Glasgow -- it's a heck of a town!

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Glasgow might be the most under-appreciated city in Britain, at least by visitors from this side of the Atlantic. The majority of American golfers arriving in Scotland at Glasgow's International Airport, pick up their luggage, then speed off to play the championship links courses of Ayrshire, located 35 minutes away. En route and less than 15 minutes from the airport, the motorway will have taken them through the very heart of the compact city of Glasgow, missing the chance to get acquainted with Scotland's lively second city.

Royal Troon is little more than a half hour's drive from Glasgow

Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery is a superb example of Victorian architecture

The city is a living tribute to Charles Rennie Mackintosh and his design artistry

Glasgow's selection of restaurants rank among the best in Britain

Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic - two of Europe's best football teams

Glasgow University

Haggs Castle is a charming parkland layout near Glasgow that once hosted The Scottish Open

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Once famous for it's shipbuilding, iron and steelworks, Glasgow has undergone a makeover of gargantuan proportions during the past decade and transformed itself from the rather grubby industrial town it was, into one of Britain's most chic, sleek and fashionable.

The city has always been noted for the splendor of its Victorian architecture and is considered as the greatest surviving example of Victorian Britain in the Kingdom. Now, after what seems to have been a citywide sandblasting and polishing, these spectacular buildings once again glisten, showing off all their former glory with a panache that makes them twice as striking.

Architecture and Glasgow have always been synonymous. Charles Rennie Mackintosh, one of the greatest avant-garde architect/designers ever, was born here in 1868. Today the city is a living monument to his work, attracting students of architecture and design from around the world, eager to follow The Mackintosh Trail around town.

The Glasgow School of Art is one of his crowning architectural achievements and shouldn't be missed. A guided tour of this impressive building quickly reveals Mackintosh's unique talents. A short stroll away are The Willow Tearooms, another stunning example of his interior design abilities. The House for a Lover was built more recently from a Mackintosh design of his dream house, drawn up in 1901. The Scotland Street School is another fine example of pure Mackintosh, as is St. Matthews Free Church.

Glasgow's West-End is only a short taxi ride from the city center and this is where the most impressive part of the Victorian city is preserved. The Park Conservation Area is well worth visiting. The art gallery and museum are located nearby, closely guarded by the massive tower of Glasgow University. Take the time to visit the Hunterian Art Gallery, permanent home to an impressive collection of works by Whistler and a special exhibit of Mackintosh's furniture designs. Stroll on a little further and you will be on Byres Road, a street of pubs, bars, restaurants and boutiques.

From a city center hotel, it's just 3 miles to the Pollock Country Park and the Burrell Collection Gallery, one of Scotland's most popular tourist attractions. The Burrell Collection is an impressive assembly of the art collected by wealthy local shipping magnate, Sir William Burrell, during his lifetime. With a focus on 19th century, French art, furniture, textiles, ceramics and silver are all well represented, as is Asian art.

A few yards away is 18th century Pollack House, now operated as part of the Glasgow Museums and Art Galleries. It contains the finest collection of Spanish art in Britain with works by Goya, El Greco and Murillo among many others.

But Glasgow is far more than a city of monuments, museums and architecture. This is one the liveliest cities in Britain with a nightlife that keeps popping until the wee hours of the morning, all week long. Pick up a copy of the monthly publication "What's On" from your hotel or the tourist office for a complete run down on theater productions, night clubs, cabarets, bars, pubs, restaurants and other nightlife activity.

For those who enjoy eating out, Glasgow's selection of restaurants is every bit the equal of Edinburgh and only surpassed by London in the rest of Britain. Forget the days when British food was the butt of more bad jokes than you could shake a stick at. Things have changed a lot and Scottish cuisine now ranks alongside the best. But if you are craving for a steak house, Italian or French food, or anyone of 40 other international cuisines, you can be sure Glasgow will have the restaurants to accommodate.

Want a change of pace? You are in Glasgow, home to two of the top-rated football clubs (soccer) in Europe -- Glasgow Rangers and Glasgow Celtic and this could be an opportunity to witness the competitive spirit, only football can produce. Grab the chance to see either of these two crackerjack clubs play at home, but if you are fortunate enough where these archrivals are playing each other, better wear a hard hat, these games become very serious.

If shopping has appeal, then you have come to the right place, because Glaswegians and visitors alike, all take their shopping very seriously and no place else offers a wider selection, nor a more fun atmosphere in which to spend your money.

Perhaps more than anything else it's the people of Glasgow that make this city so very unique. Glaswegians are a special breed and although their accent may be a little broader, it doesn't take long to pick up on their sense of humor and the genuine, outgoing warmth and friendliness they all seem to possess in abundance.

From taxi drivers to hotel staff to the locals you will meet in pubs and restaurants, Glaswegian hospitality is everywhere and always served in large helpings, accompanied by their own special brand of humor. Make a little effort to understand the distinctive, Glaswegian accent and you could even begin to understand the jokes -- seems everyone from Glasgow is a comedian.

The city can easily take up two or three days of your vacation time, but good golf is never far away. There is the bevy of championship links courses around Troon, barely more than a half hour drive from the center of Glasgow and there are more that are even closer. Haggs Castle Golf Club may be an unfamiliar name, but this past host to the Scottish Open sits inside the city limits, as does Pollock Golf Club, another fine parkland layout.

And there's more -- Hilton Park, Cawder, Buchanan Castle, Kirkintilloch and Westerwood among them. Each is convenient to the city and presents a more than worthy challenge. Receiving far fewer visitors than the more famous courses, they also provide the opportunity to meet and play with local members, a special experience that can only bring an added dimension to any vacation. Including Glasgow in a Scottish golf trip may not have occurred to many, but it makes a lot of sense.

For a few suggestions on how to include Glasgow and the west of Scotland's championship links courses into your trip, click here.

©2008 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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