Top Class Scottish Golf Courses
Hillhouse is located in close proximity to some of the finest golf courses in the world - 2 Open Championship courses and a whole selection of Championship and Open Qualifying courses.
Scotland is of course the home of golf, and the South West is a golfing paradise. The Open Championship courses of Royal Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry are all close to Hillhouse. There are five Open Championship Qualifying courses in the vicinity as well.
There are golf courses to suit all standards and ages and although the list below includes only Scotland's top courses please contact us if you would like information on any of the many other courses in the local area.
Hillhouse has the added benefit of being only 15 minutes drive from Prestwick airport, and 40 minutes from Glasgow, meaning less time traveling and more time on the links!
Local Courses |
Other Scottish Courses |
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Royal Troon Golf Club
Open Championship course
3.5 miles - 10 minutes
Founded in 1878 Troon Golf Club's Old Course today presents a stern golfing examination and in particular the inward half of Royal Troon is widely accepted as the most demanding of any Course on the Championship rota. Troon Golf Club has 3 Courses, The Old Course, Portland and Par3 providing golf for all ages and standards.
| Old Course | 6641 Yards | Par 71 |
| Portland | 6289 Yards | Par 71 |
| Part 3 | 1191 Yards | Par 27 |
| Royal Troon Golf Club | top | |
Turnberry
Open Championship courses
26 miles - 45 minutes
The scene of some of the most remarkable moments in Open history, the legendary Ailsa course is complemented by the dynamic challenges of the new Kintyre championship course.
To help you prepare for the Turnberry golfing experience, the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy is situated alongside one of the most luxurious and extensive clubhouses in the game.
| Ailsa Course | 6440 Yards | Par 69 |
| Kintyre Course | 6504 Yards | Par 72 |
| Turnberry | top | |
Prestwick Golf Club
Open Championship course
6.4 miles - 15 minutes
A stretch of land unequalled anywhere in the world for prime golfing terrain Prestwick shares it boundaries with Royal Troon. The golf course was established in 1851 and the first Open Championship was held in 1860.
| Prestwick | 6544 Yards | Par 71 |
| Prestwick Golf Club | top | |
Western Gailes
Open Championship Qualifying course
2.5 miles - 10 minutes
Western Gailes Golf Club, founded in 1897, is recognised as one of the finest and true links courses in Scotland measuring 6899 yards from the championship tees. The course has played host to the Curtis Cup, PGA Championship, Seniors and prestigious Scottish Amateur Championship. It is also one of the final qualifying courses when The Open is played at Turnberry or Royal Troon.
| Western Gailes | 6899 Yards | Par 71 |
| Western Gailes | top | |
Glasgow Gailes
Open Championship Qualifying course
2.5 miles - 10 minutes
Glasgow Gailes Links is owned and managed by Glasgow Golf Club, the 9th oldest golf club in the world. Glasgow Gailes is a challenging links course - tough and traditionally Scottish - consistently selected by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews as a final qualifying venue for the Open Championship.
| Glasgow Gailes | 6535 Yards | Par 72 |
| Glasgow Gailes | top | |
Dundonald
Potential Scottish Open venue
2.5 miles - 10 minutes
Designed by Kyle Phillips, one of the game's top architects, it has been recognised as one of the best new courses in the world (Robb Report 2004). Situated by the sea near the legendary town of Troon, Dundonald's soil and climate conditions make the course suitable for year-round play.
| Dundonald | 6765 Yards | Par 72 |
| Dundonald | top | |
Irvine Bogside
Open Championship Qualifying course
7.5 miles - 15 minutes
The Irvine Golf Club, Bogside sports a traditional links course established over 100 years ago owing much of it's present day character to the design work of James Braid in 1926. The course provides a challenge to all with its subtle changes in direction and no two holes the same.
| Irvine Bogside | 6401 Yards | Par 71 |
| Irvine Bogside | top | |
Kilmarnock Barrassie
Open Championship Qualifying course
1.5 miles - 5 minutes
Kilmarnock Barassie course is tough, but is typically what Scottish Links golf is about - large undulating greens, deep bunkers and doglegs. The course has generated some excellent publicity in recent years having been host for the British Amateur Championships in June 2001 along with Prestwick Golf Club and played host to the European Youths Championships the previous year. The Open Championship at Royal Troon in 2004 saw Barassie play host to the Junior Open Championship.
| Kilmarnock Barrassie | top | |
St. Andrews
The 'Home of Golf'
Open championship courses
110 miles - 3hours
St. Andrews is of global importance as the Home of Golf and the place where the game has evolved and developed over the last 600 years.
