The exclusive west Edinburgh parkland course of Royal Burgess is the oldest golf club in the world with a continuous verifiable history (1735).  The 4th and the 11th holes are normally singled out as the most challenging, the latter even having its very own ‘Swilcan’ bridge. The elegant clubhouse is a joy to the eye. ‘The Burgess’ is soaked in tradition and heritage, and enjoys the advantage of being in the heart of Scotland’s capital and so allows you to spend the evening like many traveller before you has.

An Open Championship, final qualifying course, Dunbar plays on a raised beach and is a bit like a demanding voyage, with the golfer cast as the ship in peril. The first three holes are all set back from the coast on land separated from the rest of the course by a wall. It’s only as you ‘go through the wall’ on the 4th that you suddenly realise you’ve been tossed into a turbulent ocean of pure links holes, of wicked exposure to the sea and prevailing winds, a journey that only relents on the 18th as you head back inland for safe harbour

The links of North Berwick are a traditional out and back nine. Undulating fairways, blind shots, tricky burns and even stone walls make their presence felt in the landscape. The course really is a throw back to the experiences of the game’s pioneers. They had to interpret the landscape and weave the hazards nature handed them into their own personal tapestries. The courses were handcrafted, and North Berwick has an endearing old-fashioned feel. It also possesses the original ‘Redan’ hole, (15). Found the world over, ‘Redans’ are the most copied hole in golf. With an eerie similarity to Turnberry’s Ailsa Craig, Bass Rock rears out the ocean, and lends North Berwick further personality. It would be wrong to think that it’s a curiosity relic though. It’s a beguiling world top-50 ranked course on merit.

Gullane shares the same shoreline as the world renowned, top-10 course of Muirfield. Indeed, both Gullane’s numbers 1 & 2 courses have acted as final qualifying venues. The course is wild, raw, very open, exposed, and windswept. When the wind decides to take a hand off the Firth of Forth, you’re sure to be in for a battle like few others. Would you want it any different? Gullane is perhaps starting to step out of its blue blooded neighbour’s shadows however. For a long time it has been used as a final qualifying venue but in 2015 it began hosting the Scottish Open in rotation,  utilising a composite course of numbers 1 & 2.

Gullane’s number 2 course has also acted as a Muirfield final Open championship qualifying venue. The course is wild, raw, very open, exposed, and windswept. Unlike it’s sister course which makes much greater use of a hilly terrain, the No2. course plays closer to the shoreline on the flatter ground of Aberlady bay where you’ll usually encounter much more severe rough and jungle for anything that is perhaps a little bit too wayward.

St Andrews, the home of golf, needs little introduction nor hype from us. The first surviving record of the game being played here dates to 1522. The town oozes atmosphere and the course is soaked in heritage. The view from the iconic Swilcan Bridge looking back up the final fairway to the magnificent R&A headquarters and red bricked Hamilton Hall is one of the most instantly recognisable in world sport, never mind golf. ‘The Road Hole’, the 17th, is the signature assignment. No hole yields more bogeys in the Open than this one. Another unique feature are the massive double greens. The secret? don’t be over-awed. Keep out the 112 bunkers, especially so ‘Hell Bunker’ at the 14th. Then attack the course! St Andrews is actually one of the more obliging links, so don’t leave wondering what might have been. It can be tamed!

“New” in the context of St Andrews means 1895! The course is often said to be the town’s favourite. It’s a tighter and more defined course than its regal neighbour, and aided by yellow gorse bushes, it tends to be more aesthetic too. The ‘New’ runs adjacent to the Old course and as a consequence has similar characteristics. The fairways are undulating but not as dipped as the Old course, leading to fewer hanging lies. A traditional out and back nine, only the 3rd and 15th share a green. The burn wends its way through a low dune system and features some particularly charismatic holes. The 464yd tenth is often cited as the pick. Think about it logically. It’s likely that the newer course that was designed for purpose, would be the better golf course than the ancient artefact. The good folk of St Andrews know!