DESTINATION GOLF SCOTLAND 2026
Kittocks( Fairmont St Andrews)
Kittocks( Fairmont St Andrews)
Of Fairmont resort’ s two courses, Kittocks boasts the greater shape and elevation. From the clubhouse and on the way to the 1st tee you will get a real taste for this with several holes on display … but you still haven’ t seen the best the course has to offer as they are hidden away beyond a deep fissure, known as Kittock’ s Den, and even closer to the sea. Course maintenance is fabulous, the sleeper-faced bunkers look the part, as does the golden fescue, and the two double greens are a smart tip of the hat to the Old Course. After a smooth start, the thrills quickly build as holes move from higher ground down to the low cliffs. The closing four holes, next to the clubhouse and overlooking the North Sea, promise an exhilarating finish.
Torrance( Fairmont St Andrews)
The name says it all, although Sam Torrance didn’ t do it alone … being ably assisted by Denis Griffiths and Gene Sarazen. You get a wonderful flavour as you drive passed the hotel and see several holes. It’ s a strong appetiser and while the opening holes are on the higher slopes, near the hotel, the back nine stretches away towards St Andrews and down to the clifftops. Fairmont’ s two courses bear similarities( conditioning and the golden grasses, most notably), but some deep revetted bunkers and slippery greens make the Torrance a tougher proposition than the Kittocks. Smart routing makes the back nine an interesting affair, especially when you play the downhill par four 16th. Pause for a moment and look towards St Andrews – it’ s an impressive sight
Scotscraig
This original 18 hole layout of 1905 was renovated by James Braid in 1923, and little has changed since then. The course blends links with heathland as it lies slightly away from the North Sea. It’ s a combination of crisp, tight, sandy turf, pine tree-lined fairways and blazes of colour. Such unique flourishes make Scotscraig an intriguing round of golf. The low, rumbling fairways deliver a testing mix of holes that sweep through the trees, across ridges and over chasms. Greens lie naturally and you can attack them in different ways but you need to be cautious off the tee: wayward driving only leads to trouble especially if you find the heather … or the trees... or the gorse.
St Andrews( New)
Another of the misnomers, the‘ New’ course was designed by Old Tom Morris in 1895. The courses at St Andrews do not present many elevation changes and that is true here, but there are plenty of other challenges because greens are small and the gorse still creates blind shots … which means that navigating your way around these tight fairways calls for precision. The New sits alongside the Old, and while the terrain and out and back layout demonstrate similarities the two offer unique experiences. The Old feels more open and forgiving but here accuracy is key, and many locals prefer to play it for that reason and its prettier characteristics: the gorse adds colour and depth, while the dunes out at the turn are home to the shapeliest holes … where the par three 9th green sits in a bowl, next to the Eden Estuary.
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