Posts Tagged ‘scottish golf holidays’

Five of the Best Golf Courses in Scotland

Monday, April 12th, 2010

With such a rich history of golf, it is difficult to choose the best of where to go in Scotland to enjoy the sport. Between the large internationally known courses and the hidden gems, the country seems made to golf.

1. Kingsbarns Golf Links, St Andrews, Fife

Kingsbarns Golf Linkscredit

This links course opened for general play in 2000. Although it is new, it hosts Dunhill Links Championship (along with the Old Course and Carnoustie Championship Links). The sea creates an extraordinary experience with sights, smells, and sounds to tickle the senses at every hole. The visitors green tees play 6,652 yards (par 72). To quote Sir Michael Bonallack: ‘Kingsbarns might well be one of the last true seaside links sites capable of development in Scotland. Mere words cannot convey just how extraordinary the place is. It must be seen to be believed. And once seen it will never be forgotten.’

2. Rosemount Course, Blairgowrie, Perthshire

Blairgowrie Rosemont GC, Scotlandcredit

This gorgeous heathland course is lined with forests of pine and silver birch, with purple heather, gorse and broom sprinkled everywhere to add colour. The Rosemount has hosted many national events and was originally known as the Lansdowne.

3. Muirfield, Gullane, East Lothian

Murfield Green, Scotlandcredit

Muirfield’s club’s records stretch back to 1744 with the original 13 rules of golf they wrote for the Silver Club. The only course to have hosted the Open, the Amateur, the Mid Amateur, the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup.

4. Ailsa Course, Turnberry, Ayrshire

Ailsa Golf Coursecredit

This course has long known world recognition, hosting the Open Championships four times, most recently in 2009. The Turnberry lighthouse is nearby, and the links is surrounded by sand dunes and craggy rocks. The Turnberry lighthouse towers over the course, shading the ruins of Bruce’s castle.

5. Balcomie Golf Links, Crail, Fife

Crail Balcomie Golf Course Fifecredit

This beautiful links is short with a Par 69, but still with each hole uniquely characterised. The sea is seen from every hole and contributes to the difficulty in places. This stunning experience will test any level of golfer before the end, in part because of the added wind obstacle.

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Golf Breaks: Why Scotland is the Ultimate Destination

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Scotland is the undisputed home to all things golf and offers tourists, and locals, the best golf breaks in the world. What is now a sporting phenomenon is popularly said to have originated in 12th century Scotland when a group of shepherds decided to knock a few stones into some rabbit holes with sticks.

The game just took off from there and became so popular that, in 1452, King James II banned his subjects from playing golf as it kept them from their archery practice.

The Beginnings of Popular Golfcredit

The two oldest golf clubs in Scotland, being Muirfield’s Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews,  were founded in 1744 and 1754 respectively and the structure of the game soon settled in to what we know it as today. Golf was originally played with more or less than 18 holes but, when decided as such by St Andrews, an 18-hole game of golf soon became the norm.

A dream golf break for any golfer would be to take a golf break in Scotland and spend time at St Andrews to play the Old Course. The links style of golf course is the oldest in the world and was, of course, developed in Scotland.

St Andrew's Golf Coursecredit

Most links courses are found in coastal areas where the natural hazards comprise high and unpredictable winds and uneven fairways. Famous links courses include Bruntsfield in Edinburgh, Muirfield in East Lothian and Prestwick in South Ayrshire. It would be worth planning a golf break to Scotland even from Outer Mongolia just to play a round or two of golf on these venerable courses.

Scottish golf courses are the most beautiful in the world and are steeped in the history and tradition of the sport. Scotland also hosts the Open Championship three out of every five years and Open courses are also available to the casual golfer. So on your next golf break, why not try the Mussellburgh Old Course, which has been confirmed as the oldest course in the world by Guinness World Records.

It would, however, be foolish to spend all your golf breaks putting around famous Scottish courses as some of the most beautiful and exiting to play are the lesser known ones, which include Cromwell’s Dunbar in North Berwick and Roxburghe near Kelso on the Scottish Borders. Hitting stones into rabbit holes has given everyone so much pleasure that it will be around for many years to come.

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