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By David Brice
Golf International, Inc.

On a global scale, Scotland is a very small country, but that has never stopped the Scots from making their presence known through their innate creativity and inventiveness. Precious things come in small packages and for its tiny population of only some 5 million, Scotland has given more to the world than most countries 10 times the size. From penicillin to the telephone, television and refrigerators, to the steam engine, pneumatic tires, Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes, paved roads, raincoats, logarithms and marmalade, the list is endless.

Machrihanish is close to the Famed Springbank Distillery.

Think Scotland and for most, golf also springs to mind as another invention created by the country that gave birth to the Royal & Ancient game. Whisky will probably also be high on most people's list of Scottish icons and for golfers, there is good reason -- according to the Scotch Whisky Association, golfers represent one of their most important market segments.

It may have been Irish monks who introduced "the water of life" to the heathen Scots back in the 7th century when it was used to some advantage in saving their souls, but it was Scotland that made whisky famous. Today there are more than 100 whisky distilleries scattered across the country and some of the best are located close to Scotland's most outstanding courses.

They may not all be the best known names in golf, and including a few of them in your trip may take you a little off the well beaten path followed by most visiting golfers, but without exception, they are courses well worth searching out. You'll be off on a journey of discovery that will be more than rewarding, seeing a side of the real Scotland, missed by so many. All it takes is a little know-how and some careful planning through your golf travel company.

The links courses of southwest Scotland are not blessed with an abundance of distilleries close by, but there is a choice of a couple of side excursions from Glasgow that any golfing whisky lover will find irresistible. It's only a 30-minute flight from Glasgow Airport to Campbeltown on the Mull of Kintyre and one of Scotland's most highly regarded links layouts at Machrihanish. The Springbank Whisky Distillery is located here, producing one of the rarest of single malts.

If Muirfield is on your list, Glenkinchie distillery should be too.

Alternatively, the flight from Glasgow to the tiny island of Islay (pronounced Eye-lah) takes only 5 minutes longer and literally within minutes of arrival, you can be on the magnificent links of Machrie, just be prepared for as tough a test of links golf as exists and then there is the whisky. There are seven distilleries on the island including Lagavulin, Bowmore, Laphroiag, Ardbeg and Bruichladdich. Either Campbeltown or Islay can be taken in a daylong air excursion from Glasgow, but better to take an overnight trip to gain the full experience.

If you are fortunate enough to be playing Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane, Craigielaw or some of the other wonderful links courses squeezed into golf-rich East Lothian, then Glenkinchie Distillery should be a must on your itinerary. The beauty of this tiny county, located only a short half hour away from Edinburgh's city center, is that everything is so close and no matter where you stay, Glenkinchie will be within a 15-minute drive of your hotel. Take the opportunity to pop into Edinburgh and visit the Scotch Whisky Heritage Center located next to Edinburgh Castle.

There are excellent links courses in the area surrounding the city of Aberdeen, with Royal Aberdeen, Murcar and Cruden Bay heading the list. Not too far away are a number of whisky distilleries of note, including Glendronoch and Royal Lochnagar and from here the whisky Mecca of Speyside is only a little further.

Speyside, the region bordering the River Spey, is the heart and soul of Scotch whisky and home to the most prestigious names of the industry. The Macallan, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Knockando and Glen Moray are just a sampling of the more than 40 distilleries to be found in this small region -- it's a whisky aficionado's paradise and golf is never far. Old Moray is an excellent, century old links, designed by Tom Morris, located in the coastal town of Lossiemouth and nearby, the Alistair Mackenzie parkland course, Duff House Royal. There's another much lauded inland layout at Elgin and James Braid's heathland design at Boat of Garten shouldn't be missed.

In the Scottish Highlands, Royal Dornoch and Nairn are probably the two links layouts best known to visitors and both have distilleries close by. Clynelish Distillery is in the small town of Brora, just north of Dornoch, which also has a James Braid links course that calls out to be played. Glenmorangie and Dalmore are two more of the better-known distilleries in the immediate area.

Whisky and golf make an interesting mix for sure and there is no better place to sample the best of both than Scotland. For more ideas on how to include a few whisky distilleries on your Scottish golf trip, click here.

© 2006 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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