I don't play golf, but went for a dog walk here and the course looks incredible. I know we have the…read morebest courses in the world, and St Andrew's is the pinnacle. Gorgeous space and beautiful views in a lovely town.

What a treat it was to walk the Old Course here at the birthplace of golf.  This is the world's…read moreoldest golf course, and golf started here in the early 15th century.  We were super lucky to be scheduled to come here on a Sunday when the course is closed for play (except for pro tournaments) and open to the public like us to meander about.  Yet there was an untimely pro tournament ongoing the day we were here, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, but fortunately play had moved along, and we could still wander about.  The wife and I got onto the 18th fairway and captured a memorable photo with the famous Royal and Ancient Golf Club clubhouse situated by the 18th green.  The British Open is often played here, and I've uninterestingly watched snippets of it over the years, but in the future it will be fun to watch it much more closely as I've now set foot on this famous course.  I also in retrospect wished I had time to go by the 17th hole, widely known to be the golf world's most famous and difficult par 4 hole.  You can look it up, it's riiidiiiculous! and major championships have been lost or won on that hole.  Anyway, it was a wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit here, and in good weather to boot.

By far, the best all around experience our group had over 5 rounds of golf. The guys who helped us…read morewere so fun and I had a good score. Thank you.

For the record, I shot a bogey on 18th better than Jean Van de Velde! I can't believe they've…read moreetched is name into the cement where he hit it into the water known as Barry Burn. Amazing course with stunning views of the coast. Expect to play in the wind and hail at times even in April. We were worried when it snowed the night before but the course told us to come out anyways and would wait until the weather improved which it did. The temperature was 38 degrees when we started and ended at 45 degrees. It was still one of the greatest days of golf that I could remember.

4.5 stars We played…read morethe Balcomie Links, considered to be a traditional, classic links course was laid out by Tom Morris, and opened in 1895. It was not a very pleasant day for golf -- occasional rain and winds with gusts of 40-50 miles an hour. Even in those conditions it was very enjoyable and the course was wonderful. Really a memorable experience and qualifies for one of my favorite course I have played.

Go for the Balcomie Course. It's great fun, challenging but brilliant! The view is fantastic and…read morethe course not easy to play. But you should take the advantage and play there. The second course is also very nice with more space between the holes.

I'm not a golfer, so I can only comment on the aesthetic qualities of this public golf course!…read more It's the first one of its kind I've come across and knowing how expensive golf memberships can be, I think it's a fantastic idea. Having relocated to Bruntsfield for the last month or so, I've had to walk through the Links to the adjoining Meadows park at least fifty times! It's been pleasant and relaxing though, and like all the public parks in Edinburgh it's wonderfully maintained; old gnarley trees not out of place in Edins and plenty of plush, green grass! Size-wise, there are no extensive holes, and I'd say it's a place better designed to practice putting. It's well utilized by the location population, usually irrespective of the weather, and for the non-golfing folk such as myself, it's a great place to relax with a book or have a little picnic. Granted you MIGHT get hit in the head by a golf ball, but there are areas where this risk is significantly reduced.

The Links are a hillier alternative to Meadows. It's also way emptier most of the time. Beware of…read moregolfers, though. They're merciless, or at least I generally assume they are. I'd say it's a safe assumption to make of all people who wield metal rods. And hit things with it. On purpose. Rumour goes that the Links are hilly because there are thousands of plague victims buried there. The same goes for Greyfriar's Graveyard. But that makes more sense than a public park. The Links has a spectacular view of Arthur's Seat (on the days there isn't fog and generally miserable weather), and as you walk up towards the end of the park and look up towards Bruntsfield you'll get a great glimpse of the waterfront too. In the Summertime, it's a perfect place to go if you're feeling particularly sentimental at around 4 in the morning after a party or two, to watch the sunrise. Yes, the sun rises around 4-5 am here now. You may as well go crazy and watch the sunset around 10-11 from there too!

We played Jubilee in St. Andrews and Western Gailes outside Glasgow during a Scotland trip and Elie…read morewas very easily our favorite course. The staff were great, but probably more importantly the course was amazing and didn't have to rely solely on being narrow to make it challenging. If your thing is having a great view of the coast, this is also your jam. This is the easily the best course we played in Scotland and one of the best courses we've played in any country. They do an excellent job of using elevation change, bunkers, and undulations to make the course extremely interesting. We will absolutely be back.

