DESTINATION GOLF SCOTLAND 2023
North Berwick
North Berwick
On such a famous links it is easy to focus on North Berwick being the third oldest club in the world … but what sets it even more apart is the enthralling , often quirky and always brilliant course you will be playing . Holes constantly deliver an electric jolt of the unexpected as you head out and back in a classic links layout . The course offers wonderful views over the Firth of Forth , but its openness means any wind will influence your strategy and , with the natural and bold shapes , all of your skills will be tested . The famous 13th hole , with its green protected by a wall , makes North Berwick bucket list stuff … but so do several others , including the 16th with its Biarritz green and the par-3 15th , named Redan … a word recognisable around the golfing world to describe the specific green shape .
Kilspindie
The hidden gems of Scotland are plentiful and Kilspindie is one of the brightest . It remains ‘ hidden ’ because at 5,500 yards ( par 69 ) it is unlikely to draw the bucket-list , big-name hunting golfers . And yet this is traditional and natural links golf at its best . Dips , swings and hollows all await en route to slick greens , but wind will be your main opponent . Set on Aberlady Bay the wind will taunt you all day long , even requiring you to hit out to sea as you go in search of fairways and greens . The course runs in an anticlockwise direction and your early encounters with the coastline will make golfers with a fade extremely nervous . And yet bunkers often populate the opposite side of the fairway . It all makes for a course that requires strategy and common sense . Six par fours are under 300 yards but never assume Kilspindie is easy . A joy , yes : easy , no .
Dunbar
Dunbar is the southern-most links on Scotland ’ s east coast and it clings ever so tightly to the shoreline , fearing perhaps that it might be cast adrift … This is a traditional out-and-back links and Old Tom Morris squeezed holes between the sea and a tall red sandstone wall . Indeed , the 6th and 17th share a fairway … and a burn . The wall rises to over eight feet in places and comes in to play frequently . So too does the sea which is constantly in view and affects nine holes . Greens flow out of the land and will test you , but it is the fairways which prove utterly mischievous , especially at the farthest point . The four par fours from 11 to 14 are exceptionally tough and good course management is always essential . The scenery accompanies you all day .
Roxburghe
Roxburghe is regarded as a top 10 Scottish inland course . Designed by Dave Thomas , it is set within a 50,000 acre estate in the heart of the Scottish Borders , with the River Teviot and deep woods coming in to play . Golfers will discover a glorious golfing experience , where the flow of the rolling landscape , the variety of the holes and the spaciousness of the course mean you rarely see another golfer . But prepare for some lengthy greento-tee walks . Opened in 1997 , the course reflects the elegance around it with Thomas ’ s trademark large and undulating greens , generous fairways and deep bunkering constantly in view from the elevated tees . The downhill , dogleg par four 10th is a striking example . The European Tour Q School was held here in 2016 , and the clubhouse is set in a Jacobean mansion .
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