Golf Courses in Scotland
- Cruden Bay Golf Club
- St Andrews Links. The St Andrews Links Trust make this a wonderful golf destination with history, the culture, and the Scottish people!
- Kingsbarns Golf Links
- Craggan Outdoors
- Royal Dornoch Golf Club. ...
- Trump Turnberry Golf Courses. ...
- Cluny Activities. ...
- Carnoustie Golf Links. ...
- Crail Golfing Society - Balcomie and Craighead Courses
- Old Course, St Andrews Links. ...
- Muirfield Golf Club. ...
- Championship Course, Carnoustie Golf Links. ...
- Championship Course, Royal Dornoch Golf Club. ...
- Ailsa Course, Trump Turnberry Resort. ...
- Prestwick Golf Club. ...
- Kingsbarns Golf Links. ...
- West Links, North Berwick Golf Club.
What are the best golf courses in Scotland?
This 12,000-acre estate is situated stunningly on Scotland’s remote Isle of ... Ardfin debuts at No. 74 on GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World ranking. Join InsideGOLF for exclusive GOLF.com ...
What is the most famous golf course in Scotland?
We care about the best golf courses, not about who has the best clubhouse, has hosted the most tournaments or provides the best ... they were not able to comment on it. Chris Bertram (Scotland): Our Top 100 Courses editor, has played all of the UK&I ...
What is the oldest golf course in Scotland?
Top 10 facts about golf in Scotland
- The birthplace of golf The first record of golf in Scotland dates back to the 15th century. ...
- The finest courses in the world There are over 550 golf courses in Scotland today. ...
- Pioneer in course architecture One of the first great exponents of golf course was Thomas Mitchell 'Old Tom' Morris, Sr. ...
Where was the first golf course in Scotland?
- Carnoustie - Carnoustie, Angus Built in 1850, this is one of Scotland's oldest golf courses, with the sport having been played here since the 16th century. ...
- Gullane No. ...
- Muirfield - Gullane, East Lothian Built in 1891. ...
- North Berwick - North Berwick, East Lothian Built 1832. ...
- Prestwick - Prestwick, Ayrshire Built in 1851. ...
Are there any golf clubs made in Scotland?
The St Andrews Golf Company is the only golf club manufacturer at the 'Home of Golf' and the last club maker in the world retaining the traditional skills to hand craft completely authentic and playable sets of hickory.
What is a Scottish style golf course?
A links golf course is the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland. The word comes from the Scots language and refers to an area of coastal sand dunes, and also sometimes to open parkland. It also retains this more general meaning in the Scottish English dialect.
What is the most important golf club in Scotland?
1. Royal Troon. Founded in 1878, Royal Troon is considered one of the most challenging links courses in the world. Set within the beautiful Ayrshire coastline, an area dotted with incredible golf courses, in summer 2024 it will proudly host the prestigious 152nd Open Championship.
What is a Scottish Golf Card?
Exclusive to members of Scottish Golf affiliated golf clubs, the Scottish Golf Membership Card adds value to your membership and brings you a number of national benefits and special offers to enhance your enjoyment of playing golf in Scotland.
What does TPC stand for?
Tournament Players ClubTPC — which stands for Tournament Players Club — means that a golf course is part of a prestigious network of golf courses around the world.
What country invented golf?
ScotlandGolf originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland, in an area close to the royal capital of Edinburgh. In those early days players would attempt to hit a pebble over sand dunes and around tracks using a bent stick or club.
Which town in Scotland is famous for its golf course?
St Andrews Old Course 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.
Which town in Scotland is regarded as the home of golf?
Tiny St. Andrews has a huge reputation, known around the world as the birthplace and royal seat of golf. The chance to play on the world's oldest course – or at least take in the iconic view of its 18th hole – keeps the town perennially popular among golfing pilgrims.
How many Scottish golf courses are there?
In Scotland there are over 550 golf courses to choose from - that's more courses per head of population than anywhere else in the world!
How do you use the Scottish golf app?
0:132:16How To Submit A General Play Score On The Scottish Golf App - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDown select the course and tease that you will be playing the app will only show courses within aMoreDown select the course and tease that you will be playing the app will only show courses within a one mile radius of where you are to begin tick the box. And click confirm to start scoring.