4.5 stars If I…read moreremember correctly, this was the first course I ever played in Scotland. I was a wee bit nervous and excited -- and the first tee didn't help. It's a blind shot and am sure more than one person has hit the starter's quarters off the tee. Fortunately I did not add my name to that list. The first Club The Elie and Earlsferry Golf Club was formed in 1832. A clubhouse or what was known as a golf house was built in 1875, and the opportunity was taken to use this name to form a new club in the same year, The Golf House Club. By 1896 more land had been leased enabling an 18 hole course to be laid out, which bar a few minor alterations is the course played today. It's a very fun course and a great layout -- a little tight in a few areas with good exposure to the elements -- the wind certainly does blow. Our last trip to Scotland included another visit to Elie and it proved to be just as enjoyable (even if it poured for half of the round). A good value as well. Hope to return.

Still in awe of this property while writing this review! As two (very bad) golfers, we loved…read morelearning about the rich history of this course and the evolution over the years. Our Guide was armed with so many cool facts about specific tournaments and how players approached the holes. Highly recommend this for anyone passing through St Andrews but especially golfers!

How could I not give them 5/5? The Old Course is open to the public to enjoy on Sundays. We got a…read moreprivate driver to take us from Edinburgh to St Andrews on a Sunday to enjoy the course, castle and cathedral ruins and the village.

3.5 stars The Castle Course is a beautiful course with many…read morescenic views. It's not an easy course by any means, but 5 sets of tees attempts to make it playable for many different levels of ability. The 17th hole lives up to the hype and probably is one of the best par 3s in the world. That said, the greens come close to ruining the entire experience and should include a clown's mouth, windmill and other things you might find at a putt putt golf.

Great golf course that demands a good shot. No mercy for a bad shot, but that's the same with…read moreall courses in Scotland. Lunch. I had the ham and cheese sandwich with fries. The cheese in the sandwich was excellent.

What a gorgeous course! We were fortunate enough to take a guided tour so we got a brief history of…read morethe course and the ability to walk around a bit. It was funny watching people run out to the bridge to get their picture taken in between players teeing off on the 18th. If you're in the area, you definitely should take a minute just to see the course. The beauty alone is worth it even if you don't fancy the sport of golf. Tip - Wanna play the old course? Bring your clubs, $375, proven handicap card, and get there at 4am to get in the daily list. Maybe you get a spot - maybe not. But it's possible !

Five time British Open Champion and accomplished architect, Peter Thomson was charged with the…read moredesign and the course opened in 1995. Fast forward a few years to 2005 and there was a new owner of both The Old Course Hotel and the Dukes Course - Herb Kohler. Kohler owned the American Club, Blackwolf and Whistling Straits (not to mention the Kohler company) in the United States and his love of golf took him to Scotland. Kohler has never been one to rest on his laurels -- and he didn't just acquire the Old Course hotel and the Duke's -- he started to remake the whole experience. The first focus of attack was the hotel. Always classified as a deluxe, 5 star property, Kohler was determined to make improvements at the hotel. The upgrades were accomplished within little more than a year. Next, all of attention was turned to The Dukes Course where Kohler placed all of his energy and released his true passion for golf, revealing an eternal quest for perfection. The end result is a very good heathland layout has been transformed into a visually stunning layout. Now extended to 7,512 yards from the tips, as well as a lot of work with bunkering, which now includes a generous helping of traditional and very serious pot-bunkers. Trouble lurks at every turn. This is a good candidate for location if they ever make Nightmare on Elm Street, Freddy Kreuger Hits the Links. It's obvious that Kohler is a man with an awful lot of respect for the game of golf and takes a great pride in his all of courses. This might not be my favorite of his courses, some of the Dye courses are as visually intimidating, but also more playable. This course looks intimidating and will take every opportunity to bear its teeth and bite. 4 stars for the course. Herb Kohler gets 5.

4.5 stars I am not quite sure why it took 3 trips to…read moreScotland before getting this course on the itinerary. North Berwick Golf Club was founded in 1832. According to one reliable source that makes it the thirteenth oldest golf club in the world. It is a very beautiful place -- great seaside course that is very picturesque and a great test of golf as well. The course does have a few quirks, but actually make it all the more interesting. One of the most memorable starters of all our trips as well...I really would love to opportunity to play here again some day...

A true gem. Ancient stone walls come into play on numerous shots. This is golf as it was originally…read moreplayed. The interesting terrain was shaped not by the capricious whims of man, with computer aided design software and earth-moving equipment, but by nature herself. The course heads west (back towards Edinburgh) on the outward nine and turns east to town on the back nine forming a kind of figure eight. The 18th hole is a short par four, and could be an easy birdie hole, but like St Andrews, a road runs down the right side and an offline shot could easily go thru a car window or worse, as there are houses on the other side of the road.... Short drive from Edinburgh so if you are in the neighborhood there is no excuse to miss this piece of living history....