye seemed to say…
“You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
Turns out, they were right.
Most would wager that Cruit Island (pronounced “Critch”) is either 150-years-old or crafted by a golf architect du jour with an eye for adventure.
The fact that neither is true feels right on brand.
The 9-hole course was designed in 1986 by Michael Doherty, the head professional at the City of Derry Golf Club.
Since then, for somewhat obvious reasons, Cruit Island has remained firmly under the radar.
For most traveling golfers, a 9-hole course miles from the middle of nowhere is simply a bridge too far.
Even the most intrepid Irish golfers are likely to see Cruit Island as just another course on their map.
But that’s slowly starting to change…
Thanks to some compelling footage on YouTube, and a course that was seemingly designed for Instagram, the club has become social-media-famous of late.
Connor and I engaged in an unspoken competition to see who could text the other the latest post, story, or video the fastest.
Still, despite our careers dedicated to expertise in golf travel, Cruit Island remained the stuff of our digital daydreams.
That quickly changed, though, when the golfers who rely on that expertise started asking about the curious course in their newsfeed.
Connor Evers sends his drive on the 5th hole at Cruit Island Golf Club.
Marty, our caddie at Narin & Portnoo Links, tried to warn us…
“When you turn off the main road, it’s the longest 5 kilometers that you’ll ever drive.”
As we veered onto the R259 in the town of Dungloe, it was clear that Marty had played a little fast and loose with the term “main road.”
In Ireland, R roads are the sort of thing that would have inspired John Denver or The Allman Brothers to pick up their guitars.
When compared to the average country roads in the states, however, the ones in Ireland seem to be half the width and twice as curvy.
The lane markings are also, in a word, sporadic.
After several miles of real life Mario Kart, we turned onto the unnumbered road from Marty’s warning.
The single-lane path snaked its way up the length of Cruit Island, over an uncomfortably narrow bridge, past a shipwreck, and toward what felt like the edge of the Earth.
The feeling is common on the rugged west coast of Ireland, where it’s hard to fault our ancient ancestors for assuming this was just as far as things went.
Our doubts of finding a golf course at the end of this unlikely road grew with each passing kilometer.
But right on cue, a rainbow appeared just ahead – it would hang around for most of the day – along with a sign that, we assumed, marked our destination.
Fáilte – Gailf Chumann Oileán na Cruite
Success.
We arrived at Cruit Island Golf Club in what could only be described as a sunny hurricane.
Based on the deserted parking lot, we were clearly the only ones who thought golf was a good idea on this day.
An observation that was confirmed by Pat, who welcomed us inside the modest clubhouse.
“It looks to be all yours out there.”
We grabbed a pair of trollies, climbed to the 1st tee, and attempted to hear Pat’s overview of the course through the howling wind.
Despite a lifetime of Florida hurricanes, these were the fiercest sustained winds that I had ever experienced. Sending my entire supply of golf balls to Newfoundland felt like a real possibility.
Pat explained that the entrance road crosses the 1st fairway – because, of course it does – and that the flag straight ahead was actually for the 8th hole. The 1st green, he clarified, was across the road and to the right.
“It’ll all make sense once you’re out there.”
I was content to take his word for it.
As Connor’s ProV1 blew off its tee, the North Atlantic thrashed behind us and the paradox of Cruit Island came into view.
This craggy stretch of earth was clearly perfect, and completely ill suited, for golf.
Connor’s dad made the trek with us… “I have no idea how you guys are playing. I can barely walk in this wind.”
While trudging up the first fairway, in search of our drives and the correct green, I felt a sudden bond with Jim Cantorre.
Despite an absence of any formal training, most Floridians claim expertise in tropical cyclones.
As such, I was sure that we were playing through the remnants of some previously named storm.
When I shouted this to Connor, he held his hand to his ear and shook his head with a shrug; a clear confirmation that my theory was correct.
