FAQs
Where can I
stay and play golf in Scotland?
How do I book
a tee time at The Old Course in St Andrews?
What is a links
course?
When is
the best time to play golf in Scotland?
How do you get
to play on one of the Open championship golf courses in
Scotland?
What
clothing should I bring with me?
What about
currency and credit cards?
How do
I find out where I can play?
Why is
it possible to play till 10.00 in the evening?
Can I hire golf
clubs and equipment when I get to Scotland?
Where can I
find out about the history of golf in Scotland?
I
hear golf can be expensive in Scotland?
Where can I stay and play golf in
Scotland?
There is an endless supply and breadth of places to stay and
golf courses to throughout Scotland making it sometimes difficult
to make a decision.
Our best advice is to take your time browsing this website.
You can search for accommodation directly through the
'Accommodation' section where you can find details of places to
stay which will cater for all your golfing needs, hotels with
adjoining golf courses or to find any other general accommodation
in Scotland.
Alternatively, you can discover more about the six golf regions
of Scotland. You can read about all best courses for that area from
clicking on the map in the 'Course Search' section where you will
also find details to of suggested itineraries and golf passes for
that area, just select it from the main 'Navigation bars'.
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How do I book a tee time at The Old
Course in St Andrews?
The Old Course is immensely popular
and sustains around forty two thousand rounds a year. As a result
of this high demand, special conditions apply to bookings. Around
fifty per cent of all starting times over the year are put into the
daily ballot (lottery) which is drawn every day for the next day's
play except Sunday - the Saturday draw is for Monday play. Success
in the ballot is not guaranteed and chances vary according to the
time of year how busy the course is and the weather. Two golfers
(min) can enter. Either telephone or apply in person before 2pm on
the day before play. The results are shown by 4pm on the web, at
the clubhouse, the starters boxes, the caddie pavilion, local golf
clubs and the Tourist Information Centre in St Andrews.
There are a small number of advance reservations available for
single golfers, but the most common way for a single to get on the
Old Course is by going to the starter as early as possible in the
morning. The starter will try to join the golfer with the first
available two or three ball. For advance bookings write or fax the
Reservations Office up to two years ahead. Applications are held in
order of receipt and times are allocated in November the year
before play. Applications are contacted by the end of December.
For further details contact:
Reservations Office, St Andrews Links Trust, Pilmour House, St
Andrews, Fife KY16 9SF
Tel: 01334 466 666
Fax: 01334 477 036
Email: reservations@standrews.org.uk
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What is a links
course?
A links golf course, sometimes referred to as a seaside links is
the oldest style of golf course, first developed in Scotland, where
golf originated. The word comes from the Scots language and refers
to an area of coastal sand dunes.
Links tend to be located in coastal areas, on sandy soil, often
amid dunes, with few water hazards and few if any trees. This
reflects both the nature of the scenery where the sport happened to
originate, and the fact that only limited resources were available
to golf course architects at the time, and any earth moving had to
be done by hand, so it was kept to a minimum. It is believed that
the term "links" comes from the fact that the land used for golf
originally was the land near the sea that was not good for farming.
This land was between the sea and the farmland and thus was a
"link" between the two.
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When is the best time to play golf
in Scotland?
Golf can be played in Scotland all year round. The main golfing
season starts in April and goes through to the end of September.
The busiest months are May and September so to avoid disappointment
we advise you book well in advance. In the height of summer June,
July and August the golf courses are in the best condition. Golf is
played by Scots throughout the winter and many club golfers will
play in winter leagues; especially on links and coastal courses due
to their proximity to the sea.
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How do you get
to play on one of the Open Championship golf courses in
Scotland?
All the current venues for the open rota - St Andrews,
Turnberry, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Carnoustie and Prestwick where
the Open began are all accessible to the visitor by the following
ways:
St Andrews Old
Course
The visitor has only to call the St Andrews Links Trust on the
morning of the day before they want to play to have their name
included in the daily ballot for available times. The list of those
successful in the ballot is posted locally and on the Trust's
website: www.standrews.org.uk
There is also the option of joining the queue of individual
players that gather each day at the starter's box from which
players are invited to fill gaps in the tee sheet to "make up"
games with two-or three-ball matches
It is also possible to book guaranteed tee times up to a year in
advance and details for that can be obtained from the Trust's
website.