Who owns Kingsbarns golf?
It has also been ranked as one of the top 100 courses in the world, and received numerous media and industry awards. The course was designed by Kyle Phillips and the original developers were Mark Parsinen (1948-2019) and Art Dunkley. Dunkley retains ownership of the golf course following Parsinen's departure in 2005.
What is the best golf course in Scotland
The best golf course in Scotland is St Andrews' Old Course. The world famous links, which hosts its 30th Open Championship, and the historic 150th...
What are the major golf courses in Scotland?
Scotland is known for hosting The Open Championship, with the country boasting a number of past and current venues on the Open rota. Prestwick play...
How many golf courses are there in Scotland?
There are 614 golf courses in Scotland, according to the R&A's 2019 Golf Around the World release. Of the UK/Ireland nations, England is top with 2...
Why is Scotland the home of golf?
The first definitive record of golf comes from Scotland – a 1457 statute of Scottish King, James II that specifically forbade the playing of “golfe...
What is the most famous golf course in the world?
St Andrews (Old) The most famous course in the world – simply a must play for every golfer. Seven double greens, only two short holes and only two par-5s; the Road Hole and the Swilcan Bridge give this course more history than any other.
What is the name of the golf course that opened in 1879?
View of the 1st hole ‘Battery’ at Machrihanish Golf Club. (Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts/Getty Images) Old Tom Morris extended this famous Kintyre links from 12 to 18 holes back in 1879 and in doing so created one of the most iconic opening holes – driving off of a beach. It offers stunning views of the Hebrides.
What is the front nine of the golf course?
The course largely runs in two loops, the front nine is clockwise around the outside with the back nine sitting in the centre . It means varying wind is a huge factor. This complete golfing test never fails to deliver.
When was the Open Championship?
The original home of the Open Championship dating back to 1851. Packed with blind shots, drivable par-4s, desert-sized bunkering and rollercoaster greens it is a lesson in course design. A one-off and a must-play.
How many golf courses are there in Scotland?
One thing is certain — the game of golf as we know it was born in Scotland". Scotland has 587 courses. The highest concentrations are around Glasgow (94 courses) and Edinburgh (67 courses), since these two cities and their environs account for the bulk of the population.
Why is golf important in Scotland?
Golf is a vital part of Scotland’s economy and vitally important to our nation’s psyche.
What is the spelling of golf?
became the usual spellings during the Early Modern Period. The Scottish National Dictionary states that " golf represents a revival of the Middle Scots form; Loudoun Gowf Club, Newmilns, retains the old form in its title"; i.e. the spelling changed from Medieval golf to Early Modern gowf, and then back again.
What is the spelling of golf in the 1470 Act?
The 1470 Act, in the reign of James III, again uses the spelling golf, but the 1491 Act, in the reign of James IV, spells it gouff'. code: gla promoted to code: gd. ; and variants such as gowf. code: gla promoted to code: gd.
What is the oldest golf course in Scotland?
To many golfers, the Old Course at St Andrews, an ancient links course dating to before 1574, is considered to be a site of pilgrimage. There are many other famous golf courses in Scotland, including Carnoustie, Gleneagles, Muirfield, Kingsbarns, Turnberry and Royal Troon.
What is the R&A golf club?
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, known as the R&A, was the world governing body for the game (except in the United States and Mexico). The R&A, a separate organisation from the club, was created in 2004 as the governing body.
Where did James VI play golf?
Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the king's eldest son, was playing golf in 1606. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its origins from these Scottish noblemen, thus claiming a pre-1745 foundation date. Although it is certainly the oldest English golf club, and the oldest outwith Scotland, there is no evidence that it is the oldest golf club in the world, as is sometimes claimed. This accolade is claimed by The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh who date back to 1735.
What are the names of golf clubs?
