This is the year that the 150th Open Championship returns to St Andrews and the Home of Golf. With 550 golf courses in Scotland, golf lovers of any skill level can easily plan the perfect Scottish staycation centred around the sport. Enjoy breath-taking scenery and championship courses. Why not relax at finest resorts and hotels after a busy day? The Home of Golf will provide a golfing experience of a lifetime…
Let us take you through our guide to Scottish golfing staycations!
St Andrews & Fife
Of course, we couldn’t create a Scottish golfing staycation guide without including St Andrews, The Home of Golf. Enjoy the fresh sea air and iconic and authentic links courses.
There are seven courses operated by St Andrews Links Trust including The Old Course. Playing this world-famous links is on the bucket list for all golfers.
The Duke’s Golf Course, part of the Old Course Hotel Golf Resort & Spa resort is a championship golf course with magnificent panoramic views over St Andrews. This 18-hole course was designed by Peter Thomson and his partner Ross Perrett. The five-time Open Champion believed that “a golf course should be a bit wild”. That’s exactly what he has created with The Duke’s.
Fairmont St Andrews also offers two championship courses at their world-class resort. The Torrance and Kittock’s courses wind their way around 250 acres of breathtaking coastal scenery overlooking St Andrew’s bay.
Fife is one of the most sought-after golfing destinations in the world, offering over 43 golfing experiences. Notable courses in Fife include Kingsbarns, Crail, Ladybank, Scotscraig and the recently opened Dumbarnie Links which is already receiving rave reviews.
The Duke’s Golf Course 
Perthshire
Perthshire is home to the iconic Gleneagles Hotel, offering a “resort” in the truest sense of the word.
Gleneagles hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, 2018 European Team Championships, and 2019 Solheim Cup. The resort is described as the perfect setting for a game of golf. The three championship courses at Gleneagles are a winning blend of natural beauty and golfing adventure just waiting to be explored! Gleneagles has won numerous awards and is number one in the Golf World top 100 UK and Ireland resorts.
The King’s Golf Course – Gleneagles 
Aberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire, known for rugged beauty, is home to a variety of celebrated courses. This stretch of coastline is more than worth travelling a little further out for – with over 70 courses to choose from. Plus, Aberdeenshire has two of the top 10 oldest courses in the world! Perfect for a Scottish golfing staycation, right?
Royal Aberdeen is not only one of the oldest clubs in the world, but also one of Scotland’s top links courses. Royal Aberdeen has hosted some of the very best in the game, having held the Scottish Open in 2014.
The Aberdeenshire coast is home to stunning courses among the best in the world. Cruden Bay Golf Course is set against a backdrop of dramatic views of the North Sea, attracting golfers from around the world raring to take on one of the world’s top 100 courses. Cruden Bay is one of Scotland’s hidden gems and one not to be missed during a Scottish golfing staycation!
Occupying a three-mile stretch of North Sea coastline, Trump International Golf Links is a championship golf course designed with remarkable attention to detail – guaranteeing the gold experience of a lifetime.
Trump International Golf Links 
West Coast of Scotland
The west coast of Scotland is a hugely popular golfing region steeped in heritage, stunning views, and great reputations. The west coast is home to some of the most iconic golf clubs, with the Open Championship being hosted here 37 times!
Trump Turnberry Golf Courses offer spectacular views across the Firth of Clyde to the island of Arran and Ailsa Craig and the Mull of Kintyre. You can even see across to Ireland on a clear day! Turnberry Resort is home to three courses, Ailsa Championship Course, King Robert the Bruce Championship Course, and Arran Course. The venue is often described by visitors as Scotland’s answer to Pebble Beach.
The Ailsa course at Turnberry Resort is one of the finest courses in the world and hosted the 2009 Open Championship – said to be one of the most exciting events in modern-day history!
The Old Course at Royal Troon offers a traditional-links challenge and hosted the Open Championship for a ninth occasion in 2016. The Old Course at Royal Troon is also home to one of the toughest holes in Scotland, known as ‘The Railway’. The 11th hole gets its name as the train line to Glasgow runs alongside to the right.
Trump Turnberry, King Robert the Bruce Course 
Lothian
Lothian proclaims itself as “Scotland’s Golf Coast”, offering a variety of big-name courses as well as being well-positioned with access to both St Andrews and Edinburgh. This makes it a great base for your Scottish golfing staycation!
Often overlooked for the delights on the north side of the Firth of Forth, Lothian is home to the largest concentration of links golf courses anywhere in the world.
Muirfield is an historic course in the region, with a highly unusual design layout with two concentric rings of nine holes. Host to fifteen Open Championships, most recently in 2013, Muirfield is considered by many professionals as one of the fairest Open Championship golf courses.
Muirfield Golf Course 
Scotland is home to some of the best courses around the world, so what are you waiting for? Scotland not only has the best courses, but a wealth of other activities to be enjoyed! Make sure to leave space in your itinerary to explore off the course, too.
