Every serious golfer has the same conversation eventually.
“We should do Scotland.”
Usually it happens over a drink after a round. Somebody mentions St Andrews. Somebody else mentions Carnoustie. By the end of the night there’s a group text and a vague plan for “next summer.”
Then real life shows up.
Which courses? Which towns? How do you actually get on the Old Course? And how do you turn a stack of tee times into a trip that feels effortless instead of exhausting?
That’s what this guide is for.
Start With the Truth About the Old Course
The Old Course at St Andrews is a public course. That’s part of its magic.
It’s also one of the hardest tee times in golf to secure, and there is no single “book now” button that guarantees it. There are three main ways on:
- A guaranteed advance tee time. These are limited and usually come as part of a package, either through St Andrews Links’ own advance application window, which opens the summer before, or through an authorized tour operator. Popular dates are often spoken for more than a year out.
- The daily ballot. St Andrews Links still runs a ballot (a lottery) drawn two days before play. You need at least two players, plus every golfer’s name, home club and handicap. Entries close at 2 p.m. two days ahead, and results are posted after 4:30 p.m. that afternoon.
- The Singles Daily Draw. Traveling solo? Single golfers enter a separate draw in person in St Andrews the day before they hope to play, and open tee times are handed out from that waiting list.
A few rules catch people off guard. The Old Course is closed on Sundays, so there’s no Friday ballot. The maximum handicap is 36 for men and women, and the starter will ask to see an official handicap card, record or certificate. A letter from your club pro won’t be accepted. And only the golfers named on a ballot entry can play.
The ballot is fair, and people do win it. I just don’t think the centerpiece of a once-in-a-lifetime trip should be left to a lottery.
“Secure the golf you can guarantee. Treat the ballot as the bonus.”
Why 2027 Needs an Early Start
If Scotland is on your list for next year, here’s something worth knowing.
The Open returns to St Andrews for the 155th Open, July 11–18, 2027.
That’s great news if you want to watch. It’s tougher news if you want to play. The Old Course closes for an extended stretch around the championship, and demand for every remaining tee time is expected to be high.
And it isn’t only St Andrews. Muirfield, home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, welcomes visitors on Tuesdays and Thursdays only. Its 2027 visitor diary for independent golfers opened, and closed, back in March 2026.
That’s the reality of top-tier Scottish golf. The best tee times get planned a season or more ahead.
The Courses Worth Building Around
Scotland has hundreds of courses. The best trips pick one or two regions and go deep instead of spending every afternoon in a car.
St Andrews and the Fife Coast
St Andrews Links runs seven courses, so even without the Old Course you can play the town. A few miles down the coast, Kingsbarns is the modern favorite: dramatic, seaside and refreshingly relaxed, with no handicap certificate required. Its 2027 season opens March 27. Across the Firth of Tay, Carnoustie has hosted The Open eight times, most recently in 2018, and its reputation as one of the toughest tests in golf is well earned.
East Lothian, Just Outside Edinburgh
This is the region I’d point a city-based trip toward. North Berwick’s West Links is quirky, historic and pure fun to play, with views out to the Bass Rock. Muirfield sits a few miles away. Visitor times at both are limited, so this is a book-early corner of the map.
Ayrshire and the West Coast
Near Glasgow, the west coast stacks history on history. Prestwick hosted the very first Open in 1860. Royal Troon welcomes visitors on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from mid-April through October. And Turnberry’s Ailsa course delivers one of the most photographed stretches of coastline in the game.
The Highlands
If your group wants to escape the crowds, head north. Royal Dornoch welcomes visitors seven days a week, subject to availability, and plenty of well-traveled golfers call it their favorite course anywhere. Near Inverness, Cabot Highlands pairs Castle Stuart with Old Petty, a new Tom Doak links that officially opened in May 2026.
Gleneagles
Prefer inland golf and a true resort? Gleneagles in Perthshire has three championship courses, the King’s, the Queen’s and the PGA Centenary, which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup. It’s also one of the easiest places in Scotland to keep non-golfers happy.
Where to Stay
In St Andrews, the Old Course Hotel sits alongside the famous Road Hole, and Rusacks overlooks the 1st and 18th of the Old Course. Rooms with that view tend to go first. In East Lothian, Marine North Berwick looks out over the West Links and the Firth of Forth. Gleneagles and Turnberry are full resorts in their own right.
This is also where booking through an advisor matters. Depending on the property and the rate, a booking may include extras like breakfast, a property credit or an upgrade when available. On a multi-night golf trip, those details add up.
When to Go
Scotland’s main visitor golf season runs roughly April through October. Caddies at St Andrews work from April 1 to October 31.
May through August brings the longest days. Around midsummer, Edinburgh’s sun doesn’t set until after 10 p.m., which means an afternoon tee time can still leave room for dinner. April and October are quieter, cooler and often easier to book.
Whatever month you choose, pack for every season. Links weather can change before you reach the next tee.
Pairing Golf With a Conference
A lot of golfers end up in Scotland for business first. That can be the perfect excuse.
If your meeting is in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Fife are close by. Kingsbarns, for example, puts the drive from Edinburgh Airport at about an hour and 20 minutes. If it’s in Glasgow, Ayrshire is right there.
Groups need extra planning. A tee time holds four golfers, so a group of eight needs two of them, and the ballot doesn’t guarantee both entries come up. A few things make group trips feel effortless:
- Lock guaranteed tee times first, then build the hotels and the conference schedule around them.
- Hire a private driver. Nobody wants to navigate the left side of the road after 18 holes and a dram.
- Book caddies. They read greens, give you lines off the tee and bring the history of each course to life.
- Keep one flexible day open for a ballot attempt or a weather reshuffle.
The Trip Is More Than the Tee Times
The best Scotland golf trips aren’t the ones with the longest list of courses.
They’re the ones where the logistics disappear. The car is waiting. The caddie knows your name. The table is booked. The group is laughing about the 17th instead of arguing about directions.
That’s the trip worth planning.
Ready to turn the Scotland conversation into an actual trip?
James McMullin provides personalized travel planning and booking services as an independent contractor of LuxRally Travel. Tell me three things: when you can travel, who’s going and which courses are on the must-play list. We’ll build the rest from there.
— James McMullin, Travel Advisor | Search It Travel
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