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.

Eight miles south of St Andrews lies Kingsbarns, possibly the last true links to be developed in Scotland. In fact, Kingsbarns’ golf origins go back some 200 years when it was home to a nine-hole course and golf club. The new revival is heralded as a truly spectacular and worthy addition to the legendary St Andrews portfolio. Embracing the sea as it does, the layout is superb with each hole offering a great sea view, and seven of them actually playing over or alongside the sea. The course design provides great variety and presents a stiff golfing challenge balanced by generous greens and wide fairways.

While celebrated as one of the great venues in championship golf, Carnoustie must also be regarded as one of the most demanding. This is a tough golf course that few have tamed and it is often described as Scotland’s ultimate golfing challenge. Carnoustie is truly a great test for the able golfer and it is neither for the novice nor the faint hearted, although everyone who loves and enjoys the game will marvel at its intricacies. It is simply a ‘must’ for the avid player; as Hogan said, ‘No player’s experience can be complete without playing Carnoustie’. Fashioned by Old Tom Morris in 1857, and extended by James Braid in 1926, Carnoustie has played host to several Open Championships.

Dumbarnie Links is located 11 miles directly south of St Andrews on the Fife coast with a mile and half sea frontage overlooking the Firth of Forth. This Clive Clark design golf course has a unique topography that climbs from the water’s edge to a high point of 80 feet above sea level. The extensive 345-acre site at Dumbarnie has dual elevations, which are connected by a flowing escarpment and have provided the opportunity to create a number of elevated tees where holes play directly towards panoramic views of the sea.

Opened in 1919, the King’s is a triumph of golf course design. Every hole is a surprise – not one is overlooked by another so that you have the glorious sensation of being the only ones on the course. The King’s is a tough track and has hosted many great championships; James Braid’s plan for the course was to test even the best players’ shot-making skills. The King’s is arguably the best inland course in Scotland.

Muirfield is recognised as one of the oldest golf clubs in the world, with records dating back to 1744. Golf has been played at Muirfield since 1891 on a course laid out by ‘Old’ Tom Morris, and the first Open Championship to be played over 72 holes was held here in 1892. The course has been modified from time to time and ranks as one of the most challenging ‘Open’ venues. Muirfield is different to most traditional Scottish Links Courses in that it has two loops of 9 holes, rather than the usual out and in format.

North Berwick is one of Scotland’s oldest golfing venues with a character of its own: the beach, the burn and low walls present hazards that combine to make it that little bit different. The great mound of the Bass Rock sitting out in the Firth makes a splendid backdrop to an unforgettable course.Probably most renowned (and most imitated by architects all over the world) is The ‘Redan’, the fifteenth hole, which has remained unchanged for over 150 years, as has much of the course. The timeless nature of the course is reflected in the little jigger approach shots that one is forced to play.

Sited on a narrow tract of land between the Atlantic Ocean and the Ayrshire coast’s railway line, Western Gailes golf course is a marvellous classic links that has shades of Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick all rolled into one. With the well- sheltered holes winding through low dunes, Western Gailes is long and testing enough to have played host to some significant championships, including the Curtis Cup, and is a regular Open qualifying venue. Western Gailes is a course of great variety that is challenging for the experienced player and a test for the able beginner.

This prestigious club came into being in 1878, when twenty-three members from Prestwick went their own way and built this splendid links course. Today it is one of the great Open venues, having last hosted the event in 2016. It is favoured for its quirky greens and long holes that can make for low scoring or quite the opposite! Royal Troon has the shortest hole of all the Open venues: the 126-yard eighth hole – called ‘the Postage Stamp’ because of its tiny green. Miss a green at Troon and, quite simply, you drop a shot. Troon is surely one of the world’s great golfing shrines.

The most junior of Open venues, the Ailsa course is nevertheless one of the best and toughest challenges in championship golf. Sited between the magnificent Turnberry Hotel and the sea, this great course weaves in and out of spectacular dunes. Turnberry lighthouse and Ailsa Craig, standing over 1,200 foot high out at sea, form great backdrops to all of the holes, and the ruins of Robert the Bruce’s castle can be seen from the signature 9th hole. Although stretched to over 7,000 yards for Open Championships, the medal course is not one that demands great power for par but rather more care and attention to detail both off the tee and with the approach shots.

Cabot Highlands (previously Castle Stuart Golf Course) is a relatively new championship course. Opened in 2009 but already has a remarkable history, hosting some of the world’s leading golfers in the European Tour’s Scottish Open on four occasions. Designed by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse, it is regarded as a model for modern golf architecture. Being fun, engaging and playable for every-day players of all abilities, but also a challenge for the very best. At Cabot Highlands, nature bequeathed an opportunity for a links course to enjoy a rich landscape texture of whins. Gorse and broom, heather and marram – a landscape mosaic of rugged beauty.

