The course climbs over Gullane Hill in the same fashion as numbers 1 and 2 and you will get the same great views, and the same great turf, as its illustrious neighbours. It is relatively short, but a terrific examination. A par 69 and SSS 73 with tough par 4s – eight of the 11 weigh in at over 400 yards. Quite a few dog-legs and a lot of the greens are fronted by swales and mounds. 31. St Andrews (Castle) St Andrews, Fife – DOWN 1 Aside from golf, Scotland has much more to offer. Scotland provides untouched nature, majestic landscapes, grand castles and historic cities. And if you are into malt whisky, then one of the numerous whisky trails is definitely a great idea. The following Scottish highlights shouldn't be missed: Edinburgh Castle, Loch Lomond and the mystical Loch Ness, the magical Isle of Skye & the Cuillin Mountains. Crail Golfing Society is situated in the picturesque fishing village of Crail on the East coast of Fife. However, it’s the Ailsa course that is the stand out option having it’s own place in golfing history. It has played host to four Open Championships including the famous “Duel in the Sun”.

The early holes play alongside the water and it is a truly spectacular setting - keep your eye out for dolphins off the fourth fairway. The 6,500-yard white tees are playable, but don’t hesitate to go to the 6,200-yard yellows for a really fun round. Renowned for its excellent greens and among the most fun golf courses in Britain. The stand out hole was the par 3 11th, across a gully, 197 yards to the middle of the green. I had to resort to hitting a driver as I didn’t know if I could make it in the strong wind, leaving it short wasn’t an option. I was pin high and mightily relieved. 6. Carnoustie (Championship) Alongside the Balcomie Links, the club has a second course, Craighead Links course. Together they make Crail a true gem of Scottish links golf and is a must-play for any golfer visiting the area. 12. Brora Golf Club

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The fairways are as dry as a heathland with a completely different feel underfoot to how it used to be,” reports one panelist of Loch Lomond’s costly agronomic transformation. Secondly, when we visit courses, we make ourselves available to talk to the people there. We’re not secret shoppers. We are accountable. All 18 holes wind their way intriguingly through the imposing dunes and golfers will be treated to breathtaking views from various vantage points around the course. Each hole will have 5 separate tees thus catering for all classes of golfer." Muirfield is the home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and one of the finest links courses in the British Isles. Multiple Open Championships have been held at Muirfield with the tradition and history displayed throughout the clubhouse. It would be impossible to compile a list of the best golf courses, in Scotland and the world, and not include the Old Course at St Andrews. By far and away the most iconic course on the planet, you can feel how special the place is the moment you set foot in town.

The course is one of the most unique I've ever played, it's a quirky course full of deep bunkers and blind spots and every hole feels like a signature hole." There is plenty of elevation change, so you will definitely feel the walk in your legs when you finish, but you will have some great memories as well.Bauer Media Group consists of : Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Royal Aberdeen is again one of the world’s most historic golf courses and is one of the classic links golf courses. The heavily bunkered course offers almost no protection from the strong coastal breezes and can cause havoc to golfers on the elevated tees in places. The tee boxes are tiny, the fairways are covered in rabbit burrows and the greens are slow, there are cows grazing on the course and electric fences guarding the greens. Despite all this, it was delightful. A day at Muirfield is the best day I've ever had on the golf course. The traditions and history of the game are evident throughout the clubhouse and the "simple" design you see on the course feels utterly unique and effective." However, if you’re after a list of the top 100 golf courses in Scotland, scroll down to the bottom of the article. 1. The Old Course at St Andrews

It began life as a nine-hole relief course, but is a world-class moorland. The cute sister to the King’s is the course many of us have the fondest memories of at one of the world’s best golf resorts. Playable and scoreable if you are hitting it well and always with heaps of entertainment. The most popular months for golf are certainly July and August, courtesy of the fine weather experienced at that time of year. September can also be a good month for golf but does start to see an increase in average rainfall. Areas such as St Andrews which welcome golfers from across the globe each year are most popular in the summer months with golfers booking well over a year in advance to secure their tee-time on The Old Course. How much does it cost to play golf in Scotland? I grew up in the Angus area and as a teenager had a terrible experience around Carnoustie, shooting around 110 off the medal tees, whilst playing off 15.

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Greens are still a little extreme for some, but we tend to now think their softened nature is an interesting contrast to the more ‘classic’ St Andrews links – which is true of the clifftop course as a whole. The next stage was to go through every one of the courses on Alan’s list to see whether they should make the cut for the final map. Quite a few had closed since Alan had played, so that was an easy decision. Others were courses played only by the owners of private estates. Alan had managed to get onto these as part of a charity quest but they weren’t looking for anyone else to visit so I excluded them too. Set between the railway and the sea, from the 5th to the 13th is an immense test in a breeze. Burns are in play on a number of holes and green slopes can be difficult to read. Tough and unremittingly excellent. 19. The Machrie Islay, Argyll – NO CHANGE