In search of golf's Holy Grail
By David Brice, Golf International Inc
With our US dollar worth 25% more against the British pound than it was a year ago and trans-Atlantic airfares at their lowest in many a moon, there has never been a better time to take that golf trip you have been postponing for so long.
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There is no golfer who doesn't dream of someday taking a pilgrimage to Scotland, the place that gave birth to the game more than 600 years ago. This will not be an ordinary pilgrimage - a trip to simply look, see and dutifully pay their respects -- it will be a journey to actually experience the courses that have written golf's history.
In the world of sports, golf is unique, encouraging an active involvement of its devotees like no other. Only in golf can the player of even modest skills, walk in the footsteps of the greatest names the game has ever known, playing the very same arenas that have challenged the best -- Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Bobby Jones and every other golf legend, past and present. The opportunity to play the very same world-renowned golf courses that have hosted The British Open, The Ryder Cup and other famous tournaments, is exclusive to golf and to every golfer, a compelling attraction.
Nowhere are these fabled golf courses to be found in such profusion as in Scotland, the undisputed Temple of golf, where the ancient town of St. Andrews and its revered Old Course is the High Altar.
Scotland is blessed with over 550 golf courses, almost half of them the seaside links layouts, created by Mother Nature over the centuries. Plentiful in the British Isles, especially along Scotland's coast, but rare in other parts of the globe, these links courses hold a special attraction to golfers from around the globe and many visitors will limit their golf to only links layouts. From famous names to hidden gems, it's the magical allure of Scotland's links that most find so irresistible.
Planning a first time golf trip to Scotland can be a confusing proposition, with many choices to be taken. Chances are, the discovery will quickly be made that one trip simply cannot include all of the courses that call out to be played and this is likely to be the first pilgrimage of several. Best to seek the assistance of a reputable, professional golf travel company and use their expertise to help get the most out of any golf trip and no time is this more important than on a first time experience.
There are a number of do's and don'ts that will help even the most seasoned golf traveler.
The early bird catches the worm. Scotland receives more golf visitors than any other country in the world and they are coming from across the globe, usually intent on playing the most famous of courses. The experienced golf travelers know that demand for the best known courses, far exceeds the number of available visitor times and it's the early bird that has the better chance of being successful. Booking a year or even 18 months ahead of your planned arrival is not too early.
Don't drive yourself crazy. Valuable vacation time can be easily wasted, driving from one side of the country to the other, checking into and out of countless hotels, all in pursuit of playing your wish-list of courses. Careful planning can avoid much of this. Scotland may appear small on the map, but driving times are often far longer than the inexperienced traveler may anticipate -- driving that may not be necessary.
Most of Scotland's premiere links courses, including all of the famous names, together with others, which are often equally as good, but may not have garnered the same spotlight, are concentrated into just five, conveniently compact clusters:
The Southwest links cluster extends a mere 40 miles along the Ayrshire coastline, from Turnberry in the south, to just beyond the resort town of Troon. The almost 20 courses in this cluster include three British Open venues -- Turnberry, Royal Troon and Prestwick -- together with a further 15 courses, all well worth playing.
The St. Andrews links cluster is no larger, with another 20 excellent layouts, all sitting within a 30 minute or so drive of golf's headquarters. The seven courses operated by the town of St. Andrews, include the fabled Old Course and the very impressive, new Castle Course. Only ten minutes from town is Kingsbarns and 40 minutes in the opposite direction, the notoriously tough, Carnoustie Links, another British Open venue.
The Edinburgh links cluster sits a brief half hour drive from the heart of one of Europe's most charming capital cities. Led by Muirfield, a 15 time British Open host, the others may not be as well-known but they include some of Scotland's best links such as historic North Berwick, the three outstanding links at Gullane and Musselburgh Old Links, which hosted 6 British Opens in the late 1800's.
The Aberdeen links cluster includes some of the most under-rated links courses in the world and they are all located within a 20 mile radius of the city - Royal Aberdeen, a past host to the Senior British Open; Cruden Bay an outstanding so called, hidden gem and Murcar, another very demanding links test.
The Highlands links cluster is headed by stunning Royal Dornoch, ranked among the world's top ten courses, with nearby Nairn following in hot pursuit, but don't ignore the lesser known jewels that make their home amid these dramatic surroundings -- Brora, Tain and Old Moray, are among the many that all offer an unforgettable links experience.
Stay at least 3 nights at a well-located hotel in each selected cluster and you will have more than enough top-drawer golf to choose from, including those big name courses. Careful planning will not only give you the time to play more golf, it will also provide the opportunity to discover the many other sides of this fascinating corner of Britain.
Discover a few gems along the way. Including more than two or three of the very challenging, top-ranked championship links courses, will be more than enough for most -- more than this can turn a golf vacation into hard work. Just remember, you are playing some of the most demanding courses in existence, so include a few of the lesser known gems among the big names and you will experience another side of Scottish golf and you'll get to meet the local Scots as well.
Take some time to smell the roses. Glorious golf is only the beginning of all Scotland has to offer. Few other countries have as rich and colorful a past, reaching back to the beginnings of time and much of this is close to the courses you will be playing.
Discover the history of Edinburgh, the Paris of the north and one of Europe's most appealing capitals. Glasgow has evolved from an industrial town, into a chic, sleek, contemporary city, filled with outstanding Art Deco and Victorian architecture. St. Andrews, home to the third oldest university in Britain, was once Scotland's Ecclesiastical capital and has a blood and guts history dating from medieval times.
If historic castles are appealing, then Scotland has them in profusion with outstanding examples in Edinburgh, the ancient capital of Stirling, in and around St. Andrews, near Carnoustie, close to Aberdeen and throughout the Highlands.
If golf and sightseeing sounds like thirsty work, don't despair. Wherever you find a Scottish golf course, there will be a whisky distillery or two nearby and visitors are encouraged, providing they test the goods. All of this and everywhere, the most dramatic scenery to be found in the entire British Isles.
Scotland is the world headquarters of golf, but there is so much more contained within her borders - make sure you discover as much of everything as time allows. For more ideas and suggestions on how to get the very most out of your golf trip to Scotland, click here.
©2009 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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