The Old Names of (Old) Golf Clubs 1 Play Club (grass club, long club): The historical equivalent of the driver. Golfers used the "play club" to "play away" from the teeing ground. 2 Brassie: The closest equivalent in use to modern 2- or 3-woods. It had that name because of a brass plate on the sole. 3 Wooden Cleek: Used in the manner of a modern 4-wood. 4 Spoon: Used as one would use a modern 5-wood. When spoons first appeared (going back to the 18th century, perhaps earlier), some had concave faces. Shaped like a spoon, in other words, giving them their name. 5 Baffie (baffing spoon): Equivalent to a higher-lofted wood (such as a 7-wood) or even a hybrid. In fact, some modern golf manufacturers have used the "baffie" name on hybrid clubs. It's sometimes spelled "baffy."
What are some old golf clubs called?
There were clubs called mashies and niblicks (and mashie-niblicks); cleeks and jiggers; baffies and spoons, among others. Today, we call such clubs "antique golf clubs" or "historical golf clubs," or obsolete or archaic clubs. Perhaps the better name, though, would be "pre-modern clubs.". You can think of modern golf club sets as those containing ...
When did clubmakers start making mashie?
One clubmaker's mashie, in other words, was roughly the same as another's (but not necessarily identical in playing characteristics) by the early 1900s, and companies began making sets with the following names and relationships.
When did golf clubs become modern?
The transition to such modern sets was completed in the late 1930s, early 1940s. In the earliest days of golf, and up into the mid-1800s, there was very little uniformity from one clubmaker's clubs to another's, and sometimes little conformity even within different sets made by the same clubmaker. Not much was standardized, from set ...
Is an antique golf club obsolete?
Some of the Replacements of Antique Clubs are Themselves Now Obsolete. Golf clubs keep developing. Hybrids, for example, are (comparatively) recent developments in the history of golf equipment.
Is the 1-iron used in golf?
The 1-iron is virtually gone from golf, and 2-woods are rare. The 2-iron is sometimes used by the best golfers, but almost never seen in the bags of recreational golfers (nor offered for sale by that many golf manufacturers anymore).
Overview
Golf in Scotland was first recorded in the Scottish late Middle Ages, and the modern game of golf was first developed and established in the country. The game plays a key role in the national sporting consciousness.
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, known as the R&A, was the world governing body for the game (except in the United States and Mexico). The R&A, …
Etymology
The word golf was first recorded in the 15th century, appearing twice in an Act of the Scots Parliament of 6 March 1457, in the reign of James II. The Act, which ordered the holding of wappenschaws (English: musterings) four times a year for the purpose of archery practice, stated that "the fut bal ande the golf" (football and golf) were to be "vtterly criyt done" (condemned; lit. "cried down") and "noc…
Origins
The exact origins of the sport of golf are unclear. The most widely accepted theory is that the modern game of golf originated in Scotland in the High Middle Ages. The first golf courses and clubs were established in the country. The first written rules originated in Scotland, as did the establishment of the 18 hole course. The first tournament structures developed and competitions were hel…
Golf course evolution
Golf courses have not always consisted of eighteen holes. The St Andrews Links occupy a narrow strip of land along the sea-shore). As early as the 15th century, golfers at St Andrews established a trench through the undulating terrain, playing to holes whose locations were dictated by topography. The course that emerged featured eleven holes, laid out end to end from the clubhouse to the far end of …
Spreading the game outwith Scotland
When James VI succeeded to the thrones of England and Ireland in 1603 (see Union of the Crowns) a large number of his Scottish courtiers followed him to London. The King resided at Greenwich Palace, and there is documentary evidence that some of these Scottish noblemen played golf on Blackheath, on the hill behind the palace. Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, the king's eldest son, was playing golf in 1606. The Royal Blackheath Golf Club traces its origins from these Scottish n…
Players
Several Scots golfers are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Players marked * are also members of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame:
• Willie Anderson* (1879–1910)
• Tommy Armour* (1894–1968)
• James Braid* (1870–1950)
See also
• Sport in Scotland
• Scottish Golf Union
• British Golf Museum
• Timeline of golf history (1353-1850)
• Timeline of golf history (1851-1945)
Further reading
• 2010, 18 Greatest Scottish Golf Holes, 18 Greatest
• Browning, Robert, 1955, A History of Golf, A & C Black, London
• Campbell, Malcolm, 2001, The Scottish Golf Book, Lomond Books
• Clark, Robert, 1875 and 1893, Golf: A Royal and Ancient Game, EP Publishing