DESTINATION GOLF SCOTLAND 2026
Luffness New
Luffness New
There are rich pickings on this stretch of East Lothian coastline. Tucked in close to the Gullane courses is Luffness New. It has the same terrain and springy turf, and the deep bunkers almost mirror those of its more renowned neighbour but Luffness New has a strong identity of its own. Cross bunkering and treacherous rough mean golfers must consider tee shots carefully. The club is also well known for the perfect roll of its low-lying greens but it will take all your abilities to find them … your short game will be tested time and again. Elevation changes are subtle, the strongest coming as you head out to Aberlady Bay, but this links requires guile and careful navigation. The‘ New’ actually refers to the replacement course, which opened in 1894. Old-school, traditional links.
Mortonhall
A beautifully rumpled parkland, bursting with colour and variety. This is an old club – dating to the 1890s – and the maturity of the setting is captivating with views stretching across Edinburgh, the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills. The thrills come from several steep rocky hillocks, where holes are encased in blazing gorse. Trees and water add extra appeal as well as additional danger, and then there are the tight doglegs. The wayward golfer can be punished severely but the elevation changes make it clear what is required of you. This is a perfectly balanced par 72 and Mortonhall is playable 52 weeks a year. The par four 2nd is known as‘ Moorfoot’ and it is Index 1: the high tee shows off the course and the views.
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 clubhouse is set in a Jacobean mansion.
Bruntsfield Links
The Bruntsfield Links completed a £ 1.2 million course investment by renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert, in 2019. The course already bears the stamp of Willie Park Jnr, Alister Mackenzie, and James Braid. This Open regional qualifying course has been extensively re-bunkered to match Mackenzie’ s original shapes. The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society’ s roots date back to 1761 – making it the world’ s 4th oldest club – but this idyllic Edinburgh parkland has been the society’ s home since 1898. It sits on spacious, heavily wooded terrain, three miles from Edinburgh city centre, and is known for its gentle rolling rhythm, strategic bunkering and deceptive undulating greens. A new lake has been introduced, some holes reconfigured and five new greens added, and yet the fabric of this sweet parkland remains the same.
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