From rural hidden links to the little siblings of Scotland’s trophy venues, there are several Scottish golf courses that need a light shone on them.
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Playing the top tier golf courses can often be quite the expense. So, are you able to play high quality golf courses for a fraction of the price?
NCG Top 100s Podcast host, Tom Irwin and Dan Murphy thinks so and have named a few of their favourites that won’t break the bank.
The pair believe these places can rival their famous neighbours in terms of enjoyment, character and value-for-money, yet somehow, they remain under the radar of many golfers.
Here are the Scottish courses that Irwin and Murphy say deserve far more attention.
Dunaverty Golf Club
“It’s glorious,” Murphy claimed. “For a lot of people, they enjoy playing Dunaverty more than anywhere else in the area because it’s just some of the most relaxed golf you’ll ever play.
“Once you get over the other side of the initial hill there is some remarkable golf. If you have a look at the scorecard, it is an awful lot of fun because there are loads of par fours that are around 240, 250 and 260 yards.
“The hardest holes to score on categorically are the par threes which is often the way it goes at these types of courses. You have to hand onto your hat on the par threes and then try and do something heroic on the par fours.”
Durness Golf Club
Irwin believes: “it is golf on the absolute limit type of stuff. It has a worldie of a par three. The turf is really good, it has all the blind shots that you would want, moderately bunkered with around seven or eight bunkers on the whole property, and it is amongst some pretty spectacular dunes.
“It’s just cool.”
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Cruden Bay Golf Club (St Olaf)
“The thing I like about it is the total lack of pretension or fuss about it,” said Murphy. “You just take a few clubs and wander down and it’s like there is your canvas what can you paint.
“You do feel as though you are away from that tip-toeing round of golf and trying your hardest. There’s no sense of occasion; it’s just you and the elements.
“But it has a couple of par threes that are as good as anything you would play on any links course.”
Fraserburgh Golf Club
Irwin is under the impression that: “it is an amazing antidote to the pomp and ceremony of a lot of Aberdeenshire golf.
“Fraserburgh stands out to me because of the quality of the land. It is a pretty unique property, the most Scottish place you will ever go.
“It’s a proper links playground. Loads and loads of rollercoaster holes where you get a big elevation change, often in the middle of the hole.”
Paisley Golf Club
“There are lots of elevation changes and holes that go across where you are trying to use the slope,” Murphy recalls. “Generally speaking, when you are going up it’s not too long of a hole.
“It has some very well-situated greens and is a pretty place to play golf. Very well presented and, when I was there, the greens were outstandingly good.”
Auchterarder Golf Club
“It is located on the same bit of land as Gleneagles,” said Irwin. “The course is part heathland and part forested.
“A very accessible place for anyone doing any sort of trip to Scotland. If you are on your way to Fife or Aberdeenshire, and you’re going by car, it’s an incredible stop off.
“It is cuter and a bit sportier than some other courses on this list and definitely offers up a chance to make a few birdies.”
Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club
Tom Irwin admitted: “there is a bit more gorse than I would like, but it is one of the only places I have been to where you can justify the extra bit of gorse.
“It’s very scoreable and it has enough to it in terms of the topography of the land.
“Again, it is another course where it has all the stuff that is 50% of the reason people go to places like Nairn but it is a quarter of the money, it takes half the time, and you might make more birdies.”
Kilspindie Golf Club
“When I think of it, I think of the same sort of ground that you get at Nairn,” said Irwin. “It’s so pure and it also has those Royal Aberdeen vibes in terms of the routing early on.
“It has more driveable par fours than anywhere else I can think of. The club and clubhouse is proper, a first-class experience.
“You will definitely make some birdies and definitely have a good time.”
Kilmacolm Golf Club
“This is short, this has really tight turf with rocks all over the shop,” Murphy explained. “An unbelievably, skilful routed climb up quite a significant hill but it doesn’t feel like it.
“You’re right on top of the world at the summit and has been touched by some of the greatest architects. It has some of the cutest holes and feels like Windermere in quite a few places.
“All the holes, without exception, are proper golf holes. This is really well crafted and put together.”
Listen to the NCG Top 100s Podcast
Now have your say
Do you agree with our list? Which golf courses would you have chosen and included? Have you played any of the golf courses listed? If so, were you as impressed by them? Let us know by leaving a comment or get in touch on X!
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