The Old Course at St Andrews, the birthplace of golf, boasts a six-century legacy sculpted by nature rather than an architect’s design. Starting and ending in the heart of town, it’s famed for expansive double greens and shared fairways, alongside 112 imposing bunkers. The 17th hole, known as golf’s toughest par 4, requires a tee shot over part of a famous hotel. The Road Hole bunker and road itself await errant shots. A must-visit on every golfer’s list, it’s hosted The Open Championship 30 times, most recently the 150th anniversary in July 2022, when Cameron Smith claimed the title.
Situated to the south of Royal Dornoch, Tain is a heathland/links hotels with spectacular views. Designed originally by Old Tom Morris as a fifteen-hole hotels in 1890, it was extended to eighteen holes in 1894; eleven Morris holes are still in play today. This is an easy walking hotels with the river meandering through three of the holes. Always presented in beautiful condition, Tain is a good test of golf, with clever bunkering and natural water hazards. Tain is located 35 miles north of Inverness.
