How to Plan a Luxury Golf Trip to Scotland

A golf trip to Scotland is, for many players, the one they talk about for years afterwards. It rewards careful planning. The courses are old and much loved, the best hotels are small, and the most memorable days are often the ones with a little space in them.

This guide sets out how we think about planning a luxury Scottish golf holiday, and the questions worth answering early.

Start earlier than you think

For travel in the main season, from May to September, it is sensible to begin planning around twelve months ahead. Many of the most sought-after courses release visitor tee times well in advance, and the finest hotels in St Andrews and the Highlands have relatively few rooms. Groups of eight need more of everything at the same moment.

Shorter lead times can still work well, particularly in spring and autumn, but they usually mean more flexibility on courses or dates.

Decide what kind of trip it is

Before choosing courses, it helps to agree as a group on the shape of the trip:

• How many rounds? Five or six rounds in a week is a comfortable rhythm for most. More is possible, but links golf in the wind is tiring in a satisfying way.
• How much travel? A compact trip, such as Edinburgh, East Lothian and St Andrews, keeps drives short. A wider journey into the Highlands or across to Ayrshire shows more of Scotland but adds time on the road.
• Who else is coming? Non-golfing partners change the plan for the better. They also mean choosing bases with plenty to do nearby.

Choosing your regions

Scotland's golf divides naturally into regions. St Andrews and Fife is the obvious heart. East Lothian offers an extraordinary concentration of links close to Edinburgh. Ayrshire holds Open Championship history on the west coast, while the Highlands and the North East reward those willing to travel a little further.

For a first visit of a week or less, two regions is usually right. With nine or ten nights, three or even four become possible without hurrying.

The Old Course: what to expect

Tee times on the Old Course are managed by the St Andrews Links Trust. A proportion is available in advance, typically with conditions such as rounds on other Links Trust courses, and a significant share is allocated through a daily ballot. The course is generally closed to golf on Sundays.

The Old Course also has a handicap requirement, and players should travel with a current handicap certificate. Limits and procedures can change, so we confirm the current position for each journey.

It is important to be clear: no one can promise an Old Course tee time unless it has been formally allocated. A good plan builds in more than one chance at the ballot and an excellent alternative, so the trip is wonderful whichever way it falls.

Where to stay

Luxury in Scotland comes in several forms: grand five-star hotels, intimate country houses, historic castles and exclusive-use estates. Moving less often almost always feels more luxurious. Two or three bases across a week, rather than a new hotel each night, makes for a calmer trip.

Getting around

Driving yourself after a round on the links, on the left, on narrow rural roads, is not most people's idea of a holiday. A private chauffeur removes all of that, handles the golf bags and lets you enjoy the clubhouse properly.

Budget

Costs vary widely with season, courses, accommodation and group size. As a guide, our Signature journeys typically fall between £5,000 and £9,000 per person, and fully bespoke Reserve journeys between £10,000 and £20,000 or more, excluding international flights. Every proposal is priced individually.

Where we come in

We design and coordinate every element, from course requests and hotels to drivers, dinners and experiences, then stay in touch throughout your visit. If you would like to talk through possibilities, you can begin designing your journey and we will be in touch personally.