Living in Central Scotland, I’m pretty well placed to experience much of what golf in Scotland has to offer. The golf courses in Scotland are hard to beat, and I’ve been fortunate (or unfortunate depending on your viewpoint) to test my limited skills on some of Scotland’s finest throughout my golfing years.
Unfortunately for me, my collection of Scottish golf courses is missing some big names – I’ve yet to grace the Open Championship venues of Royal Troon or Muirfield amongst other famous and great golf courses – while I also know that I’ve probably only scratched the surface when it comes to the number of Scottish golf courses I’ve played.
Often in the 19th hole of my local club, the conversation turns to topics like ‘Your favourite courses in {insert place here}’ or ‘Your favourite par 3s’, and I was set a challenge to list what I consider to be my own personal favourite 18 holes in Scottish golf. There were some stipulations, however…
… my holes had to be in scorecard order, and I could only choose one hole from each course. I could also only use courses that I had played. Those stipulations made compiling the list a lot tougher, and also took away the ‘favourite’ aspect a little, as I could easily have given more than one hole on a course in my list.
Overall, it was a tough ask, with several candidates for every hole, both from the very best of Scottish golf and also from club courses that I’ve played. And so, here is the front nine… how many, if any, do you agree with is the best ‘hole no. in Scotland’?
Hole 1: Machrihanish Golf Club – Championship Course (Par 4, 428 yards)
The first hole at Machrihanish Golf Club is simply breathtaking, and a difficult opener for anyone.
From an elevated tee, the opening drive must carry over the Atlantic Ocean to a fairway that slopes down towards the beach which runs the length of the fairway. The beach is a natural hazard; not out-of-bounds, and so how daring do you risk being with your very first shot?
If the wind blows, this would be a very tough opener, especially played into the teeth of the wind!
Hole 2: Royal Dornoch Golf Club – Championship Course (Par 3, 177 yards)
Tom Watson proclaimed Royal Dornoch as one of his favourite golf courses, stating: “This is the most fun I have had playing golf in my whole life.” Its not hard to see why…
This second hole requires a tee-shot into a raised green which slopes off to either side and rear and two large, deep bunkers guarding the front separated by a grassy mound.
Come up short and you’re in the sand; stray off line or go long and miss the green and the next shot is immeasurably tricky!
Hole 3: Castle Stuart Golf Links (Par 4, 290 yards)
The third hole is a driveable par-4 with a long, narrow green that slopes towards the sea which borders the hole.
The first shot should aim to bypass the bunkers towards the front of the green, but the bolder among us should take care not to go through the green and avoid a watery grave.
Miss the green to the left and the approach can be a real tester.
Hole 4: Moray Golf Club – Old Course (Par 3, 209 yards)
A real tester of a par-3, the fourth hole at Moray Golf Club’s Old Course requires an accurate shot to find the green.
Out-of-bounds runs along the back of the green, while a deep bunker guards the left side and gentle swales run across the front of the green.
And don’t be distracted by the low-flying jets at RAF Lossiemouth!
Hole 5: Prestwick Golf Club (Par 3, 206 yards)
Another par-3, the famous ‘Himalayas’ hole is one of the toughest par-3s I’ve ever played.
Prestwick itself has played host to 24 Open Championships, and it’s not hard to see why over this tough layout. And on this hole, it’s a daunting blind tee-shot that’s all uphill to a sunken green that’s well protected by hidden bunkers.
This is a real hit-and-hope tee-shot – go either side of the lone marker post, and you’ll likely be faced with a tough sand-save for your second hole, while the thick rough that adorns the ridge in front of the green could result in a lost ball if you come up short – a distinct possibility into the wind!
Hole 6: Cruden Bay Golf Club (Par 5, 525 yards)
A longish par-5 that could equally yield a birdie for the longer hitters, or a card-wrecking 6 or more; thanks in large part to the Bluidy Burn which winds its way around the front of the green.
The burn and green are both pretty much blind if you stray down the left, making it a real risk-and-reward hole for the longer hitters.