Founded in 1887, Nairn was made the great links challenge that it is today by Tom Morris and, subsequently, the renowned James Braid of Earlsferry. Nairn might seem simply to be a track through whins and heather, but one only has to play it once to appreciate why it is considered one of the best championship courses in Scotland. Far from a casual walk through the dunes, the course requires that you call on the whole spectrum of shots available in a golfer’s repertoire. Nairn has hosted the Walker Cup and the British Amateur Championship, as well as other prestigious tournaments.

One of the world’s great courses and only the remoteness of its location hinders it from being an Open venue. Dornoch is possibly Scottish links golf at its best, whatever the time of year. In spring, the sea of yellow gorse is truly something to behold. On a summer’s evening, or in the still of an autumn afternoon when the heather is in full purple bloom, Dornoch is as close to a golfing paradise as one can get. Golf has been played here since the 17th century but it was the influence of the legendary Tom Morris in 1886 that made it the spectacle and challenge that it is today.

Commissioned by the Great North of Scotland Railways Company, Cruden Bay Golf Club was designed by Old Tom Morris and opened in 1899. Once regarded as a hidden gem, Cruden Bay is now viewed as a must play on most visiting golfers’ itineraries. Located on the shores of the North Sea, 20 miles north of Royal Aberdeen, the course is well worth a visit. Contoured greens, high sand dunes and magnificent panoramic views all add to the wonderful experience.

Donald Trump’s eagerly awaited golf course in Scotland opened for play in July 2012 after more than five years in the planning. The 18-hole championship course, designed by renowned golf course architect Martin Hawtree, compliments the natural landscape and offer sea views from nearly every hole. The course is both beautiful and challenging for golfers of all levels.

The Balgownie links of the Royal Aberdeen Golf Club lies on the edge of the town, running alongside Aberdeen Beach with endless yellow sand and north sea views. Balgownie has a long history with golf, dating back to the 18th century, and it is still considered one of the best golf courses in Scotland. The setting of this traditional links course, amidst beautiful dunes and wide fairways creating some of most memorable holes in golf. Host to the 2011 Walker Cup and the 2014 Scottish Open.

The panoramic views from the number one course, and especially from the top of Gullane Hill on the 7th hole, are some of the most famous in golf. Gullane number one, which was opened in 1884, has a long history of hostingInternational Championship events, including the OpenChampionship qualifiers when the tournament is held at nearby Muirfield. The course opens with a modest par four, but there are plenty of challenges throughout the eighteen holes to test your abilities.

Dunbar is a classic links course situated roughly 15 miles east of Muirfield. The course offers outstanding views across the Firth of Forth and over to the Kingdom of Fife. Laid out in 1856 and redesigned by Old Tom Morris in 1894, Dunbar has hosted several national championships as well as being host to final Open qualifiers. Although it is a relatively short course, measuring 6,597 from the medal tees, golfers will be challenged by the extra dimension that the wind adds to every links game.

Founded in 1894 and designed by Old Tom Morris, Luffness New Golf Club offers challenging and enjoyable golf in a historic setting. Situated in the heart of the renowned golfing country on the East Lothian coastline neighbouring Gullane, Muirfield and North Berwick Golf Clubs. The course is fairly flat apart from minor undulations associated with seaside courses and on nice days and bad, Luffness offers a feeling of escape, allied to a sense of challenge and enjoyment. The course measures 6328 yds, Par 70, a reasonable figure on a calm day, but very tight if even a slight wind  is blowing.

Golf has been played over this piece of links land prior to 1850, with Kilspindie Golf Club officially established in 1899 due to a divided membership and the subsequent opening of Luffness New Golf Club. The links were designed by legendary locals Willie Park Jr. and Ben Sayers, with only minor modifications over the years. Pressed against the banks of the Firth of Forth, the direction and strength of the wind will dictate how favourable the days conditions are for play. Its location also ensures golfers at Kilspindie are no stranger to witnessing sea-birds diving for food, migratory geese, and seals sunning on the sand.

The most benign but perhaps the most beautiful of Gleneagles’ courses, The Queen’s is considered to be James Braid’s most elegant layout. Braid’s brief was to create an easier second course after the King’s, but he clearly couldn’t resist designing a course that, although shorter, is nevertheless as hard to score on as its neighbour. Accurate tee shots are the order of the day while the smaller greens require a deft putting stroke.

