Golf in Scotland on classic links is the best. It’s even better with my two sons competing for our own Claret Jug in the “Not Open” Championship.
After landing at Glasgow, we headed straight for Dundonald Links in Ayrshire for a rainy beginning to our trip – with rental clubs. Then it was up north, 235 miles, to Royal Dornoch Golf Club, where our second day was also sans clubs and shoes thanks to U.S. Airways. The weather was beautiful, and our clubs were delivered as we walked up hole No. 18. With our golf clubs finally making it here nearly two days later, we set out for our second round of what would prove to be a total of three at Dornoch, a collection of holes unlike any other.
The site forms a gentle semi-circle around Dornoch Firth and despite the classic “out and in” routing of many Scottish links, the change of direction on each hole is enough to warrant your attention to even the slightest breeze. Even with some rain that first day at Dornoch we got to experience play on firm and fast fairways – the more so as the place dried out.
• Golfweek’s Best GB&I Classic Courses list
Royal Dornoch is special – beyond almost anything you might have read. Though most holes suggest a right to left shape for tee shots, the collection of par 4s is varied with long and short holes, though the back nine, with four long, tough “two shotters,” really tests one’s mettle.
Lesser-known Tain Golf Club, just nine miles south of Dornoch, provided us with a unique experience on a rare windless and nearly 80-degree day – one that enabled us to indulge in shorts and shirtsleeves. Other than the nearby sheep on many holes, we felt like we had the course to ourselves. They only do about 12,000 rounds per year at this gem of a layout. The highlight of Tain was the “Himalayas,” hole No. 11, a mid-short length par-4 with the green hidden by two large mounds. While dad drove it in the high stuff and made bogey, Jack holed his second for eagle and Max birdied to combine for the same score as dad. Youth!
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Day six brought us to the pleasantly surprising Dunbar Golf Club on Scotland’s “Golf Coast” east of Edinburgh. Dunbar, at the point where the Firth of Forth gives way to the North Sea, measures up quite well with its more famous neighbors to the west: North Berwick, Muirfield and Gullane. Dunbar is a special property bordered most of its length by a stonewall and the North Sea. Between these two formidable hazards lies some great golf that few are aware of – including the best kept greens we saw on the whole trip.
Our golf tour of Scotland concluded back in Ayrshire, with a visit to the upscale (for Scotland) Western Gailes Golf Club. The Victorian gem, founded in 1897, is tucked between the Firth of Clyde (and its view of the famous Ailsa Craig) and the busy railway line that leads from downtown Glasgow to the famed Ayrshire Coast vacation area. Western Gailes is an exclusive club with just 200 members (on average they approach, if not exceed, the club’s par of 71). The exquisitely maintained clubhouse showcases lots of wood trim and handcrafted furnishings. The course forms an interesting loop going out for four holes to the north, turning back to the south from holes five through thirteen hard by the sea and through towering dunes; then turns back to the clubhouse along the railway.
The round offered much of the changeable Scottish weather, with warm, summer-like conditions to begin with, breezy at mid-round and then finishing out in a light rain. The firm, fast conditions afforded us a diverse shot selection on every approach and chip. A unique custom at Western Gailes is that they invite you to bring your clubs inside the clubhouse, store them in the lobby with George, the caddie master while you lunch, and then actually carry your clubs through the bar to the first tee.
Golf in Scotland is simple and pure. Just about everyone walks. In our time there I saw only one golf cart, and that was for two elderly gents who otherwise couldn’t have enjoyed the game. Clubhouse bars are as friendly a place as one can find on this planet. Some fish and chips and a pint usually encourage spirited golf talk. At Dunbar, the Caramel Chocolate Shortbread for dessert is worth the trip alone. The very agreeable and accommodating Scots don’t seem to mind if you cut a hole in front of them to skip the middle six and get back for dinner at 8:30 – when there’s still two more hours of light left in a glorious late spring or early summer day of golf.
The Scots are super friendly and certainly have their rules, but one can’t help but notice the difference in atmosphere and playing conditions between clubs there and in the U.S. There are dress codes, for instance, but without anywhere near the detail in the States.
Denim is usually discouraged, though none of the clubs we visited discourage cargo pants/shorts or specify what types of collars are acceptable or how one wears their hat. There are guidelines for cellphone usage but they are much more modest than the rules at many U.S. clubs. Trolleys (pull carts), powered or not, are everywhere with virtually no restrictions on their use. Playing conditions aren’t nearly as “plush” and bright green and turf isn’t nearly as consistent as at the best U.S. clubs, but there aren’t many bad lies in the fairways, either. The rough, and gorse, is another story. Inside, Scottish clubs are modest in decor and arguably a bit dated. That economy not only rests upon traditional fashion but also is what might be called business-sensible. The atmosphere is comfortable, if not plush. We often also saw several dogs accompanying their masters on a loop round the links. Pretty cool, and rarely seen in America.
Greens in Scotland (fescue and poa) are typically firm, but not especially fast, with speeds typically around 8 or 9 feet on the Stimpmeter. That actually proved to be a difficult adjustment for this devotee of faster greens. However, with undulations and contours that would render unplayable the faster bentgrass greens and modern Bermuda greens we’re used to in the U.S., those “slower greens” aren’t really bothersome. Be prepared, though. The green speeds are different than you’re used to and it’s by design. Of particular note is the reaction of the golf ball. Despite some softer-than-normal conditions, most shots release even when crisply struck with a wedge. It’s essential to give a shot the right “weight” and allow for rollout with little impact from spin, even on pitches and chips.
Each time I’ve traveled to Scotland, I’ve been taken by the very comfortable atmosphere of their courses and clubhouses. Golf there is more a part of the average person culture. There is little of the pretense you sometimes find at American clubs and resorts. For a great place to play golf with your sons there’s nothing like it. Three and half hours and you’re done with golf and find yourself enjoying a pint of lager and some fish and chips.
Larry Hirsh, of Villanova, Pa., is a longtime Golfweek’s Best rater and principal in a consulting firm, Golf Property Analysts.