With the gales at our back, our shots into the 1st green never once considered stopping on the surface.
From there, we marched up a rocky knoll to where we assumed the 2nd tee was waiting. Pat’s confidence in our wayfinding skills proved surprisingly accurate.
The par-4 2nd is the closest thing to an inland hole that you’ll find on the course. It also happened to play directly into the teeth of Hurricane Cruit.
To our relief, the struggle to simply move forward was temporary, as the 3rd hole turned back downwind.
Thanks to a ridge that cuts across the fairway, the rainbow that led us into Cruit Island was the only thing visible ahead.
We blasted our drivers up and over the hill and hoped for the best…
Yours truly at the crest of the 3rd fairway. There’s simply nothing else like it.
It’s here that words start to fail Cruit Island.
The English language has plenty of highly descriptive terms, but none can capture the feeling of cresting the 3rd fairway at Cruit Island for the first time.
The fairway tumbles down to a tiny green. The putting surface is guarded in front by three bunkers and, at first glance, appears to be falling into the sea.
Beyond, a rocky archipelago takes the brunt of the crashing waves, while the peak of Errigal looms in the distance.
We wished those drives a pleasant trip to Canada and practiced our short game in silence for several minutes, unwilling to leave this improbable scene or spoil it with unnecessary noise.
The 4th tee is basically connected to the back of the 3rd green, which means it truly feels like it’s falling into oblivion.
As we sat on its makeshift bench and enjoyed a snack, we were hard pressed to name another spot in Irish golf that topped this one.
If there’s a better bench in golf, we have yet to see it.
Every ounce of content that we viewed before our visit had pointed to the 6th hole as the core memory from a round at Cruit Island.
When we reached the much anticipated par-3, it felt both surreal and totally preposterous.
The tee box is on a thin peninsula that juts into the Atlantic, while the green sits on a similar, if larger, finger of land.
In-between, there’s roughly 120 yards of crashing waves and rocky cliffs, shaped by millions of years by fire, water, and ice.
The hole measures just 137 yards, but thanks to Hurricane Cruit, the number was closer to 200.
Connor launched a 6-iron up into the heavens and it never had a chance. I flushed a hooded 4-iron that sailed to the right edge of the surface, somehow, pin-high.
We goofed around at the green for quite some time, like a couple of kids who were ditched at the local muni for a summer afternoon.
Given the setting and empty course, the moment called for chipping contests, cross-country putts, and a few attempts to land a ball back on the tee box.
From here, candidly, the rest of the round is a blur. But just before it maxed out my available RAM, Connor summed up the experience at Cruit Island…
“I still can’t believe this place is real.”
Connor on the 6th tee at Cruit Island.
We returned to the clubhouse battered and beaming. Pat was still there and offered up some much needed coffee.
“How did you get on?”
This is a common question around golf clubhouses in Great Britain and Ireland. It’s a marvelously efficient phrase that can take on so many meanings.
“How did you play?”
“What did you think of the course?”
“How about that 6th hole?”
“Was it worth the journey?”
“Will you be back?”
As we rambled on to Pat about our adventure on the course, I noticed the knowing glint from the past few days had appeared in his eyes.
Only now, it seemed to convey something different…
“You’re in on the secret.”
Golf at the edge of the Earth.
To be sure, Cruit Island is not everyone’s particular brand of vodka. It requires both extra effort and an open mind to properly enjoy it.
But golfers are an intrepid bunch by nature. The opportunity to chase a little ball at some far flung outpost is one that we’ll rarely turn down.
More often than not, though, what we’re really chasing is the story.
Whether we’re name-dropping trophy courses, or gushing over the place with an honesty box, the thrill of discovery – and the chance to tell our friends about it – is a powerful drug.
Ironically, the more we collect these stories, the harder we have to work to find our next high.
Golf courses at the outer reaches of the Arctic Circle, or the sandy wastes of remote New Zealand, are proof of our delusion.
