Value for money in Scotland

[David_Elvins]

I am travelling to Scotland for the first time in a few months.  I would love to get a lot of golf in but unfortunatly money is limited.  Therefor I was wondering if people here could help me out with their ideas on the best value for money (but not necessarily cheapest) golf in Scotland.  Obviously with an emphasys on experiencing some great and unique links architecture (without the turtle soup).


Cheers,

[Evan Fleisher]

I'm sure others more experienced than I will chime in here, but during my pilgrimage back in the summer of 1998, we played several great courses whose greens fees were quite reasonable I thought!  You absolutely cannot beat Cruden Bay for it's value...play it twice!!!

Below, I've listed them (in 1998 dollars), along with the caddy fee we paid (greens fees / caddy fees):

* Cruden Bay $16 / $31
* Crail $30 / $35
* North Berwick $48 / $35
* Royal Dornoch $72 / $35
* Gullane $75 / $35
* Prestwick $88 / $38

[John_D._Bernhardt]

The prices have gone up like the tech stocks but have forgotten to fall. No seriously, most have raided their prices substantially since 1998. I believe Preswick is $120 now. I will try and look at last summer prices if i saved them.

[Mike Erdmann]

Agreed, prices are considerably higher today than in 1998.  North Berwick is now $60 during the week or $94 on the weekend, Cruden Bay is $72 during the week, $87 on the weekend, etc etc. Nonetheless, you can still find good values. You might look for the many courses that offer "day tickets", allowing multiple rounds on the same day.  Good way of keeping your cost-per-round a bit lower.

[Brian Phillips]

David,

I didn't believe the pricing shown by Evan at first for Prestwick so I dug out by course guide for 2001 and it is true.  A day ticket at Prestwick is over £100!!

The best deals at the moment are Turnberry and Gleneagles because of the fall in American tourism they are offering some good deals is you stay at the hotel.  When you get over try and get hold of magazines such as 'Bunkered' which is the Scottish magazine with many offers of good golf.  The other is Today's Golfer which has many 2 for 1 offers.

There are lots of good courses in the Fife area such as Scotscraig (one of my favourites), Elie even Downfield (inland course used for British Open qualifying) in Dundee are all worth the £40-50 greenfee.

My best tip to anyone travelling in Scotland is get to know the locals over a pint and you'll be amazed at the offers you will get, and playing with a member always reduces the greenfee.


Cheers

Brian.

[Tom]

David

I am going up there at the end of July / early August so have been digging around for much the same information.

First thing I would say is to stay in the small inns / B&Bs.  These work out at around £25-40 sterling per night.  I am staying at the Victoria Inn at Elie which is on the internet and is a good example of what is available.  Dig around with a search engine for "Scotland accomodation" or "Scotland B&B" and you should find plenty.

Secondly, a number of the courses are very competitive for a full days golf.  I have organised 36 holes at Crail on a Saturday, both the Old and Craighead courses for about £50.  I am sure there are numerous other offers like this.  Second division golf in Scotland (ie. not championship standard) is still very, very good so it is worth trying, Crail, Elie, Leven etc in the Fife area.  Towards Edinburgh, the course at Luffness is an Open Qualifier and is only about £30.  Around the Carnoustie area it is well worth taking a crack at Montrose (again very cheap for an Open Qualifier).

Finally, the other courses in the St Andrews area are well worth a look.  The New Course is about £40 a round and the Jubilee which many regard as the toughest on the links is about £35.  Both of these plus the Eden course are well worth it.

Hope this helps

Tom

[RT (Guest)]

http://www.scotlandgolf.com/http://www.uk-golfguide.com/england_t_to_z.html

[Richard_Goodale]

David

The best value for money is Scotland for an architectural junkie is The Old Course on a Sunday.  Nobody, including yourself, is allowed to play.  Just wander among the hillocks, avoiding the wifies with their prams and the pensioners with their sandwiches and cups of tea.  Bring a golf ball or two and when you get near a green, slip one of them out of your pocket and roll it and watch it tumble and turn.  If anybody gives you grief, just tell them that you are playing "fetch" with Tom Paul's dog, who is lost........

Second best value for money is walking the courses that allow public access while others are playing.  TOc (on non-Sunday's), Carnoustie, Dornoch and Lundin Links come to mind.  Watch shots being hit by proper and improper golfers.  Enjoy the fresh air and the views.

If you actually want to play golf, your best bet is to go north and play, firstly, the courses on the Moray Firth, from Peterhead, through Fraserbrugh and Cullen and Lossiemouth and Fortrose and Rosemarkie.  They used to have an "all the golf you can play for a week" sort of ticket up there which was ridiculously cheap.

Then go to Sutherland and play Borra and Golspie and Tain and Dornoch.  The latter will set you back $80-90, but is still the best value for money around for a truly world class links.

[Don_Mahaffey]

David,
You've received lots of good ideas, here's mine. Unless you have the ability to travel to Scotland again soon, do whatever it takes, take out a second, get a card with a $10,000 limit, whatever, but play the big dogs, they're worth it. You have to play TOC!!!

[Andy Levett (Guest)]

Montrose is a great choice by Tom. I was lucky enough to play there and Carnoustie on successive days a fortnight ago and enjoyed Montrose more. I'm not suggesting Carnoustie isn't a better test for top golfers or a memorable experience but the more undulating terrain at Montrose, inviting a greater variety of shotmaking; more attractive scenery and easier (but not easy) scoring just made it more fun, IMHO. Also, our round took 3hrs20 rather than 5. You could manage 54 on a day ticket! Check it out at http://www.montroselinks.co.uk  

[David_Elvins]

Thank you very much to everyone for all their ideas.  Looks like an excellent starting.  Really looing forward to it.

