Every golfer has their own individual bucket list when it comes to dream courses and locations. There is one country though that just about everybody has at the top of their list. It is a pilgrimage, it is golf at its most pure, it is of course, Scotland.
The home of golf doesn’t just have the history, it also has variety and a soul that no other location has. From the iconic links to amazing resort golf courses, there are incredible courses that are hundreds of years old and also newcomers already making a name for themselves.
I played nine golf courses on my Scotland trip, here are each of them ranked:
No. 9 – Queen’s Course – Gleneagles – Gleneagles is an incredible resort, packed with countless activities, great bars and fantastic restaurants. The golf holds up pretty darn well also. It isn’t any secret though that the Queen’s Course is the third wheel of the courses. It provides a unique experience, as it feels a lot more relaxed than many of the elite, prestigious links courses you think of when a Scotland golf trip comes to mind. It is tree lined and hilly with some stunning views, and if it was located anywhere else, would be considered a fantastic course. Also, this course and its neighbor the PGA Centenary Course had the best caddies of the trip, which is essential for a great experience.
No. 8 – Castle Course – St. Andrews – The one day of the entire trip that gave your stereotypical Open Championship, Scotland conditions, this was a brutally difficult course. Early in the round, we just had to trust our caddie where to hit it because of the intense fog. It rained hard, was cold and unbelievably windy. While it is fun to have a day like that on a trip to get the experience, it definitely still wasn’t particularly enjoyable. The Castle Course has some great views of both the ocean and the town of St. Andrews, but isn’t one I will likely rush back to.
No. 7 – Kingsbarns – This is probably my hottest take on this ranking, as Kingsbarns is a new, modern classic among golf fans. Built in 2000 it is ranked No. 24 on Golf Digest’s list of the greatest golf courses in the world. While Kingsbarns is fantastic, all of these courses are great, it was a bit underwhelming for a course that has drawn comparisons to Pebble Beach. While this is still an essential stop on a Scotland golf trip, it is just below the next six, all of which may be in my top 10 golf courses I have ever played.
No. 6 – PGA Centenary Course – Gleneagles – The host of a Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup in the last 15 years, the PGA Centenary Course is a fantastic addition to a Scotland golf trip, with a layout and style that can break up any potential monotony in traditional links style courses. This course is difficult to walk, which is unusual for many of these tracks, but it gives some fantastic highlands views. This course is a lot of fun with a good mix of tough holes and ones to take advantage of scoring on. It makes a lot of sense that this course, like many Nicklaus designs, works well as a matchplay host.
No. 5 – Castle Stuart – Castle Stuart is the modern seaside links course that I heavily prefer to Kingsbarns. This place is absolutely stunning. There are absolutely breathtaking views everywhere on this property that is built right on huge dramatic cliffs. This might also be the most purely fun of the courses that I played. I think a big misconception of Scotland links are that they have a lot of ocean views, when many of the iconic clubs don’t. Castle Stuart can make up for that completely. The only thing keeping it down is the relative lack of history, being built in 2009.
No. 4 – Royal Troon – Playing Royal Troon gives the most pure, Open Championship feel of any of these courses. That makes sense considering it is a mainstay on the Rota, hosting 10 Opens and one AIG Women’s Open. There’s so much history here and it isn’t all about the Postage Stamp, one of the most famous holes in the world. The stretch from 8-12 is maybe the best stretch of holes outside of The Old Course on this list. While this ranks low on some rankings of The Open courses, don’t miss it.
No. 3 – Royal Dornoch – These top three have arguments for the three best golf courses I’ve ever played, which means that the fourth ranked golf course in the world according to Golf Digest, comes in at No. 3 on this list. Dornoch has been around since the 1870s and it feels like it. It is rugged and seaside way up in the northern part of the country and has maybe the most unique overall set of holes on this list. The golf course is lined with gorse and provided some of the biggest winds of the entire trip. Bucket list for a reason.
No. 2 – Prestwick Golf Club – If not for The Old Course, this would have a strong argument for the most historic golf course in the world. The first ever Open Championship was played here in 1860 and Old Tom Morris was the designer and green keeper for 13 years. Prestwick has hosted the second most Open Championships, including every year from 1860-1870, but was taken out of the Rota because it is too small and compact to host the large crowds. That seems to have impacted its profile, as for with all the history, this felt like the least touristy stop on the entire trip. It is no frills and no nonsense, and that’s what makes it great.
No. 1 – The Old Course – St. Andrews – There can only be one potential answer for the best golf course I’ve ever played, and that is The Old Course at St. Andrews. While not every hole is great, there’s actually a fair bit of holes in the middle that are a bit boring, every inch of this place is brimming with golf history. Outside of maybe holes 4-10 at Pebble Beach, there is no more scenic view in golf than the finishing stretch here at The Old Course and while it is a major championship test, it is actually very playable and an easy walk. It is the greatest and most iconic golf course in the world for a reason, it lives up to all the hype.
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