Scotland Golf on World-Class Courses

By my count, there are at least eleven world-class golf courses in Scotland that you can play and that are not hosts for the British Open. These include:

Click on the course name to learn more about it Crail Golfing Society: Balcomie Links Cruden Bay Golf Course Kingsbarns Golf Links Machrihanish Golf Club Nairn Golf Club Prestwick Golf Club Royal Aberdeen Golf Course Royal Dornoch Golf Club St. Andrews Duke's Course St. Andrews Links New Course Werstern Gailes Golf Club

For example, in its May, 2007 issue, Golf Digest ranked Royal Dornoch as the third best golf course in the world outside the U.S.A. and the second best course in Scotland. In their editors' opinion, it was only bettered by the Old Course at St. Andrews. In the same article, Kingsbarns was ranked 17th in the world, Cruden Bay was 32nd, Western Gailes 42nd and Machrihanish was ranked 44th best in the world.

The Best in Links Golf

Though very different from each other, these courses all have some things in common. They are links golf courses. They reward effective use of a wide variety of shots. Their length is demanding. Their greens are large, well maintained and putt truly. Each hole offers a different type of challenge.

As you play any of these courses, you work your way along undulating fairways, avoiding deep bunkers that are cunningly placed where errant shots are likely to go. You may find yourself needing to hit a tee shot over an ancient dune now covered with grass to a blind landing area. You are always within a few yards of the ocean and repeatedly feel the need to pause to take in wide and grand vistas of sea, mountain, dunes and sky around you. You sense that you are playing golf where the greats of the past learned their sport and you are somehow happily humbled by the need to figure out the subtleties of the courses that they knew so well. Why Don't Americans Hear About These Courses? Though world-class, these golf courses are not widely known to Americans for a variety of reasons. To see why this is the case

Cost Comparisons

Compare these weekday green fees set for Summer, 2007 for some of these "world-class" golf courses compared to their more famous British Open sisters:
( Money Conversion)

Other World-Class Scottish Courses Royal Dornoch Machrihanish Nairn Cruden Bay Crail Royal Aberdeen   £75.00 £40.00 £75.00 £60.00 £45.00 £100.00 British Open Courses St. Andrews–Old Course Royal Troon Muirfield Carnoustie Turnberry £125.00 £210.00 £145.00 £115.00 £150.00

Other Advantages Beyond Cost

Most importantly, on these Scotland golf courses you can enfold yourself into the Scotland golf experience, arriving at the course unencumbered by a swarm of other touring golfers. You can walk off the 18th tee and into the local clubhouse or down the road to a pub for a relaxed lunch. You can play a second round in the afternoon if you like. You can share stories with local Scots who seem always eager to rehash the day’s round or the last Ryder Cup competition.