Scotland Accommodation

Carnoustie Golf Links, host to the Open Championships, Angus Coast
Montrose Golf Links, Angus Golf Coast
St Andrews, The History of Golf at the British Golf Museum, St Andrews
Legendary Troon Golf Holidays, Ayrshire Golf Coast
Golf Greats, British Golf Museum St Andrews
Gairloch Golf Club on the West Coast of the Scottish Highlands
Stornoway Golf Club on the Isle of Lewis Outer Hebrides
Golf in the Shetlands Islands on Britain's most northerly courses

Championship Golf Courses Scotland: St Andrews Carnoustie Gleneagles Royal Dornoch

The origins of the game of golf are somewhat speculated over. Ball and stick games were being played during the Middle Ages with different leanings towards the games we know today as golf, tennis, hockey, cricket and baseball. The better questions are where did golf take root and how did it spread to other locations. The answer emphatically to these questions is Scotland. The game of golf evolved here in Scotland, and it is to Scotland that golf owes its legacy of continuity. A trip to the British Golf museum, appropriately placed in golf mecca St Andrews on the Fife coast, explains more on the history of not just Scottish golf but golf the game, now as internationally popular as football.

Scottish golf courses are all over (see the Scotland Golf weblink right for complete listings). Particular Scottish areas doing well for golf include Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway, the Scottish Borders, Perthshire and pockets of the Highlands. The supreme Scottish golf hotspots, containing golf courses which frequently host the Open Championships, are to be found on the Ayrshire Coast, The Angus Coast, the Fife Coast and in the heart of Perthshire. Scotland golf location meccas include Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick on the Ayrshire Coast, Montrose and Carnoustie on the Angus Coast, St Andrews on the Fife coast and finally Gleneagles luxury golf resort in Perthshire. International golf visitors are well served by airports near these Scotland golf hotspots. For the Ayrshire golf coast head to Glasgow Prestwick Airport, for the Angus golf coast look to Aberdeen Dyce Airport and both St Andrews and Gleneagles are just a reasonably short drive from Edinburgh Airport.

Featured Scotland Accommodation

Wilderness Cottages & Apartments - Scotland

A collection of self catering holiday cottages around Scotland and luxury apartments overlooking Loch Ness at Fort Augustus Abbey

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Golf Courses is Ayrshire - Troon, Turnberry & Prestwick

Troon on the Ayrshire coast, alongside Prestwick and Turnberry, is renowned for its place within the history of Scottish Golf. The Royal Troon golf course plays host to numerous world class golf competitions including the Open. Golf lovers will want to take a turn on the Old Course at Royal Troon, touching golf history and admiring the splendid views from the course across the Firth of Clyde.

You could certainly describe Prestwick as a Scottish centre for golf. The famous Prestwick Golf Club is home to the Open Championships - the first Open was held here in 1860. Situated off the A79 and just one mile to the north of Prestwick Airport, you can be literally straight off the plane and playing golf here on this historic Scotland Course.

Turnberry on the Ayrshire Golf Coast boasts two splendid luxury golf courses, both part of the luxury golf resort and golf hotel complex Westin Turnberry. The two on-site Turberry golf courses here include Turnberry Kintyre, with a Par 72 and Ailsa golf course, one of the world's best golf links course. Ailsa is remembered particularly for the Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson showdown in the 1977 Open Championships.

St Andrews Golf History, British Golf Museum

St Andrews on the Fife Coast of Scotland is a pilgrimage for golf fans looking to play golf in the footsteps of golf champions. The famous six golf links St Andrews courses are open to the public so you can touch golf history on the Old Course (Handicaps required).

The British Golf Museum is well placed here at St Andrews, a location at the heart of British Golf. Winning the Open Championships on the St Andrews Links is to be remembered indeed.

Carnoustie Angus Golf Open Championships

Carnoustie's famous Scottish Golf Links have played host to the Open Championships frequently (most recently in 2007). Carnoustie is one of Scotland's top luxury golf holiday resorts. The three famous Carnoustie Golf Courses - The Championship Course, The Burnside and the Buddon Links - have a long history dating as far back as the 1500s.

More recently through the latter half of the 19th century and early 20th, the Championship course at Carnoustie evolved into its present form. When local man James Wright put the finishing touches to the final 3 holes at Carnoustie, the Championship course here was henceforth seen as a golf course with one of the toughest final stretches in the game. Although champion golfers frequently play and compete here at Carnoustie, the links is an open public links so all are welcome.

Home to the world's 5th oldest golf course, Montrose is just one of the centres for Scotland golf along the Angus golf coast. The golf links of Montrose have been played for over 400 years. Montrose Golf Links consist of two historic courses - The Medal Course right on the coast, which has played host to the Scottish Professional Championships in 1967 and 1970. This course is particularly popular today with younger golf players looking to improve. Th course has served as Final Qualifying Course for the Open Championships. The second golf course is Broomfield, another 18 hole golf course. Three, no less, golf clubs exist in Montrose - Royal Montrose Golf Club, Montrose Mercantile Golf Club and Montrose Caledonia Golf Club.

Gleneagles Golf Resort, Perthshire

The Gleneagles golf courses are a test indeed, and legendary within the Scotland Golf network. Alongside Troon on the Ayrshire coast and St Andrews on the Fife coast, Gleneagles in Perthshire is one of Scotland's best luxury golf resorts. Jack Nicklaus' PGA Centenary golf course is here, alongside two more championship golf courses - The Queen's Golf Course and The King's Golf Course. James Braid, who won the Open Championship 5 times no less was also involved in the design of golf courses here at Gleneagles, and when world class golf players are involved in the planning of a luxury golf resort you know you're getting the best and a golf challenge up to their standards! The famous Gleneagles golf hotel offers a choice of luxury golf packages. Gleneagles is a superb golf venue for family golf holidays, with the 'Wee Course' (9 holes) offering excellent golf terrain for beginners. Several putting greens and practice areas are also available, plus you can book golf lessons via the Golf Academy here.

For details on booking Glenealgles Golf Breaks and lessons at the Golf Academy, see the Gleneagles Golf weblink right.

Nearby Auchterarder offers further golf opportunities. The Auchterarder golf club has a stunning parkland course with views towards Glendevon. The course is situated adjacent to the PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club

Royal Dornoch Golf Club has an 18 hole championship links golf course - rated in the top five outside of the USA. Golf in the links at Dornoch can be traced back to the 17th century. Old Tom Morris designed Dornoch's championship course.

Royal Dornoch also has a second course: the recently extended 18 hole Struie Course - also a links course. Check the Royal Dornoch Golf Club website for more information on the courses.

The Club welcome visitors and ask that they pre-book. Discounts are available in April and October. There is a Handicap limit for the Championship Course: 24 for men and 35 for ladies. Being just off the A9 it only takes forty five minutes to reach Dornoch from Inverness. So it's easily possible as a weekend golfing break or for basing yourself around the north east of Scotland for the many links courses on the Moray Coast and Nairn.

Royal Dornoch Golf Club, Golf Road, Dornoch Sutherland IV25 3LW. Tel: 01862 810219. Fax: 01862 810792. Email: bookings@royaldornoch.com or use the online booking form.