In addition to the world famous Old Course there are 5 other courses which are all open to the public.
| Old Course | 6609 Yards | Par 71 |
| New Course | 6604 Yards | Par 71 |
| JubileeCourse | 6743 Yards | Par 72 |
| Eden Course | 6195 Yards | Par 70 |
| Strathtyrum Course | 5620 Yards | Par 69 |
| Balgrove Course | 1520 Yards | Par 30 |
| St. Andrews The 'Home of Golf' | top | |
Carnoustie
Open championship venue 2007
120 miles - 3hours 15 minutes
Regarded by many including Walter Hagen and Gary Player as one of the best links in the world, Carnoustie, though certainly long, is not a course for the unthinking big-hitter. With judgement of wind and distance critical, every tee shot needs careful placement to set up an approach to the green. Given its quality, it is difficult to comprehend why this links lay virtually undiscovered for so long and why it took until 1931 for it to host its first British Open. Since then, this great links has hosted the Open on six occasions, its array of champions including Armour, Cotton, Hogan, Player, Watson and Lawrie, fittingly bearing testament to the toughness of Carnoustie. In July 2007 Carnoustie will host the Open Championship for the seventh time.
| Championship | 6941 Yards | Par 75 |
| Burnside | 6028 Yards | Par 69 |
| Buddon | 5420 Yards | Par 66 |
| Carnoustie | top | |
Cruden Bay Golf Club
Championship course
207 miles - 5 hours 45 minutes
It is believed that the game of golf has been played in Cruden Bay since 1791 and the existing course, designed by Tom Morris, was opened in 1899. It is an internationally famous course and was ranked at No. 52 in the world by 'Golf Magazine'.
The demanding and unique course plays alongside the splendid backdrop of beaches and ocean.
| Cruden Bay | 6395 Yards | Par 70 |
| Cruden Bay Golf Club | top | |
Loch Lomond
Scottish Open Championship course
48 miles - 1hour 30 minutes
Designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish, the 7,100 yard parkland course is considered to be among the 'Top 100' finest golf courses in the world (ranked in the top 50 by Golf Magazine and 19th by its international panelists when it first opened, as well as voted #1 course in Scotland by the readers of Bunkered.) Streams and marshland areas form natural hazards, while majestic trees, including Scots Pine, Douglas Firs, and ancient oaks add to the grandeur.
| Loch Lomond | 7100 Yards | Par 71 |
| Loch Lomond | top | |
Muirfield
Open Championship course
102 miles - 2 hours 10 minutes
Muirfield is the only course to have hosted the Open (15 times, the most recent in 2002), the Amateur, the Mid Amateur, the Ryder Cup, the Walker Cup and the Curtis Cup. With its thick rough and 151 deep, cavernous bunkers Muirfield is tough and testing course about which Tom Watson said 'there was not a weak hole on the course'.
| Muirfield | 6970 Yards | Par 71 |
| Muirfield | top | |
Nairn
Championship course
216 miles - 6hrs
Testhis Traditional Scottish Golf Links Course on the shores of the Moray Firth hosted the 37th Walker Cup in 1999. A testing golf course set among a Highland wilderness of whins and heather it was founded in 1887, and is now one of the best courses in Scotland.
| Testhis | 6721 Yards | Par 72 |
| Nairn | top | |
Royal Dornoch
Championship course
244 miles - 6 hours 45 minutes
One of the first 3 golf courses in Scotland of which there is a written record (in 1616) golf has been played in Dornoch for hundreds of years. The Championship course is rated 5th in the world outside of the USA and is challenging links course in a magnificent setting. The Struie course has its own character and makes a perfect family or high handicap course.
| Championship Course | 6514 Yards | Par 70 |
| Struie Course | 6276 Yards | Par 70 |
| Royal Dornoch | top | |
Machrihanish
Travel time - various.
