Carnoustie Golf Club -- Championship Course
The Carnoustie Golf Links -- Championship Course is an 18-hole, par-72 course that is nearly 7,000 yards long and is known as one of the most difficult courses in the world. The course is a frequent host of the British Open Championship. The tournament, one of golf's four major championships, was first held there in 1931. The course record at Carnoustie is 64, a score three golfers have accomplished: Richard Green, Steve Stricker and Colin Montgomerie.
Carnoustie Golf Club
3 Links Parade, Carnoustie DD7 7JE
Angus
Scotland
011 (+44) (0) 1241 852480
carnoustiegolfclub.com
Gleneagles
Gleneagles Hotel is home to three golf courses, including the PGA Centenary Course, which is a frequent host of professional tournaments and the longest inland course in Scotland. The Centenary, which is an 18-hole, par-72, 6,550-yard course (7,088 yards from the championship tees), is an American-style championship course and features stunning views of glens, summits and passes.
Gleneagles
Auchterarder, Perthshire, PH3 1NF
Scotland
011 (+44) (0) 1764 662231
gleneagles.com
Muirfield
Muirfield was designed in 1891 and has been one of the most frequent sites of the British Open Championship -- 15 times between 1892 and 2002 -- as well as a number of other professional and amateur events. The course stretches nearly 7,000 yards from the championship tees, and the par is 70. The course record during tournament play is 63. According to the Scotland's Golf Courses website, "Although the thick rough and cavernous bunkers, of which there are 151, can make it a very severe test, it is a course which invokes respect from all who have tangled with it."
Muirfield
Duncur Road
Muirfield
Gullane
East Lothian
Scotland
EH31 2EG
011 (+44) (0)1620 842123
www.muirfield.org.uk
Royal Dornoch
The Royal Dornoch Golf Club is neither as long nor as popular among tournament organizers as some of Scotland's other golf courses, but its 6,514 yards challenge golfers of all skill levels. The course is 18 holes and has a par 70. While many of Scotland's courses are lengthier than Royal Dornoch, "you have to think your way around the bunkers, sandhills, hummocks, knolls and swales that can punish the unfortunate shot," according to Scotland's Golf Courses. The greens also are difficult to play and include a variety of subtle contours.
Royal Dornoch
Golf Road, Dornoch, Sutherland IV25 3LW
Scotland
011 (+44) (0)1862 810219
royaldornoch.com
Royal Troon
The Old Course at the Royal Troon Golf Club is an 18-hole, par-71, 7,100-yard links-style course. It was host to the 1997 British Open Championship; the tournament was held on the course five times between 1923 and 1989. "Dramatic would perhaps be the best way to describe Royal Troon..." says Scotland's Golf Courses. "When the wind blows on the Old Course strange things can happen on this classic undulating links, which is full of bumps and hollows and rated amongst the world's best."
Royal Troon
Craigend Road, Troon, South Ayrshire KA10 6EP
Scotland
011 (+44) (0)1292 311555
www.royaltroon.co.uk
St. Andrews -- The Old Course
The 18-hole, par-72, 7,125-yard Old Course at St. Andrews is sometimes referred to as the Home of Golf, owing to its 600-year history. The actual course was constructed in 1850, but its grounds were used for golf long before that. The British Open Championship is played at the Old Course every five years. It has double greens on 14 holes and 114 bunkers that force golfers to play with caution. The Old Course, according to Scotlandgolf.com, is "one of the most coveted rounds in the world."
St Andrews
St Andrews Links Trust, Pilmour House, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SF
Scotland
011 (+44) (0)1334 466666.
www.standrews.org.uk
Turnberry Hotel Golf Courses -- Ailsa Course
The Ailsa Course at the Turnberry Hotel is a links-style course that first hosted the British Open Championship in 1977. The 18-hole, par-70 course stretches for 6,976 yards. The stroke record during a professional tournament is 63; 70 during an amateur event. On the ninth hole of the course, a 454-yard/par 4, the championship tee is located on a cliff that drops 50 feet. A 200-yard drive is necessary to reach the fairway. The weather can play havoc on golfers, according to the Scotland's Golf Courses, which says, "Play Turnberry's Ailsa Course on one of those days with a light breeze coming in from the sea...then there is nowhere you would rather be; play it in the rain and high winds and your step quickens towards the beckoning lights of the 221-bedroom Westin Turnberry Resort..."
Turnberry Hotel Golf Courses
Turnberry
Maidens Road
Ayrshire, KA26 9LT
Phone: +44 (0) 1655 334 032
www.turnberry.co.uk
About The Author
Larry Anderson has been a freelance writer since 2000. He has covered a wide variety of topics, from golf and baseball to hunting and fishing. His work has appeared in numerous print and online publications, including "Fargo Forum" newspaper. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Arts in print journalism from Concordia College.
