A great many of the nearly 500 "home" courses scattered through Scotland provide a wonderful opportunity for visiting golfers to enjoy a genuinely local experience.

Some of these courses are maintained by local clubs of golfers who take great pride in their tracks. Others are secondary to, and located just across the road from, larger, well-known Scotland golf courses. Still others are municipally owned and run for the benefit of the local inhabitants. Finely, a few are private-for-public-play businesses that are typically located in scenic vacation destinations and would love to have visitors show up and play.

To be sure, many of these Scottish "home" courses are simply not worth your while. Why would you fly thousands of miles to play mediocre golf courses?