Golf in Scotland
The home of golf. Ancient links, legendary courses and the greatest pilgrimage in sport — the definitive TGG guide to Scottish golf.
Scotland did not invent golf — but it perfected it. The ancient links courses that stretch along the Scottish coastline from Fife to Ayrshire, from East Lothian to the Highlands, represent a living archive of the game’s evolution. To play St Andrews, Muirfield, Turnberry or Royal Dornoch is not merely to play golf — it is to participate in a centuries-old tradition that has shaped every course that followed.
For the serious golfer, a Scottish pilgrimage is not optional. It is essential. The Global Golfer’s guide covers the courses you must play, the stays worthy of the occasion, and the recovery you will need after days of links golf in Atlantic winds.
Best Golf Courses in Scotland
The Old Course, St Andrews
The most famous golf course on earth. Every golfer’s pilgrimage — the Road Hole, the Swilcan Bridge, the shared fairways and the sense that every great champion has walked where you walk.
Muirfield
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’ home — a links of extraordinary quality and fairness. Sixteen Open Championships. A course that demands everything and rewards those who meet the challenge.
Turnberry — Ailsa Course
One of golf’s most dramatic settings — the Ailsa Craig rising from the Firth of Clyde, the lighthouse on the promontory, and some of the most memorably scenic holes in championship golf.
Royal Dornoch
Tom Watson’s favourite course in the world — a links of breathtaking natural beauty in the Scottish Highlands. Worth every mile of the journey north. One of golf’s most profound experiences.
Royal Troon
Home of The Postage Stamp — the most famous short hole in golf. Royal Troon’s Old Course stretches along the Firth of Clyde, with back nine holes returning into the teeth of the prevailing wind.
Brora Golf Club
James Braid’s Highland gem — a natural links of great simplicity and beauty, grazed by sheep and threaded with burns. Among the most atmospheric and accessible courses in Scotland.
Essential Scotland — Regions to Explore
Scotland’s golf is too vast for a single visit. Plan your pilgrimage by region — each with its own character, its own courses and its own Stay · Play · Recover infrastructure.
St Andrews & Fife
The home of golf — Old Course, New Course, Jubilee, Castle and more
East Lothian
Muirfield, Gullane, North Berwick — 20 courses within 20 miles
Ayrshire Coast
Turnberry, Royal Troon, Prestwick — championship links on the Firth of Clyde
Scottish Highlands
Royal Dornoch, Brora, Golspie — the ultimate remote pilgrimage
Perthshire
Gleneagles, Blairgowrie, Carnoustie — inland and links excellence
Argyll & Islands
Machrihanish, Islay, Arran — wild links in spectacular island settings
Golf & Spa Breaks in Scotland
Gleneagles
Scotland’s greatest golf resort — three courses including the King’s and Queen’s, the legendary ESPA spa, and a country house hotel of exceptional quality. The definitive Scottish Stay · Play · Recover.
- Three championship courses on site
- ESPA spa — pool, thermal suite, treatments
- Andrew Fairlie — Scotland’s only two-Michelin-star restaurant
- Falconry, off-road driving, shooting and spa for partners
Trump Turnberry
A luxury resort of genuine grandeur — the refurbished hotel overlooks the Ailsa Course with views to Ailsa Craig. Championship golf, spa, and one of Scotland’s most spectacular settings.
- Ailsa and King Robert the Bruce courses
- Luxury spa with ocean views
- Michelin-quality dining
- Helicopter transfers available
Old Course Hotel, St Andrews
Overlooking the Road Hole of the Old Course — this is as close as you can sleep to the most famous course in the world. Full spa, outstanding dining and incomparable golf access.
- Directly overlooks the Old Course 17th
- Kohler Waters Spa
- Sands Grill and fine dining
- Access to St Andrews Links courses
Explore More UK Golf Regions
From the Cotswolds to Cornwall — discover the full TGG guide to golf across the United Kingdom.