The Ultimate Golf Trip in Scotland

I have known for a while now that I would like to play golf in Scotland someday. What I didn’t know was what courses I would play once I got there. It helped me when I found out that on a golf trip to Scotland a person usually has to pick a side - either East or West - and spend the trip on that side. Although Scotland is fairly small, playing on both coasts would require a lot of diving on roads that are not always the greatest, and on a usual golf trip a person would like to spend the most time possible on the links. While watching this year’s Open Championship I finally decided which side of Scotland I would go to, and I also decided what courses I would play while there. My answer may be a surprise - being that St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Muirfield are all on the Eastern shore of Scotland - but I would go to the West for a multitude of reasons and play Royal Troon, Turnberry (Ailsa), Prestwick, and Machrihanish.

When deciding what courses I would like play while in Scotland I knew that I would have to play at least one course that has held the Open Championship, which is the oldest golf championship in the world and is know as the British Open for many people in the United States. Out of the courses on the West coast meeting this criteria Royal Troon came to the forefront, as it is a course that has held the Open Championship many times in the modern era. Not only has it held the Open many times, Phil Mickelson, who many of you know to be my favorite golfer, has played in an Open there. In fact, Mickelson had his best finish ever in an Open Championship at Royal Troon, which was in 2004 when he finished in third one shot out of a playoff between Ernie Els and the eventual champion Todd Hamilton. Also, I have always wanted to play a golf course that has the distinction Royal in its name, and Royal Troon definitely meets that requirement.

Next in the line of great links courses I would like to play while in Western Scotland is the Ailsa Course at Turnberry. I would like to play Turnberry because it has held British Opens, and not just any Opens, but some of the greatest Open Championships ever like Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus’ famous "Dual in the Sun", and this past year Turnberry played host to Tom Watson’s great run at a sixth Claret Jug at the age of 59. Although Watson eventually came up short in a playoff it was still another great Open that was held at Turnberry. In addition to all of the great Opens held at the Ailsa Course it is also the most scenic course in the open Rota, as it is set very close to the Atlantic and right next to an old lighthouse, which is another reason why I would love to play Turnberry.

Although the first two courses that I have mention have held Opens in the modern era I felt that I should play an Open course that held the championship way back when as well, and no course in all of Scotland fits this description better than the West coast’s own Prestwick, which held that first twelve British Opens. I think it would be great to play the course where the Open started, and where Old Tom Morris - one of golf’s founding fathers - won all four of his titles. Also, his son Young Tom Morris won all four of his Opens at Prestwick as well. Besides all of its history, Prestwick is said to be a great and quirky links course that is a solid test of golf. It is no longer in the Open Rota because it just isn’t quite long enough to hold a modern day major golf championship.

Finally I would like to finish off my trip to Scotland by playing a remote course on the Mull of Kintyre called Machrihanish. Unlike the other three courses that I have mentioned Machrihanish never has, and in all likelihood, never will host an Open Championship. That is just fine though because the main reason why I wanted to play the other three courses is because they all had held Open Championships, but the main reason why I would like to play Machrihanish is precisely because it hasn’t held an Open. The fact that it has not held an Open means that is just pure links golf that hasn’t been adjusted to cater to a rich overseas crowd that is looking for a golf course that is soft, green, and in perfect condition. It is just a great course that is one of the purest tests in all of links golf. At Machrihanish a person doesn’t have to worry about the course being too busy because its remote location means that even on the best of days every hole will not have a group on it. In addition, Machrihanish probably has the best opening tee shot in all of links golf as you have to hit it over the Atlantic Ocean to reach the fairway.

Overall the West coast has everything a person could want in a golf trip to Scotland. It has courses that have held the Open Championship in the modern era. It has courses that have held the Open back in its early days. Finally, it has courses that are just great links golf courses that are often overlooked by travelers from overseas. Although there are other great courses on the West side the four that I mentioned are the main ones that I would like to play if I ever get the chance to play golf in Scotland. Although the East seems like the better and more famous side of Scotland for golf upon further examination the West is just as good, and quite possibly better when it come to history, scenery, and just plain solid links golf courses.