As the pound continues to tumble against the Euro, UK golfers looking to travel abroad may find themselves frustrated by the increased cost of travel, accommodation and green fees in Europe. Traditional golf holiday destinations such as France and the Algarve have become more expensive, but the increased cost of golf abroad is the perfect excuse to rediscover some of the finest golf courses in the UK.
Keen players looking for the perfect UK golf break need look no further than Scotland -its dramatic combination of coastal and mountain scenery provides a stunning backdrop for a golf holiday, and Scotland's numerous championship courses are favoured by the very best players in the world. It is the home of the links course - flat coastal courses with few trees or water hazards, where the wind can have a dramatic effect on your game. While the Scottish links design has been much emulated around the world, it has never been bettered.
There are literally hundreds of courses to choose from in Scotland, including many of the world's biggest and best alongside countless smaller hidden gems. But if you want to play on the most famous and world renowned courses on your golf holiday in Scotland, here are five that you simply must play...
The Ailsa Course
The Turnberry Golf Club is perhaps the most famous in Scotland. It contains three courses, but it is The Ailsa that is the best and most challenging. Looking out across the Mull of Kintyre, the Isle of Arran and the castle of Robert the Bruce, it is certainly the most scenic golf course in Scotland. But there's more here than fine views; the strong winds demand even stronger drives, the ninth hole (with a tee perched on the edge of the sea) is justly famous, and the course as a whole is an absolute delight to play on.
Kingsbarns Golf Links
Stunningly designed by Kyle Phillips, this course is a masterpiece of links craftsmanship that hugs the coastline - the North Sea is never out of sight. This intricate and demanding course is only a decade old, but is already ranked as one of the finest in Scotland. Watch out for the par five 12th hole, the signature hole on the Kingsbarns Golf Links. Kyle Phillips may be a Californian, but he has created one of the very best Scottish links courses in existence today.
Gleneagles Kings Course
There are a number of outstanding Gleneagles courses that are well worth playing on your golf holiday in Scotland, but the Gleneagles Kings Course is the pick of the bunch; it is truly a course worthy of kings. Designed by James Braid, it offers breathtaking views and superb design that has been delighting and challenging golfers since 1919.
Carnoustie Golf Links
Skilled golfers looking for a real challenge on a golf holiday in Scotland need look no further than Carnoustie Golf Links. Widely regarded as the most difficult course in the UK, it has hosted seven Open Championships in its time, with even the world's best players often finishing well above par. But if you are up to the challenge, the Carnoustie will offer you a round of golf unlike any other in Scotland.
St Andrews Old Course
Often regarded as the oldest golf course in the world, it is believed that St Andrews Old Course has been in use for over six hundred years. Not only is it the oldest, it is widely rated as the best in the world. The natural terrain has hardly been altered to create the course, and playing golf here allows you to enjoy historic holes, classic scenery, and one of the finest rounds of golf that you can play in Scotland.
Morgan Clarke is the Managing Director of GolfPlanet Holidays, a company that has been providing bespoke golf holidays worldwide for over 25 years. The award-winning specialist tour operator is privately-owned and determined to ensure that both experienced golfers and novices can enjoy unforgettable golf holidays in Scotland.
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