St Andrews Links Trust
Tel: 01334 466 666
Web: www.standrews.org.uk
Muirfield
The
visitor should send a letter to the secretary of the Honourable
Company of Edinburgh Golfers requesting a time well in advance of
the required date is the route to follow.
Royal Troon
The visitor should send a letter to the secretary of Royal Troon
Golf Club requesting a time well in advance of the required date.
Alternatively the visitor can send a fax or email to request a
booking through: www.royaltroon.co.uk
Prestwick
The
visitor should send a letter to the secretary of Prestwick Golf
Club requesting a time well in advance of the required date.
Alternatively the visitor can call or email the reservations
department.
Tel: 01292 671020
email: bookings@prestwickgc.co.uk.
web: www.prestwickgc.co.uk
Turnberry
At
Turnberry, residents should never encounter a problem securing a
tee time but this famous links is also accessible to visitors who
are not staying there.
Details at: www.turnberry.co.uk
Carnoustie
Visitors can reserve
tee times for Carnoustie online at www.carnoustiegolflinks.co.uk
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What clothing should I bring with
me?
When playing golf in Scotland we recommend that you come
prepared, as the weather can be a little unpredictable. Pack a
woollen sweater and a set of waterproofs. Also, it is worth
remembering to bring the right clothing for inside the clubhouse.
Many clubs operate a dress code where jeans, collarless shirts and
trainers are not welcome. It is best to check directly with the
golf club.
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What about currency and credit
cards?
As with every part of the world a range of payment methods is
recommended when travelling. In Scotland you will find most hotels,
restaurant, bar and retail outlets will accept the main credit
cards. We do advise that you have £ sterling with you, as many
smaller businesses may not accept credit cards. This is the same
for golf courses. When you make an enquiry at the golf course find
out about payment methods.
Please note, in Scotland when using your debit or credit card
you can no longer sign for your transactions. Instead you have to
enter your PIN (Personal Identification Number) in order to
complete the transaction.
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How do
I find out where I can play?
The best way to help you decide where to play is to browse
through the course search section, where you can find Scotland’s
golf courses listed by region, size and type. For inspiration,
check out our range of golf itineraries, from the
James Braid collection to
Sam Torrance’s top 19 holes.
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Why is it possible to play till 10.00 in
the evening?
Many comment on this ability to play golf late into the evening.
It is due to Scotland being in Northern Europe and enjoying
extensive daylight hours over the summer months. From late May
until early September it starts to get light at 5am and does not
get dark until 10pm.
During the summer months many golf courses will be open between
7am and 8am. We always recommend that you check with the golf
course directly as early tee times can be set aside for
members.
In Shetland there is a midsummer golf tournament which takes
place every year during Summer Solstice and this tees off at
midnight. Check out our 'Events' section for more details and
details of other events throughout the year.
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Can I hire golf clubs and equipment when I
get to Scotland?
Yes, there are two ways you can hire clubs.
1) Many of the golf clubs hire out clubs to visitors. Check the
course search section of this website and look for the symbols for
club hire and trolley hire. We recommend you contact the golf
course directly to check and always to book in advance to avoid
disappointment.
2) Private Hire. You can hire clubs privately through specialist
suppliers.
Visit this useful site for
more information.
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Where can I find out about the history of golf in
Scotland?
Learn about the history and how Scotland secured its position as
the ‘home of golf’ at our dedicated history section. Or for an
interactive journey through the history of the golf, why not visit
the British Golf Museum in St Andrews?
British Golf Museum
Bruce Embankment, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AB
Tel: 01334 460 064
Web: www.britishgolfmuseum.co.uk
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I hear golf can be expensive in
Scotland?
This is a great misconception. The average cost of a round of
golf in Scotland is around £40. Some nine holes courses cost as
little as £11 for a day ticket, such as Musselburgh Old Golf Course (the oldest golf
course in the world) to very reasonably priced quality links golf
at such as the Strathtyrum Course in St
Andrews at £25 a round. Yes, the championship course can be
more expensive but for the experience many would say money well
spent. Check out green fees on the course search section of the
website. Some golf courses will operate a reduced fee at certain
times of the year. It is worth looking at the discount golf passes,
which can offer substantial savings for those looking to get the
most from a golf break in Scotland.
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