Even if you do carry the burn, the third shot is a tough approach to a plateaued green.
Hole 7: Boat of Garten Golf Club (Par 4, 386 yards)
Although not the longest of par-4s, this hole requires two good shots to find the putting surface in regulation.
A wide, inviting fairway steadily climbs upwards to a peak 75 yards short of the green, making the second shot all but blind.
Anything short of the green onto the downward slope may be gathered up by the slope and run away from the green, or could scuttle through the green if the ground is firm.
Hole 8: Magdalene Fields Golf Club (Par 3, 160 yards)
Set atop a cliff, this is a short par-3 but one which features a daunting tee-shot out across the cove to a well-guarded green; there is no hiding place on this hole.
The sight of the cove’s gaping maw just metres in front is enough to test the resolve and the cove is a regular collector of duffed tee-shots when the nerves get all too much.
Even when the cove is cleared, the green is well protected by bunkers all around, while the cliff-top runs just a few metres from the edge of the right fairway, so try not to slice!
Hole 9: Royal Aberdeen Golf Club (Par 4, 465 yards)
The scene of the 2011 Walker Cup, the ninth hole is just one of several excellent holes on this great layout.
From the tee, this long sweeping par-4 is a real tester, requiring two long, accurate hits if there is to be any chance at birdie. The hole climbs uphill and bends to the right, where a bunker awaits to catch the unwary who attempt to cut off too much of the corner, while the elongated green is well protected by thick grass and gorse thickets.
Par Out: 33 Yardage: 2846
Hole 10: Turnberry Ailsa Championship Course (Par 4, 457 yards)
One of the classic Scottish links golf courses and a regular venue for the Open Championship, Ailsa’s 10th hole is a beauty.
The name ‘Dinna Fouter’ translates as ‘Don’t Mess About’ – a very apt name for this hole. From the tee on an cliff outcrop, you need to make sure you don’t stray too far left towards the Firth of Clyde which lies in wait, while pot bunkers in the middle of the fairway lie in wait for those brave enough to take a driver off the tee.
If you lay up short of the bunkers, the second shot needs to traverse a large island bunker before it reaches the large green which slopes down towards the sea.
Hole 11: Downfield Golf Club (Par 5, 498 Yards, Par 5)
One of the finest inland courses in Scotland, if not the United Kingdom, Downfield Golf Club on the outskirts of Dundee is a personal favourite course and the 11th hole is the course’s signature hole. A good length par-5 hole, this hole – known as ‘Paddlers Joy’ requires a good drive down the right side of a tight, tree-lined fairway in order to open up a risk-reward go at the green in two.
The green is protected by two water hazards – two streams running in parallel which runs along the front of the green, and also a relatively deep pot bunker on the front-right side. From the fairway, you can only see the first stream, so take enough club if you’re going for the green – I’m a coward and tend to lay up though!
Hole 12: Kingsbarns Golf Club (Par 5, 566 yards, Par 5)
The 12th hole at Kingsbarns – perhaps the finest course in Scotland currently – is fast becoming one of the most photographed, and it is with good reason, as this hole is simply breathtaking.
A monster par-5 – it’s even longer from the Championship tees at over 600 yards – Kingsbarns’ 12th hole starts out straight before taking a dogleg left, but all the way up the hole hugs the Fife coastline from tee to the large green, which measures some 70+ yards in length and traverses two plateaux. Go too far left and you’ll find the beach, or worse the North Sea, while thick rough waits if you go too far right.
The green, while being immensely long is also protected by deep bunkers front-left and back-right. You’ll want to play this hole again and again.
Hole 13: Southerness Golf Club (Par 4, 467 yards, Par 4)
The 13th hole at Southness begins from an elevated tee situated next to the Solway Firth. A relatively straight hole, but danger awaits both left and right with fairway bunkers down the left and rough on the right, which can get quite thick.
The 13th hole at Southness begins from an elevated tee situated next to the Solway Firth. A relatively straight hole, but danger awaits both left and right with fairway bunkers down the left and rough on the right, which can get quite thick.