And yet, that’s what makes the secret of Cruit Island a little surprising…
Thousands of golfers flock to Ireland’s iconic golf courses each year, yet few make the detour to the curious 9-holer at the edge of the Earth.
The ones who do never have to tell you. The knowing glint says it all.
Our free guide includes over 40 pages of valuable insight, plus links to nearly 50 additional resources, on Golf and the Good Life in Ireland.
For more insight on planning your golf trip to Ireland, visit the pages below, read our Ireland golf trip reviews, or have a look through our Yardage Book, where you’ll find answers to many of our most frequently asked questions.
If you’re ready to experience Golf at its Finest with Haversham & Baker…
If you’ve spent any amount of time scrolling the websites for golf travel companies, you’ve probably noticed a common feature: No prices. Most will say that fluctuations in price within the travel industry make listing them online impossible.
The reality, however, is they aren’t afraid of sharing an outdated price with you. They’re afraid of sharing any price with their competition. Of course, this doesn’t help you answer the most common question related to planning a Scotland golf trip…
How much does a Scotland golf trip cost?
By now, you’ve probably noticed there are no prices on our website either. That’s because Haversham & Baker is different from any other golf travel company.
We don’t have pricing because we don’t have stock itineraries. Every trip we plan is 100% custom tailored to the unique desires and expectations of your group. Once we get to know you and your travel companions, only then does your itinerary and price start to take shape.
What we’ve learned over the past 30 years is that most travelers in the early stages of planning aren’t looking for a specific price. Instead, they seek to understand all of the decisions and variables which will impact their final figure.
So what separates a $5,000 Scotland golf trip from the $10,000 variety?
What follows are some of the important factors which will influence the cost of your trip.
For additional insight, the topic of cost was covered in-detail on the Golf and the Good Life podcast. Tune-in below or wherever you get your podcasts.
When You Go
Just as you’d expect with other types of travel, the dates of your golf trip to Scotland will certainly have a big impact on your total cost.
The golf travel season typically runs from April to October. This is generally the best time of year to play golf in Scotland. Supply and demand for the peak months of June through August naturally drives prices higher during this period.
Believe it or not, there’s many reasons people visit Scotland beyond golf, some of which may affect rates and availability around the country. For example, August is always a busy time in Edinburgh thanks to a pair of highly attended festivals and the performances of the Military Tattoo.
Those looking to capture some savings will find it in the shoulder months of April and October. Depending on your destination, hotel rates are often significantly lower in these months.
Again, depending upon your choice of accommodations, the savings could easily hit four figures per person. The trade-off is that the temperatures usually average about 10-15 degrees cooler compared to the heart of the season.
The members of Muirfield Village with the Claret Jug in The Home of Golf
For example, thanks to a concentration of bucket list courses, golf trips to St. Andrews and Ayrshire will generally run much higher than a trip of similar length to The Highlands and Aberdeen.
Although we believe that every golf traveler should play the best courses in Scotland at least once, if your itinerary is stocked with nothing but bucket list experiences, your price will reflect it.
On the other hand, Scotland is home to an abundance of outstanding, but less-heralded, links golf courses. The green fees at these courses are significantly less than their illustrious neighbors, yet our travelers often find them to be among the most memorable rounds of the trip.
If you’re looking to capture some savings and value, your H&B Expedition Planning Manager can guide you to the courses which might be a better fit versus a round at the headliner up the street.
In addition to being The Home of Golf, St. Andrews also happens to be one of the primary drivers of the cost of a Scotland golf tour. The simple supply and demand of guaranteed Old Course tee times means that their inclusion on the itinerary will certainly hit your pocketbook. There are, however, other less costly ways to play the Old Course as outlined at the link above.
The members of Ridgewood Country Club at Turnberry
What You Book
The wide-range of accommodation options for a Scotland golf trip brings with it an equally wide-range of pricing. From private cottages and quality lodgings near the course to award-winning landmark hotels in the heart of Edinburgh, the available choices and price points are almost endless.
