Golf in Scotland goes beyond St. Andrews, so expand your horizons if a trip is in your plans.
Up north, the highlands region has dramatic landscapes, a rugged coastline and a mix of quaint and challenging layouts that are worth a visit. And if you land in southern Scotland, stop by Trump Turnberry Resort, because The Donald knows a good piece of golf property when he sees it, and this is indeed that.
Trump’s Ailsa Course reopened in June after redesign work from English architect Martin Ebert. Prepare to give his effort two thumbs up, as Ebert basically crafted five new holes and modernized others by changing tee box and green locations.
The practice facilities are also top-notch, and there are two other courses in play as well. A miniature 18-hole course in front of the hotel atop a scenic hill includes partial pot bunkers and slick greens, making it a fun test for those looking to relax and not stress about scores.
The Ailsa Course also affords your first glimpse of the signature lighthouse as you tee off on No. 2. The view behind the par-5 fifth green as you look down the hill and toward the hotel is cool as well because of the 80-foot-tall Scottish flag. The par-3 sixth hole offers a scenic walk on the upper path to the green, and holes 9 through 11 are among the most breathtaking you’ll play in Scotland or elsewhere. The par-3 ninth requires a tee shot over water to a green in front of the lighthouse. When there, a course ranger will take you to the lighthouse for refreshments and a chance to relax and take in the scenery before starting the back nine.
If heading to the northern coast, Royal Dornoch’s two options are links layouts at their finest. Purists rave about the Old Tom Morris Championship Course design that makes the site an absolute treat, from the starter on the first tee in a traditional kilt to the undulating and elevated greens you’ll putt on all round. The course is laid out on different levels along dunes abutting the Dornoch Firth, with parallel fairways and pot bunkers key design and defense features.
The course celebrated 400 years of golf this year, so you know you’re on hallowed ground every step of the way. And if you have time to stroll around town, do that as well. Dornoch is steeped in history, with a human settlement in the area for more than 4,000 years.
A few centuries newer than Royal Dornoch is Castle Stuart Golf Links, where Phil Mickelson won the Scottish Open the week before winning the 2013 British Open at Muirfield. Although it emits a weathered and old-style look, the Gil Hanse-designed course opened for play in 2009.
Castle Stuart sits on an embankment with parallel fairways at graduated levels along the cliff. The modern, art-deco clubhouse offers spectacular views as you grab lunch or a pint. The opening three holes on each side begin in stunning fashion, at water level, so be ready to be awed by the many vistas overlooking Moray Firth, Inverness and Kessock Bridge. The overlooks give the perception that almost every green abuts the side of a cliff, but, in reality, you can look down the cliff from several putting surfaces and see more holes below.
Overall, Castle Stuart is fair because of its wide fairways, but beware of the sloped aprons around the large greens. Chipping and iron play demand delicate precision, and the bunkers vary in depth. The fourth hole has the course’s namesake 17th century castle in view beyond the green.
A short drive from Inverness is Nairn Golf Club, a brilliant blend of playable and challenging holes on a course that dates to 1887 and offers exquisite seascapes. It’s a classic Scottish links in that the front nine takes you to a halfway house between the ninth and 10th holes, the furthest point from the clubhouse, and the back nine takes you home.
The flags for each nine differ in color, which is also true of the layout. The outer nine has all its holes by the water but the inward nine is all played inland with fun holes that dart in and out of woods and flowering gorse bushes. More wind on the front nine also makes that side play a bit longer than the yardage on the card.
For a true highlands experience, Golspie Golf Club has a great combination of links, heathland and parkland holes. You begin along the ocean and catch views of Golspie, with No. 2 a postcard shot of a par-3 hole that has pot bunkers in front of the green and the quaint town and hillsides to the rear and left. If you haven’t yet felt like you’re in Scotland, that visual should do the trick.
Since all of these courses are along Scotland’s coast, they can be played year round because the turf is sand-based and drains well. The sites also avoid much of the country’s famed inclement weather because of their locations. Sunlight in the region generally allows for play until 11 p.m. in the summer and 4:30 p.m. in the winter, so plan accordingly. And have a blast.
