Scotland is a country smaller in size than South Carolina, yet has almost 600 golf courses! Not everyone plays golf, but the courses are a source of universal pride for its populace. Summer is a wonderful time to be in a land when the sun sets after 9pm.
With all that light, it’s easy to see a white Titleist as you watch it fly down the green when you play your new favorite course. No schlepping the golf bags on the 1 Train to Van Cortland Park—this is the real deal.
Straus News asked Mark Mulvoy, the legendary former managing editor and publisher of Sports Illustrated, to share his Scottish golf insights; with over 30 trips to Scotland to play different courses, he is well-versed on the topic. Currently retired, he continues going.
“I was there with two of my grandsons for the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews,” Mulvoy noted. “Then, my wife Trish and I then spent 11 days in Scotland in mid-August—a week in St. Andrews, and four days based in Inverness for three rounds of golf in that neighborhood.” Golf nirvana for the faithful.
Mulvoy suggests: “Edinburgh is the perfect takeoff spot. Head east to the Gullane area, an hour’s drive from Edinburgh Castle. Great golf courses! To play the Muirfield course requires connections. Renaissance is a fine course. The Gullane courses, they being North Berwick (the real gem of Scottish links) and Dunbar, can be played if you pre-book a tee time on the clubs’ website—be aware these courses tend to be booked out far in advance,”
If you head east, know that Gullane/Muirfield/Renaissance all abut one another, each with entrances within two miles of each other, Dunbar a little farther.
Off the beaten track? Mulvoy knows! “Head to the north and east, to play lots of wonderful golf on many courses. Stay in St. Andrews and book yourself into the Ballot for a round on the Old Course. Play the 150-year-oldish New Course and the Jubilee, both adjacent to the Old Course, both similar in every way to the Old Course. The local town courses like Crail, Elie, Lundin Links, Leven Links are gems. New, expensive higher-end courses like Dumbarnie and Kingsbarns are great places to play, less than an hour’s drive from St. Andrews.”
An hour’s drive north of there? “Carnoustie, a regular on the Open Championship rotation, is well worth it, book tee times on the club’s website. One last gem north of St. Andrews and Aberdeen is Cruden Bay. To me, Cruden Bay and the North Berwick are don’t-miss courses! “ he enthused.
“To a different point of the compass, south of Glasgow, there’s Troon, Prestwick, and Western Gaines,” Mulvoy added. “All wonderful courses.”
And to the west? The former managing editor/publisher mused, “A great place to base yourself is Inverness, high to the west. Nairn and the soon-to-be-two Castle Stuart courses are just outside town, as is Lossiemouth. The glorious Royal Dornoch—always ranked among the Top 10 courses in the world—is an hour’s drive west. Inverness has really great dining options. We stayed at a great hotel in Inverness and had terrific dinners around town, each night.”
The logistics can make for a trip that should be planned in advance—tee times, lodging, meals, and transportation. Many courses rely on caddies and pull carts for toting the irons and woods along, with greens fees that can be expensive. July and August do tend to be busy among the links.
And, what if your idea isn’t playing the game on your journey? There is much to do here even if you don’t ever swing a golf club.
The two largest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow, at the southern end of Scotland, have their own distinct charms.
Edinburgh has many attractions.
The Fringe Festival, this year from Aug. 1 to 25, is a world stage for artistic creativity of all sorts. Edinburgh Castle, once a residence of Scottish monarchs, now a museum, stands 443 feet above sea level, a commanding presence in this low-lying city. Other venues to see include the National Museum of Scotland, the National Galleries Scotland and places that herald Scottish Art, technology, whiskey, city history, writers; the list goes on. There are more than a dozen places to learn about the elements that make Scotland diverse. With a wide variety of hotel choices, dining outlets, and pubs to choose among, it’s the perfect beginning or end to your vacation.
Glasgow has its own charms.
Forty miles away from Edinburgh lies Glasgow—resilient, gritty, yet filled with a 21st-century artistic bent. As manufacturing offshored during the latter part of the 20th century, the arts took hold on the city. Again, many choices of museums, places to stay, dine, and drink are yours.
You’ll feel right at home on its 6½-mile-long subway system—its cars are tiny by NYC comparison, and you will be going in circles—there is one line with two trains that shuttle passengers clockwise and counterclockwise under the Clyde River. Museums also abound here; among the many places to visit, the Kelvingrove Art Museum and Gallery, the Tenement House, and a visit to Loch Ness should be just a start to truly seeing this city.
Another spot worth visiting.
Head north to the middle of Scotland and spend time at the 1,748-square-mile Cairngorms National Park. You won’t be far from the links—there are a half-dozen golf courses nearby! Filled with forests, moors, farmland, wetlands, and mountains, it’s easy to reach by rental car or public transportation, and you can hike, bike, and even travel to an observation deck 3,600 feet above sea level by a year-round mile-and-a-quarter-long funicular. From there, the vistas of the Scottish Highlands are other worldly, and, on a clear day, you can see Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest peak—it’s over 50 miles away.
Around Scotland through September are the Highland Games. These are contests of jumping, running, throwing, and riding. Have you ever seen a 150-pound caber tossed? This is your chance.
Mulvoy said in conclusion, “The weather can be totally unpredictable.” Umbrellas and rain gear should be in your luggage.
Delta, JetBlue and United all fly nonstop to Edinburgh from NYC.
Planning your trip to Scotland? Start here for general information and where to go for course information. https://www.visitscotland.com/
The logistics can make for a trip that should be planned in advance—tee times, lodging, meals, and transportation.