A first class links course described by Old Tom Watson in 1878 as 'specifically designed by the Almighty for playing golf'. Although only a short distance from Glasgow 'as the crow flies' it is approximately 140 miles drive and the best way to enjoy a round of golf is to fly from Glasgow Airport. A special day return departs every weekday and, weather depending, the 25 minute flight affords spectacular views. A 9 hole course helps to provide a challenge for all abilities.
| Machrihanish | 6225 Yards | Par 70 |
| Machrihanish | top | |
Gleneagles
3 Championship courses
80 miles - 1 hour 30 minutes
For the dedicated golf enthusiast Gleneagles offers the chance to play on 3 championship courses. The King's and Queen's courses were designed by James Braid and the PGA Centerary Course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and is set to be the venue for the 40th Ryder Cup in 2014. Set amongst the splendor of the Perthshire hills the Gleneagles courses offer unrivalled golfing challenges adjacent to the luxurious 5 star Gleneagles Hotel and Spa facility.
| King's | 6471 Yards | Par 70 |
| Queen's | 5965 Yards | Par 68 |
| PGA Centenary Course | 6551 Yards | Par 70 |
| Gleneagles | top | |
Gullane Golf Club
Championship courses
100 miles - 2 hours
Differing from most other Scottish links courses in that they are hilly, the 3 Gullane courses are set among the heather, whin and gorse with spectacular panoramic views across the Firth of Forth. Gullane has a long history of golf, with the No. 1 course created in 1884, and the courses have played host to many championships including Open Championship Qualifying and Scottish Professional Championship. The stiff sea breezes, numerous bunkers and well maintained greens will challenge the serious golfer.
| No. 1 Course | 6466 Yards | Par 71 |
| No. 1 Course | 6244 Yards | Par 71 |
| No. 1 Course | 5252 Yards | Par 68 |
| Gullane Golf Club | top | |
North Berwick
Open Qualifying Course
107 miles - 2 hours 15 minutes
One of the oldest courses in Scotland North Berwick's course boast stunning views across the Firth of Forth to the Bass Rock. The beach, the burns and low walls all conspire to give the course a unique character - one which has changed little since the course was designed over 150 years ago.
| North Berwick | 6420 Yards | Par 71 |
| North Berwick | top | |
Elie
107 miles - 2 hours 15 minutes
Situated on the edge of the Firth of Forth 10 miles from St. Andrews golf has been played in the village of Elie since the 15th Century. The present course is unique in that it has no par 5's - but do not let this fool you as it is tough a links challenge as can be found anywhere. The starters periscope, removed from the HMS Excaliber, used to check if the course is clear adds to the unique character of the challenging course.
| Elie | 6273 Yards | Par 70 |
| Elie | top | |
Kingsbarns Golf Links
120 miles - 3 hours 5 minutes
Lying 6 miles to the west of St. Andrews is one of Scotland's most recent golf courses, Kingbarns. This most recent of course was built upon the site of 9 hole course which was created over 200 years ago and the course design provides great variety and a stiff golfing challenge balanced by generous greens and wide fairways. Kingsbarns blends together all the advantages of a modern course with the traditional features of an old links course.
| Kingsbarns | 6652 Yards | Par 72 |
| Kingsbarns Golf Links | top | |
Carnegie Links
Championship Course
242 miles - 6 hours
Tom Morris built this course on the estate at Skibo Castle the Scottish seat of Andrew Carnegie of Pittsburgh, USA, the great steel magnate and philanthropist who was born in Dunfermline in Fife. The course was totally reconstructed and modernised in 1995 and it has quickly matured into a splendid golfing venue.
| Carnegie Links | 6403 Yards | Par 71 |
| Carnegie Links | top | |
Dalmahoy
242 miles - 6 hours
Designed by James Braid Dalmahoy's East and West courses are representations of everything that is good about Scottish golf. They provide a stern test to all and are as enjoyable as any top championship course you will find. Having played host to the Solheim Cup and the Scottish Seniors Open
| Dalmahoy East | 6389 Yards | Par 71 |
| Dalmahoy West | 5051 Yards | Par 68 |
| Dalmahoy | top | |