[John Tuach]

There are some very good discussion threads regarding DIY Scottish golf travel at

http://www.uk-golfguide.com/scottish_forum.html

The forum software maybe not so 'sexy' as this but lots of good advice and shared experience.

[Robert "Cliff" Stanfield]

Some very affordable courses that offer great styles and elements of links golf:Below 30 pounds

Brora-great course with livestock and cowpies..actually a course with great green complexes and in excellent condition.

Gullane #3-Great fun...quirky holes and #17 is excellent with the contours surrounding the green and where the fwy enters the green...not real long but a good place to get your game ready for the more expensive links courses.

Kilspindie- Another fun course and short yardage but has several firth views and its location to Gullane is a hop skip and a jump.  The course has a neat par 3 #15? which has a rock wall down the left side kindaacting like a cross hazard.

Dunbar-What a neat course and worth a play!!!Hole#5 is great and set with a green that slopes away from the player toward a wall that divides the property.  The par 3 out near the point and par 5 before that are funa and neat.  The par3 has a house ruin which adds a touch to the golf hole and scenery although the massive pit being dug to the right of the tees there will hopefully make for a neat golf course or par 3 course once they finish digging to the center of the earth.

Panmure-this course is very interesting and has a bit of history being where Hogan practiced when the Open was held at Carnoustie.  Very interesting golf holes after getting thru 1,2,3.

Musselborough (race track course)  neat little course that runs thru the center of a still working horse track....you can rent the old woodedn clubs and have a go there. The pub with that acts as a back drop at #4 has decent food too.

Hope this helps but I just realized that your trip may have already started and ended.  Hope you have a blast

[Slag_Bandoon]

Greetings John Tuach,  I stopped by Muir of Ord GC and left a written message for you with a lady in the pro shop.  Your website was and is essential in planning a golfing trip to Scotland.  Not to be missed.  

"The Other" Gleneagles in Brora is a FREE par 3 niner in a rabbit patch with sheep and cattle chewing contendedly.  Dune blowouts and actual mowed greens with flagsticks.  I wish I could post pictures here.
Brora well priced and a blast.

Traigh GC near Mallaig 14 pounds per day.
 
Dalmunzie in Spittal of Glenshee 11 pounds per day. (MacKenzie 1921)

Arbory Brae Hickory and Gutty in Abington, Lanarkshire.  Meet Alfie.

Carradale on Kintyre is fun and a bargain.

Cullen was around 15 pounds for a round.  Wear a hard hat.  Great fun and cool geology.  (Yardage is 4610 but get this: the 18 handicap hole is a par 3 of 236 yards!)  Have a serving of Cullen Skink in the clubhouse afterwards. "Shmecht gut!"

North Berwick should not be missed at any price.

 Dornoch is not cheap but neither is a good steak.  This is the full meal deal.

[moth]

The best value golf in Scotland is a round or 2 on the Womens Putting Course at St Andrews. It was 1 or 2 pounds when I was there in 1995 (including ball and putter) and I doubt whether you can have more fun at golf than there. Very cool atmosphere with all the kids, grans etc all out playing. Play close to sunset and you wont believe the borrow and humps in that thing.

Machrihanish is also a good deal $wise due to it's relative remoteness. Its loads of fun even with the ball blowing off the tee every time you tee it up.

I played a 9 hole course at a place called "Augustus" on the way back from Dornoch (at the end of one of the big forth's) - cost was I think 5 pounds to be placed in an honesty box. Beautiful scenery, heather everywhere and the opportunity to play the "old pitch shot off a cantankerous sheep lying on the green" shot which you dont get to use elsewhere very often. Theres loads of courses like this in Scotland in almost any little town.

Have a ball.

[Bob_Huntley]

If you are on the West coast try Spean Bridge, honesty box, last time there it was ten pounds.

A nine holer with wonderful sea views is Traigh G.C., near Mallaigh. Fourteen pounds a day or fifty two pounds all week with unlimited play. One caveat, you need to be reasonably fit going up the first hole. The road from Fort William can get pretty hairy. En route, visit the monument to Bonnie Prince Charlie at Glenfinnian, a worthwile stop.

[Slag_Bandoon]

 Can't help myself toot the horn for Traigh...

http://www.traighgolf.co.uk

Is that the Lido bridge on 5? I think it is. It must be.  

I wish it was sunny like these picts when I was there but I guess I caught it on a rare rainy and windy day.  

There's a fine story/review at that website to read.  

[Bob_Huntley]

Slag:

We drove down from Fort William and as I put on my rain gear in the small parking lot across the road from the course, my wife said to me, "This will cost you a visit to Nieman Marcus when we get home."

Paid the fee, teed off on No. 1 with no idea what to hit up the hill, the wind was somewhat fierce, chose a three iron and finished a mile away on an incoming hole. The weather improved, the sun appeared and I had more fun that day than I had had at some of the more 'prestigious' venues I've played. Architecturally it's  a bit of a mess but views to the islands are awe inspiring.

[Slag_Bandoon]

So, ultimately, Traigh cost more than 14 pounds.  Does Nieman Marcus have an honesty box?