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Travel bucket list idea:

Last updated: 30 May, 2023
Expert travel writer: Fionn Davenport

Scotland is known as the birthplace of golf and is renowned for exceptional golf courses. It’s been played here for over 500 years, and today’s its home to some of the world’s top golf courses.

Scotland’s landscape of rolling hills, coastal dunes, and natural contours, provides an ideal setting. The climate, with its frequent rain and cool temperatures, ensures that the courses remain lush and green throughout the year.

Add to that a rich golfing tradition and history; Scotland has hosted some of the greatest golf tournaments in history and produced some of the world’s finest players. No wonder it’s a mecca for golf enthusiasts, and integral to the local culture.

Recommendations

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Muirfield Golf Course

Gullane, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

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Bucket List Experience
Muirfield Golf Course

Host to 16 Open Championships and home to the world’s oldest golf club, Muirfield oozes history – second only to St Andrew’s in golf lore. There’s no trickery, apart from the bumpy fairways – the greens are perfectly sized.

Adult price: £285

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

St Andrews Old Course

St Andrews, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

St Andrews Old Course

Setting foot on the Old Course means walking in the footsteps of every great golfer who has graced the game over the last centuries. Truly special, its famous tee shots, infamous bunkers, huge greens and crazy fairways make up the greatest walk in golf.

Adult price: £250

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

Royal Dornoch Golf Course

Sutherland, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Aerial view of the course alongside a sandy beach and coastline

Wild, isolated and spellbindingly beautiful, Royal Dornoch is the third oldest in the world, with turtleback greens creating some real challenges.

Adult price: £250

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

Carnoustie Golf Links Course

Carnoustie, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Carnoustie Golf Links Course

Nicknamed ‘car-nasty’, this championship course is a proper test; of length, accuracy, strategy and a whole heap of patience. Play well here and you can comfortably call yourself in experienced and talented golfer.

Adult price: £200

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

Ardfin Golf Course

Jura, Scotland, United Kingdom (UK)

Ardfin Golf Course

A modern masterpiece sat on the southern tip of the Isle of Jura, there’s a run of holes that hug the cliff tops, and the challenging course and stunning surroundings make this one of the best golfing experiences in Europe.

Adult price: £400

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

Trump Turnberry Golf Course

Turnberry, Scotland, United States of America (USA)

Trump Turnberry Golf Course

The most scenic of the courses on the Open rota, the Ailsa sits on a craggy headland with stunning views over Ailsa Crag, the Mull of Kintyre and the Isle of Arran.

Adult price: £325

Best for ages 13+

Duration: -

Logistics

Price from: £285
Minimum age: Any
Age suitable: 13+
When: All year around
Duration: -

Destination guides

2

Destination guides including or relevant to this experience

Scottish Highlands

Scottish Highlands, United Kingdom (UK)

Ruins of Kilchurn Castle on the edge of Loch Awe with brown hills behind

Magnificent mountain scenery slashed by silvery lochs and peppered with brooding castles: all laden with rich Scottish heritage, history and tradition. Drive the NC500 road trip, or ride on the spectacular West Highland Line.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh Region, United Kingdom (UK)

An overview of Old town Edinburgh and Edinburgh castle in Scotland. thousands of buildings covering the ground with on a blue sunny day with a scatter of white clouds

Capital treats abound, from mighty castles and royal palaces to gourmet restaurants and arguably the world’s best performing arts festival.