Scotland: One great golf resort, like no other
By David Brice, Golf International Inc
A frequently asked question by golfers making their first pilgrimage back to the Home of Golf, is what are the advantages of staying in a golf resort and is the perceived, extra cost worth it?
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Not all golf resorts are created equal and they come in all shapes and sizes, with as many frills and extras as you care to pay for, but as long as there is good golf close at hand, you have the makings of a good golf resort and Scotland is brimming over with such places.
Some fit the traditional definition of a golf resort -- hotels, usually quite elegant, located on large estates where one or more golf courses have been built, primarily to cater to hotel guests. These hotels normally offer a wide variety of other activities that today, automatically include an elaborate health and beauty spa.
In an effort to go one better than the competition, a myriad of other activities (some probably never used by guests) are often added to the menu - tennis courts and swimming pools are standard fare, but horse-back riding, shooting, archery, falconry, off track driving and fly fishing? Are these places forgetting golf? Actually not -- some of the most highly ranked courses in Scotland belong to golf resorts.
One of the best known of Scotland's traditional golf resorts is highly esteemed Gleneagles, boasting three championship courses. The Kings and Queens Courses are two outstanding century-old layouts, designed by the great James Braid. Between them they have hosted their share of important tournaments including The Scottish Open, The European WPGA Championships and The PGA Cup. The third course, The Centenary, was laid out in 1993 by Jack Nicklaus and is the designated venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup matches.
Turnberry is another traditional, luxury golf resort, offering two championship links layouts, The Ailsa Course of this year's British Open fame, when the great Tom Watson almost delivered the miracle we were all rooting for. Anyone watching the event could only be impressed with the magnificence of both Mr. Watson's stellar performance and Turnberry's handsome Ailsa Course. Turnberry's second championship layout, the Kintyre Course is no slouch either and if you are going to play one, you must play the other as well. Should you need a couple of lessons to brush-up on links golf techniques beforehand, Turnberry's Colin Montgomerie Golf Academy, will happily oblige.
Unlike Gleneagles, where anyone can play any or all of the resort's three courses, the privilege of being able to play Turnberry's championship layouts is limited to residents of the resort. So if you have dreams of playing here, you will be obliged to stay for at least one night and a room at the 5 star Turnberry is not cheap.
The town of St. Andrews, golf's birthplace and home to the world's heaviest concentration of top-drawer, links courses, never really had, nor needed, a traditional golf resort. The luxury, Old Course Hotel, set on the 17th fairway of arguably, the world's most famous golf layout (though neither the hotel nor its guests, has any special privileges here) was always as close to a true golf resort as was necessary. A recent, extravagant refurbishment by the new American owner, Herb Kohler of plumbing and Bandon Dunes fame, has only brought St. Andrews Old Course Hotel to an even higher standard of unadulterated luxury.
About ten years ago, an American group of entrepreneurs recognized the need for a more traditional golf resort in St. Andrews and against some tough odds, succeeded in developing, what is now known as the Fairmont, St. Andrews. Owned and managed by the well respected Canadian resort operator, The Fairmont Group is no stranger to running luxury golf resorts, as the St. Andrews property clearly shows. Located on the outskirts of town this plush hotel (that introduced the Scots to a few American discoveries - air-conditioning and large rooms among them) boasts a pair of championship layouts, The Kittocks Course and The Torrance Course have recently undergone some fine tuning and toughening-up and both are worthy of every golf visitor's attention.
There's no question that each of Scotland's 5 star golf resorts caters admirably to those in search of true luxury, with all of the trimmings -- health spas, beauty treatments, swimming pools and tennis courts, excellent dining, plush accommodations and quality golf courses, on site. There is certainly every reason to splurge on a resort stay to turn a very good golf trip, into a very special and truly memorable experience.
But if this all sounds a little too rich for your blood; if the focus of the trip is strictly on golf and you are willing to forego the pampering and creature comforts, which the resorts provide, there are many alternatives. Scottish golf is not only plentiful, but quite unique, with excellent courses practically always cropping up in clusters and giving rise to another form of "do-it-yourself" golf resort.
Base yourself in a good hotel in the middle of any Scottish golf cluster and you have your own, instant golf resort, surrounded by nothing but top quality courses. The accommodations you choose can fit your budget, ranging anywhere from a classic, 5-star palace, to a first class hotel or character-filled country house property, to more modest Bed & Breakfast or guesthouse accommodations. Your choice may not have a golf academy and be lacking a health and beauty spa; it may not offer off road driving, nor fly fishing, but it will have plenty of golf nearby and it will be the best golf.
Stay in the Ayrshire town of Troon and you will have a selection of a dozen seaside layouts within a 10 to 20-minute drive of your hotel -- Royal Troon, Prestwick, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes, Dundonald, Irvine and Barrassie - and these are only the links courses. The selection of inland layouts within a few minutes drive is equally impressive, including Belleisle, one of the best parkland tracks in the country.
The same situation holds true for East Lothian and that county's cluster of championship layouts. Historic Muirfield, the three links courses at Gullane, North Berwick, Dunbar, Longniddry, an amazing hidden gem called, The Glen, Craigielaw, Musselburgh, Royal Musselburgh and Luffness New, are all within a 15-minute drive of each other.
St. Andrews may be Scotland's ultimate golf resort. Stay in the heart of this historic small town and you will have the six municipal courses of St. Andrews all within walking distance, including the fabled Old Course. The seventh of the towns public courses, the sparkling Castle Course, is only a 5-minute drive away. A brief 10-minute drive will put you on the fabulous links at Kingsbarns or either of the Fairmont - St. Andrews' two championship layouts. It's only a little further to reach Crail and another pair of links beauties, or the historic seaside courses at Lundin Links, Leven and Elie. The selection of top quality layouts, all calling out to be played is mind-boggling and they are all so close.
And this is only the tip of the iceberg; Scotland has even more golf clusters waiting. They are around the granite city of Aberdeen, where Royal Aberdeen, Murcar and Cruden Bay are the prize catches. Close to Inverness you will find Fortrose & Rosemarkie, Nairn, Nairn-Dunbar, Old Moray and Inverness Golf Club.
It will be Royal Dornoch that attracts you to the Scottish Highlands, as it should, this is one of the world's most highly regarded links courses, but don't overlook the surrounding gems. They are at Brora, Golspie, Tain and the wondrous new links course at Castle Stuart, they are all the stuff golf dreams are made of. Make Carnoustie your base and there will be another treasure trove of excellent golf, all within a few minutes of this 7 time British Open venue -- Montrose, Monifieth and Downfield are little known outside of Scotland, but all ranked up there, among the best.
If a golf resort is a place with an abundance of excellent golf courses close by, then the entire country of Scotland is just one huge golf resort. If you have heard the call and are ready to answer it, now is the time to start planning your golf trip of a lifetime, even for next year. It's no secret that Scottish golf is the best in the world and it attracts more golfers from every corner of the globe each year -- and in ever growing numbers. It's the early bird that catches the worm, so to get your pick of the crop courses, best to start the wheels in motion very soon.
For a few ideas on how to include more of Scotland's best on your golf trip, click here.
©2009 David Brice / Golf International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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