5 Greatest Links Golf Courses in Scotland
The Greatest Golf Links in Scotland
Scotland is the home of golf, with numerous offerings of golf courses to choose from.
Scotland does not disappoint in this regard, boasting some of the finest links-style courses in the world.
The iconic Carnoustie golf course, in Scotland
It is very hard to narrow it down to just the 5 best golf links to play in Scotland. Nevertheless, here are 5 amazing golf courses to visit in Scotland.
1. St Andrews Links
Arguably the most iconic golf course in the world, let alone Scotland, is the Old Course at Saint Andrews.
Designed in the 1850s by Old Tom Morris and Daw Anderson, Saint Andrews has been the lifeblood of golf in Scotland for centuries, and it has hosted some of the most iconic events in professional golf.
This course should be visited for its history alone, but every golf fan should play there at least once too.
The course is very open and appealing for golfers of practically any handicap.
The main, unique feature of this course is its massive greens. You can literally have an 80-yard putt to the hole, which can be both fun and daunting at the same time.
Regardless, the experience you’ll gain from playing at the Old Course is unlike anything else in the world today.
It is a far cry from Pebble Beach or Augusta National, but it is still unique regardless!
2. Muirfield
Famous for being the course Phil Mickelson won what would be his only Open Championship, Muirfield is steeped in history, just like many of the other courses on this list.
Muirfield was first founded all the way back in 1744 and it has hosted the Open Championship on 16 separate occasions.
What makes the course truly unique is the way in which wind plays a factor throughout the golf round.
The course is set up in such a way that the wind can vary greatly from hole to hole, making it a true Scottish test.
That is not to say there aren’t areas of opportunity to score, however, especially on the front nine, where a good tee shot will set up a chance for a potential birdie or two.
It is not the kind of course that will wow as far as scenery is concerned, but it nonetheless represents true links play, with bunkers and long grass that will penalise if golfers hit into them.
Players of any handicap can play here and have fun. This can prove difficult at other courses with such a prestigious history.
3. Trump Turnberry
Even though it is among the most expensive courses to play in all of Scotland, it is still worth the price of admission.
Turnberry was first founded in 1902 and it was taken over recently by Donald Trump, who brought in famed architect Martin Ebert to make major renovations to the course.
The result is a course that many have on their bucket lists to play, and for good reason.
The bunkering is what truly separates this golf course from the others on the list, as many are not only strategically-placed, but they are also very aesthetically pleasing.
That goes for the rest of the course as well, in that each hole is seemingly picturesque and beautifully maintained, no matter what time of the year you visit.
The tees are set up so that experienced golfers can face a true challenge of a course that stretches out to nearly 7,500 yards.
It features wide fairways to allow amateur golfers the opportunity to shoot a low score with some strategically-placed shots both off of the tee and approaching the greens.
4. Carnoustie Golf Links
The Championship Course at Carnoustie is among the oldest golf courses in the world, founded in 1842.
However, it is still a challenging course to play, even in modern times. It is a no-frills, true links-style golf course that will challenge golfers at every turn.
The fairways are narrow, to say the least, with bunkering set up so that it feels like golf balls are designed to seemingly go into them from off the tee.
If golfers can steer clear of the bunkers, they will find a course that is always in immaculate condition, with greens nearly as large as the ones featured at the Old Course at St Andrews.
Carnoustie can get a bit pricey during the high time of golfing in Scotland, but given that the course has hosted Open Championships, you should expect to pay up a bit to experience this great golfing venue.
5. Royal Troon Golf Club
Although Royal Troon is not as storied as the other golf courses on this list, it still deserves a spot for the overall experience that it offers.
It is truly a player’s course in every sense of the phrase, in that golfers must strategise their way around it in order to shoot a low score.
Bunkers are placed so that errant tee shots will be heavily penalised, making it prudent for most players to go with long irons off the tee when possible.
Henrik Stenson showed how it was done in 2016, with his long irons off the tee, besting Phil Mickelson for the Open Championship.
While most of us aren’t quite able to hit the low-stinging iron shots that Stenson perfected throughout the course of his career, it provides a good framework for how to best tackle the course and shoot a good score regardless of your handicap.
The attention to detail is something that helps to set Royal Troon apart from similar golf courses.
It should come as no surprise that it will be hosting the Open Championship once again in 2024.
What Other Links Courses in Scotland Deserve a Mention?
As the home of golf, Scotland is jam-packed with incredible links courses, but we can only pick five on this occasion. Let us know the ones we should have named in the comments below and we’ll expand this list to a Top 10!