By enlisting the expertise of an H&B Planning Manager, you’ve not only saved yourself the time and hassle of endless hotel rate searches, you’ve also ensured that the final choice is the right one for your group.
By getting to know you and your travel companions first, our Planning Managers can match the property that’s best for not only the logistics of your trip, but also the dynamic of your group and, most importantly, your budget.
Besides the quality of the property itself, your room category will also have an influence on the cost of your trip.
This is, again, where the expertise of your Expedition Planning Manager may prove invaluable. They’ll be able to tell you when a particular room type may be too small for two people, perhaps offsetting the savings it presents. Or if the oddly configured Junior Suites at a certain hotel aren’t worth the premium over their Deluxe Rooms.
Of course, rooms with a view will also impact your final tally. And although watching the sunrise over The Old Course from your private balcony is a truly surreal experience, it’s important to know that it may wind up costing you more than the green fee itself.
The members of Palos Verdes Golf Club enjoy the Good Life at Gleneagles
Who is Your Roommate
A decision which may have the largest impact on the cost of a golf trip to Scotland is single vs double occupancy.
Because Scotland golf tours are traditionally priced based on double occupancy, opting to have a room to yourself will increase the lodging aspect of your trip by approximately 50%. Over the course of a weeklong trip, this could put a severe dent in your souvenir budget.
Depending upon your destination, however, this may not be an either/or proposition. There are many options around Scotland where multi-bedroom accommodations are available.
If you’re traveling on a buddies trip, you may appreciate the privacy of your own bedroom and en suite bathroom, combined with the added space and amenities found in the shared living areas. Perhaps most importantly, these options may fall in-between the single and double occupancy price points.
Again, this is where the expertise of your H&B Expedition Planning Manager shines through, as they’ll be able to share where opportunities like this, which also fit into your budget, may be available.
The members of Kalamazoo Country Club at Muirfield
How You Get Around
One of the last things many people take into account when planning a Scotland golf trip is the Point A to Point B. There are many things to consider when choosing whether to self drive or hire an H&B Driver-Host for your Expedition.
The majority of our travelers opt for the latter, understanding the benefits of an H&B Driver-Host far outweigh the additional cost.
The size of your group will largely determine the cost difference between the two and perhaps influence your decision. Generally speaking, groups of four or fewer travelers are more likely to opt to self-drive vs hiring a Driver-Host.
When you get to the magic number of 8 travelers, however, the cost difference is so minimal that almost none of our groups choose to drive themselves.
Once they’ve experienced the added value of traveling around the country with a local behind the wheel rather than wandering Scotland on their own, groups of all sizes quickly realize that it’s the only way to fly.
H&B Driver-Host Joe Sutherland awaits his travelers at Prestwick
Additional Tips
Caddies: If you plan on taking caddies during your trip, fees typically average about £50+ gratuity. Approximately $100 per caddie would be a good guideline to add to your budget.
Airfare: Naturally, airfare will constitute a large portion of your overall cost. Plan early and don’t forget this important factor when considering When You Go above.
Book Early: When you book your trip can have a significant impact on its final cost. The longer you wait to begin the planning process, the more it is likely to cost you.
As you can see, “How much does a golf trip to Scotland cost?” is not exactly a straightforward question. There are many factors, from accommodations and transportation to date of travel and courses played, which will impact the final cost of your trip.
By first getting to know you and your group, our Expedition Planning Managers can share what’s possible and what isn’t within the confines of your budget, while crafting a trip that precisely meets the rest of your expectations.
In the end, our travelers understand better than most that, to paraphrase a famous quote by Benjamin Franklin, the value of the memories made lingers long after the temporary discomfort of price is forgotten.
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.
To continue researching 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.
If you’re ready to experience Golf at its Finest with Haversham & Baker…
