Any experienced golfer will tell you that Scotland is a golfer’s paradise. The chance to enjoy a game, however brief, at one of the many ethereal stadiums dotted across the country is like a gift from heaven.
The beauty of nature, shaped and smoothed to include smooth, undulating routes, is beyond comparison with the landscapes that feature everything from roaring oceans to ancient forests and moors.
Yes, almost any opportunity to get on a golf course in this mystical land is a great opportunity, but as with any pursuit or hobby, there are always some options that far exceed the rest.
Scotland has a surprising number of quality luxury golf courses, but if you’re looking for the cream of the crop, then these three options are your best bet.
The courses are outstanding in their own right, but what really sets them apart is their exquisite surroundings, the resorts and hotels that have sprung up around them, and their proximity to luxury tourist hubs.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club (Championship)
The nearest airport with private aviation support: Inverness Airport, 50 miles away.
This is a magical place. The Royal Dornoch Golf Club course is so unique and impressive that professionals and amateurs of all levels from all over the world are in awe the first time they set foot there.
If you are serious about golf and luxury travel, your journey will ultimately take you to the Royal Dornoch Hotel, like a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
That said, it does take a concerted effort to get into the club and enjoy it. The site will be a four-hour drive by road from Glasgow.
Booking is more convenient, more comfortable and more time-saving private jet and landed at Inverness Airport, 50 miles away.
From there, a helicopter charter can transport you directly to the club (obtain permission before your trip) and provide you with unparalleled views along the way.
Dornoch is not a newcomer. Written records indicate that an early form of golf was played here as early as 1616.
The first official nine-hole golf club on the property was established in 1877. In the modern era, the club offers a range of quality holes, offering demanding and potentially impressive play.
The 14th, known as “Foxy,” is an extended par 4 (nearly 455 yards) that’s one of the easier holes and offers golfers a classic Donald Ross-style domed green, the “Whinny Brae.” It’s a par 3 that heralds the course’s shift from low to high ground play; you need to tee off into a patch of gorse bushes surrounding the green to finish.
Playing on this course really tests a golfer’s skills.
Old Course St Andrews Links
The nearest airport with private aviation support: Dundee Airport, 11.3 miles away.
St Andrews is Scotland’s prestigious pinnacle golf community It is also one of the highest ranked courses in the world. The Old Course at St. Andrews has the honor of hosting the most Open Championships in golf history: 29, to be exact, and is even known as the “Home of Golf.”
It’s a rare and special link that was shaped by nature long before the golden game existed, but in such a way that it makes it an incredibly exciting and challenging course today (and hundreds of years ago).
St. Andrews has been widely reported on during its lifetime – it is not, after all, some little secret course known only to locals – but somehow its accolades always bear repeating.
History tells us that golf, or some ancient version of it, was probably played here as early as the 12th century, making it a strong contender for the title of “oldest course in the world.”
“The glory and prestige that these titles bring is wide-ranging, but it’s not just the status that comes with being at St Andrews. The Old Course is special, but not every first-time player can truly understand it right away.
Although the course looks flat on the TV screen, it has a surprising number of holes and ripples that make playing challenging.
The fairways are impressive and the pot bunkers can spoil even the best-laid plans, but that’s part of its appeal.
Muirfield: Honorary Company of Edinburgh Golfers
The nearest airport with private aviation support: Edinburgh Airport, 29.6 miles away.
Muirfield is closely behind St Andrews in terms of accolades. It has hosted the third-most Open Championships in golf history (16) and is home to the oldest golf club on earth (opened in 1744).
The course has changed dramatically since then – in the 1700s players used a five-hole course above Leith Links.
Today, Muirfield is considered an oddball course, but its holes consistently perform better than the best courses.
The bunkers throughout the course are stunning thanks to soft, eight-suction seaside turf beneath the fairways, and the rough is a real challenge.
For such a well-regarded course, the greens are relatively small, but that means strategy is crucial when planning your course of action.
Every shot on this course is carefully thought through, but it doesn’t stop there.
With its subtle contours and subtle borrowings, the putting surface also requires a firm hand and a considered approach.
It’s not just a golf game, it’s a complete experience Level up your game and appeal to the player’s senses.
Playing golf in the motherland
When it comes to golf, Scotland is the cradle of civilization – the motherland of golf. The courses here are outstanding in many ways, not least of which is their grandeur. As a player, these three courses will delight, amaze and challenge you; are you ready?
