My original idea with this “Lesser-Known Golf Courses” series was to feature courses around popular towns or golf destinations. For the Highlands, the obvious choice is to feature lesser-known golf courses around Royal Dornoch, but I’ve decided to cast a wider net and talk about the Highlands more generally. Some of these courses are near Royal Dornoch and could easily … Read More
Lesser-Known Golf Courses Of… East Lothian, Scotland
Earlier this year, I sent out a survey to everyone on my email list. One of the most common responses was a request for more content about the lesser-known courses of Scotland. Those requests have inspired me to start a series of articles called “Lesser-Known Golf Courses Of…” that features underrated courses around Scotland. I’m going to group courses by … Read More
So You Didn’t Get an Advance Old Course Tee Time… Now What?
A few days ago I received a dreaded email… “Thank you for your application for an Advance Old Course Tee Time at St Andrews Links in 2024. Unfortunately, your High Season application has been unsuccessful.” After waiting for a month, dreaming about the Old Course, and planning ahead, it’s a gut punch to not get an advance tee time. That said, it’s not the end of the … Read More
How I Planned My Own Dream Scotland Trip
Much of this website is dedicated to planning Scottish golf trips, and while I’ve helped hundreds of people take trips of their own, I still get very excited every time I get to plan one for myself. Over the last year I’ve been piecing together a trip to Scotland with a group of my best buddies. It will be a … Read More
Carnegie Links at Skibo Castle Review
When I recently visited Skibo Castle and the Carnegie Club, the main purpose of the weekend was to see the recently renovated Carnegie Links. The course had long been on my Scottish to-visit list, but it was always a tough trip to make because of the club’s location and exclusivity. In the end, the round happened years after moving back … Read More
Royal Dornoch Golf Club Review
My two trips to Royal Dornoch couldn’t have been more different. My first trip was during my time at the University of St Andrews. A buddy and I took the train up from the Auld Grey Toon via Dundee, Perth, Inverness, and Tain, before catching the local bus from Tain into the town of Dornoch (a long day of travel). … Read More
Trump Turnberry – Ailsa Course Review
My first round at Turnberry was in 2011, prior to the major restoration, and prior to my understanding about not rushing golf trips. We arrived at the course, played our round, and rushed off to our afternoon loop elsewhere. For my second visit to Trump Turnberry, I slowed things down and really enjoyed my time. I arrived the evening before … Read More
Renting vs. Hotels and B&Bs on a Scotland Golf Trip
Whenever I receive many emails dealing with the same question, I quickly realize that I need to write an article about the topic. This golf season in particular, I’ve received tons of questions about renting an apartment in Scotland instead of staying in a hotel or B&B. Many groups realize they can cut costs by renting an apartment or home. … Read More
Golfer’s Guide to Scotland’s North Coast 500
Reay Golf Club Review
If you’ve read my reviews recently, you’ll notice a theme: extremely rural Scottish courses. Reay perfectly fits that mold as it’s the most northerly 18-hole course on the British mainland. If you thought that Royal Dornoch was way up north, Reay is 2 hours north of Dornoch! I made the journey to Reay as part of my trip on the … Read More
Gairloch Golf Club Review
Gairloch Golf Club is one of those rounds I think back to often. It was a cold and rainy morning in June, but there is something about the town of Gairloch and that area of western Scotland that stays with you. I played Gairloch during my journey on the North Coast 500, and I was lucky to be paired up … Read More
Durness Golf Club Review
As far as golf courses go, Durness is one of the remotest that I’ve visited. Durness is north of Moscow and on a similar latitude to Anchorage, Alaska. It is the most northwesterly golf course on the British mainland and to put that in perspective, the course is a 2+ hour drive north of Royal Dornoch. What a rewarding and … Read More
Castle Stuart Golf Links Review
During my first visit to Castle Stuart I couldn’t see a thing. Heavy rain, hail, and fog blew through the area with only brief glimpses of daylight – and the course – to provide an idea of where we were going. Despite all that, I loved it. That first round was over five years ago and after patiently waiting, I … Read More
Brora Golf Club Review
Brora Golf Club was another stop on my North Coast 500 drive, and apart from Royal Dornoch, it was the course I’d heard the most about on my itinerary. Brora is located only 35 minutes north of Dornoch, yet relatively few people make the journey past north of Dornoch on their itineraries. I stayed at the nearby Royal Marine Hotel … Read More
Golspie Golf Club Review
During years of friendship with Ru Macdonald from the Scottish Golf Podcast he’s always told me to visit Golspie Golf Club. He insisted it was a local gem that embodied the best of Scottish golf and partly due to his urging and partly due to my love of the Scottish Highlands, I jumped at the chance to go this summer. … Read More
The 6 Non-Golf Reasons You Should Visit St Andrews
This post is from Alexa Hammer in her Hammer & The Links section of the site! Please excuse my long absence from writing… I returned to the United States in late May and quickly left to travel to Erin Hills, Wisconsin for an internship with the USGA at the 2017 U.S. Open. It was such a special experience to be a part … Read More
The Scotland Golf Trip To-Do List
I write this with less than two weeks to go until I depart for my latest trip to Scotland. It will include two weeks in the Highlands, a 500+ mile road trip (the North Coast 500), and rounds ranging from hidden 8-hole courses to Trump Turnberry on the southwest coast. I can’t wait! The majority of my Scottish travels came … Read More
Royal County Down Review
This review was written by my good friend Tim Gallant. Tim is an avid golfer living in Edinburgh, Scotland, boasting North Berwick GC as his home club. We have played rounds together across Scotland and England, comparing notes and debating designs along the way. Tim is a real student of the game – enjoy his review and reach out to … Read More
Visiting Scotland’s Distilleries
I am going to use this post to not only describe my favorite whisky distilleries in Scotland, but also to show off some of the lesser seen beauty of the country. Adding a non-golf point of interest to your golf trip can add great depth and enjoyment to the overall trip. I took the photos below on various adventures (all including … Read More
Royal Troon Review
The journey to Royal Troon took longer than expected. A delayed journey to Glasgow led to a rush at the train station, which was followed by a public transportation nightmare. We got on the wrong train. A forward and rear train were leaving from the same platform, and we absentmindedly chose the train to Wemyss Bay instead of Ayr. After … Read More