The PGA Centenary Course was created by arguably the world’s greatest golfer Jack Nicklaus. It’s a modern classic. Set as it is in the heart of Scotland, the country that gave the world golf, Nicklaus described the course as “The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with”. A feature of the PGA Centenary Course is the feast of views of the spectacular countryside in which Gleneagles is set. Putting on the two-tier second green, you are distracted by the lush panorama of the rich Perthshire straths.

Steeped in golfing history, this lovingly-tended old golf course hosted the first twelve Open Championships. Founded in 1851, the club’s first Keeper of the Green, Ball and Club Maker was none other than ‘Old’ Tom Morris, who remained at Prestwick until 1864. Despite several little changes through the years, many blind tee shots remain, which make for very demanding second shots. Every hole is interesting and many idiosyncratic. Every golfer should experience playing Prestwick at least once in their golfing career.

Dundonald Links is situated in Ayrshire on the West Coast of Scotland, a stretch of golfing terrain unrivalled in the world. This Kyle Phillips’ designed links has hosted the prestigious Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and Ladies Scottish Open in 2017, the first course to host both the gents and ladies’ tournaments back to back and is now recognised as one of Golf’s “must play” courses. The generous fairways and undulating greens partnered with a wide choice of teeing options offers a challenging and enjoyable test of golf to players of all abilities. Its coastal location and links conditions allows this golfing experience all year round.

Machrihanish Golf Course has been voted ‘best opening hole in golf’, as your first tee shot has to cross part of the Atlantic Ocean. Situated on the south-west coast of the Kintyre Peninsula, this magnificent, championship-standard links course has large and undulating greens, as well as many blind shots that call for accurate iron play. Although over 100 miles from Glasgow by road, this course is also accessible by air and sea and, as such, golfers should attempt to fit it in to their itineraries.

Hard on the Atlantic, Machrihanish Dunes is the only course ever created on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). David McLay Kidd ‘uncovered’ 18 magnificent holes along a natural routing through the mature dunes adjacent to Machrihanish Golf Club. No fewer than six greens and five tees lie at the ocean’s edge and there are spectacular panoramic views across to Northern Ireland and Scotland’s western islands from every fairway. Opened in 2009, Machrihanish Dunes is perhaps the most natural golf course ever built and features undulating fairways and greens, and natural bunkers and roughs.

Golf has been played at The Machrie since 1891. Designed by Willie Campbell and more recently modernised by course architect DJ Russell, The Machrie combines the very best of a traditional, historic links course from a previous age, with a modern Links. The need for thought, imagination and creative shot-making has not changed throughout the years and carries as much of a premium over sheer power now, as it did then, in 1891.

Ardfin’s course was designed and built over six years by golf architect Bob Harrison, who believes golf courses should look as natural and spectacular as possible. The 18-hole course at Ardfin is sculpted into the rugged Jura shoreline at the island’s southern tip and has been designed to minimise interference with nature, so greens are narrow with fewer bunkers required than most courses due to the challenging cliffside landscape.

Set in the Highlands, just north of Royal Dornoch, Brora Golf Cub is a little known except to locals. This gem of a links was designed by Old Tom Morris and upgraded by James Braid, and it combines beautiful scenery and exceptional views with some very testing holes. Brora is a true links course with a mixture of bent grass, beach sand and gorse; there is also a railway line that comes into play on the 10th hole. Although it only plays 6,110 yards from the back tees, the course provides plenty of challenges for all golfers.

Golspie Golf Club offers one of the finest settings for a round of golf in the Highlands of Scotland. With stunning views over the Dornoch Firth and the towering backdrop of Ben Bhraggie, this is truly a Highland Gem. The Par 70 course offers a unique blend of seaside links, heath and parkland to suit golfers of all abilities.

Located on the Chanonry Peninsula in the ‘Black Isle’ the Scottish links golf course enjoys breathtaking views over the Moray Firth, very close to the City of Inverness. Established in 1888 the course was re-designed by the five time Open Champion James Braid in 1932. The greens are not just fast but also deceptive, with tight fairways and strategically placed bunkers throughout the course. The course has received accolades such as ‘a gem of a course by the sea’, ‘perhaps the best jewel in the highland golfing crown’ and ‘a unique course with special character to be found nowhere else’.

Situated to the south of Royal Dornoch, Tain is a heathland/links course with spectacular views. Designed originally by Old Tom Morris as a fifteen-hole course in 1890, it was extended to eighteen holes in 1894; eleven Morris holes are still in play today. This is an easy walking course 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.