Be careful not to leak your second left or right as a ditch which runs across the fairway around 80 yards from the green. Behind the ditch are further bunkers on either side which protect the long, narrow green. On a clear day, the views from the hole are staggering, with the Lake District mountains in full view over the Solway Firth; on a windy day, this is a real tester of a hole.
Hole 14: Carnoustie Golf Club Championship Course (Par 5, 483 yards)
Carnoustie is one of Scotland’s most famous courses, and an Open Championship venue. It is also perhaps the toughest of all the courses on the Open Championship roster. The 14th hole, named ‘Spectacles’ may not look much from the tee, but it will test even the best players. Gary Player made an eagle on this hole en-route to winning the Open Championship in 1968, hitting perhaps the finest shot of his life in the process.
From the tee, players need to be straight in order to avoid the out-of-bounds down the left and the fairway bunkers that are scattered around the landing area. The second shot needs careful consideration as the massive Spectacles bunkers – which give the hole its name – lies in wait. Find the sand, and forget about getting up and down as the bunkers are both huge and deep; indeed escaping with just a dropped shot after a visit to the Spectacles will feel like a shot gained. Further on, further bunkers guard the green, which is a double green – aim for the red flag!
Hole 15: North Berwick Golf Club (Par 3, 190 yards)
The 15th hole at North Berwick has no margin for error off the tee and its layout is often imitated on courses around the world. The hole is built atop a plateau and the wind is always an issue here; the direction the wind blows will determine how the hole should be played. Make sure that your tee shot has enough juice to make the putting surface, as anything short or left or right will end up in trouble, especially with the gulley that runs across the front of the green.
Hole 16: PGA Centenary Course, Gleneagles (Par 5, 518 yards)
The 16th hole at Gleneagles is another risk-and-reward hole which can make or break a round if the wrong option is taken.
From the tee, a large fairway bunker awaits in the middle of the short stuff but find the fairway to the left you open up a chance to go for the green. Go right and the likliehood is you’ll be blocked out and will have to lay up. A lake runs across the fairway short of the green that requires to be carried, with further fairway after but get too aggressive with your shot and you could leave yourself a tricky pitch as the green slopes towards the water, and a large bunker awaits at the right side of the green. Lay up and play 3 into the green is my advice – if only I could do that myself!
Gleneagles PGA Centenary course will host the 2014 Ryder Cup match.
Hole 17: St Andrews Old Course, (Par 4, 455 yards)
Without a doubt the most famous hole in golf, the infamous ‘Road Hole’ is a must-include in any ‘top holes in golf’ list. A monstrous par-4, it isn’t the length of the hole that makes it such a test but the route to the green.
The tee shot involves playing over the corner of the old railway sheds to the fairway. The penalty for missing the fairway is some thick rough, so make sure you keep to the short grass. Even if you do, however, the second shot is a real knee-trembler for the Road Bunker awaits; its gaping maw ready to gobble up any shot that strays too close.
Go long and you’ll have to chip back across the road that runs behind the green, and if caught wrong the chip back could find the sand anyway. Aim for the front right corner of the green and if lucky you’ll have two putts for par – an excellent score on this hole. I haven’t managed it yet…
Hole 18: Dalmahoy East Course (Par 4, 457 yards)
Of the two courses at Dalmahoy on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the East course is the longer and a real championship test. The 18th is a tough closer which requires a long, straight drive to avoid the out-of-bounds and leave a tough approach across a gorge to the green, which is well protected by bunkers, while a stream criss-crosses the fairway.
Heading down this hole you play towards the clubhouse and hotel, and the scene walking down the 18th when the sun is setting is gorgeous; you can almost hear the crowd roaring you home to victory.
Par in: 38 Yardage: 4091
Total Par: 71 Yardage: 6937
And that’s it! 18 of what I consider to be the best holes in golf in Scotland, although I’ve no doubt the list will change as I play more courses in the future. Why not check some of the courses out on your next Scotland golf break and let us know if you agree with our choice?
