Dundonald Links was created in the early 2000s to provide a modern links challenge on Scotland’s Ayrshire coast. Kyle Phillips, fresh from building Kingsbarns, was brought in to design a contemporary take on links golf.

The course now sits comfortably alongside its celebrated neighbours and has proved itself as a championship venue, hosting both the Men’s and Women’s Scottish Open. Fairways are generally wide and inviting, making the course accessible from the tee, but the challenge sharpens as you approach the greens. Creative contours, clever bunkering and winding burns demand precision, while firm, subtly undulating ground allows for running approaches. Gorse and areas framed by pine trees give Dundonald a distinctive look among modern Scottish links.

Machrihanish Dunes, often known as Mach Dunes, is one of the world’s most natural golf courses, rugged, untamed and a deeply sensory experience. While it shares the same dramatic dune system as its venerable neighbour, this is a course with a distinct and joyful spirit of its own.

Designing a modern course alongside a classic links was no small task, but architect David McLay Kidd rose to the challenge. Strict environmental protections meant almost no ground was moved during construction, resulting in a course that feels as though it has always belonged to this landscape, a pure and raw expression of golf.

An early sense of its character comes at the 4th, a short par four played blind into a punchbowl green, followed by the par three 5th with wide ocean views back towards the village. With its rugged terrain and natural design, Mach Dunes is adventurous, creative and unforgettable.

The journey to Machrihanish is a pilgrimage every golfer should make. It’s a place that inspires a quiet, enduring love in all who visit, a course that lives up to its legendary status from the very first swing.

That opening hole is one of the most famous starts in golf. From a tee high above the sands of Machrihanish Bay, the question is simple and thrilling: how much of the beach is there to take on? It’s a dramatic beginning that immediately sets the tone.

Machrihanish is far more than its opener. The front nine is outstanding, flowing through dunes and rumpled fairways, shaped constantly by the wind. This is a course that rewards imagination, where every hole invites creativity and shot-making, taking the game back to the pure essence of links golf.

Machrihanish is a place of rare beauty and character, timeless, authentic, and utterly unforgettable.

Prestwick is a course soaked in history, a classic Scottish links and the birthplace of The Open Championship. Founded in 1851, the first ten Opens were played over this very ground, and the sense of history is never far away.

The course is full of quirks and character, shaped naturally over time. Six of the original greens remain in use, along with some of the game’s most famous bunkers. The opening hole is one of the most memorable in Scottish golf, just an iron from the tee with the railway line tight to the right.

From there, the interest builds steadily. The par three 5th, “Himalayas,” calls for a blind shot over sleepers to a hidden green, while the closing stretch includes the iconic 17th, “Alps,” a demanding uphill par four with a blind approach. Prestwick is a joyous place to play, full of charm, challenge and history.

Royal Troon, a nine-time host of The Open Championship, is a truly complete test of links golf.

Troon is often described as a course of three acts, mirroring the journey of Dante’s Divine Comedy. The opening stretch, ‘Heaven’, plays across the flatter ground of the property, easing golfers gently into the round and offering the best early scoring chances. The middle act, ‘Purgatory’, winds through dramatic dunes, full of risk and reward and framed by sweeping coastal views. Here you’ll find the iconic par-three eighth, ‘The Postage Stamp’. Standing on the tee is a spine-tingling moment, and it’s a hole you’ll remember forever.

Then come the closing holes, ‘Hell’, often playing straight into a strong breeze, demanding patience, precision, and plenty of grit.

Together, these three acts form a masterpiece of links golf, a test of both skill and spirit in equal measure.

The Machrie on Islay is an iconic links course set in one of the most remote and beautiful parts of Scotland. This remarkable course combines Willie Campbell’s 1891 design with a sensitive modern reimagining by D.J. Russell to create a magnificent test of golf. Set among the unique dunelands beside Laggan Bay, The Machrie offers sweeping Hebridean views across the ocean, with Beinn Bheigeir and the Paps of Jura rising in the distance.

While the fairways are generous, well-placed tee shots are key to setting up good approaches. Around the greens you’ll find inspired run-offs, bold contours, and revetted bunkers that demand imagination and touch. The layout offers great variety, from risk-and-reward driveable par fours to strategically testing par fives. This is a lovely place to play golf – it’s a long journey to Islay, but it’s one you will be very glad you made.

The King Robert the Bruce course at Turnberry is built on the site of the birthplace of the famous Scottish Monarch.

Redesigned by Martin Ebert, it offers a world-class modern links experience. As you make your way through the wind-swept, gorse-lined fairways, you’ll find subtly contoured greens and distinctive bunkering that invite bold, risk-and-reward play.

The most dramatic stretch comes from the 8th through the 11th, played high above the coastline. From here, the views of the lighthouse, Ailsa Craig, and the Isle of Arran are unforgettable. The 9th is a highlight, with a wonderful green perched on the edge of the cliffs.

Your round concludes with a superb par-five 18th, a classic finishing hole that brings you home beneath the windows of the welcoming clubhouse. The course is an excellent companion to the famed Ailsa links, and well worth playing when at this excellent resort.

The Ailsa course at Turnberry is a place where legends are made. This is where Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson fought their famous “Duel in the Sun,” one of the greatest battles in golf history. The views are breathtaking, with the iconic lighthouse standing proud and Ailsa Craig rising beyond the sea.

While the course’s past is iconic, the recent redesign has made it even more spectacular and a brilliant test for golfers of every level. The coastline is used beautifully, and you will find yourself reaching for your camera again and again.

The course is at its most dramatic around the turn. The thrilling par-3 ninth is a stunning hole that asks you to carry your shot over the rocks to a green framed by sea and sky. After you hole out be sure to stop at the halfway house in the lighthouse, quite possibly the finest place in golf to pause for a drink after nine holes.

So take your time, soak in the history, and enjoy a round on a course that truly has it all.

Western Gailes is a classic Scottish links, set on a narrow strip of land between the railway and the sea. Established in 1897, it’s full of character and tradition, and the club’s warm welcome makes every visitor feel like a member for the day.

The layout is unusual, with the clubhouse in the middle of an out-and-back design, so you’ll face the wind from different directions. As the starter will remind you, keeping the ball in play is absolutely key, so focus from the tee is vital.

Burns guard several greens, and when the wind picks up you’ll want to take more club than you think. The par-three 7th is the star – a stunning short hole framed by dunes and sea where anything off line can mean trouble.

This is a course that rewards strategy and precision, where every shot asks for thought. Western Gailes is links golf at its purest – traditional, challenging, and full of character.