The Meaning of Fife
There are other golf courses near to St Andrews that can add some serious quality and value. We have a couple of global ‘giants’ and a collection of charismatic ancient old links all within 30 minutes of ‘the auld grey toon’
In truth, there has always been something of an unresolved debate regarding St Andrews v’s Fife. About 25 mins south of St Andrews we find the Largo Coast, whose links land has supported some of the very oldest courses in the world and those which have traditionally been used for final Open qualifying
This cluster don’t carry the St Andrews name, so tend to get overlooked, but by virtue of not playing on the same piece of land their designs tend to me interesting as they express their own personalities and character much more so than those back in St Andrews
How to include Fifes 'other courses'
There is a clear distinction between the two modern courses, (Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie) and the private members clubs (Elie, Crail, Lundin & Leven)
The two commercial courses have seen the greater investment as they aspire to be world class courses whose survival depends on attracting predominantly visiting overseas golfers. Consequently their tee-sheets run deeper for not having a private membership.
The private members clubs can be a little bit more tricky as they only permit visitor play at certain points of the day, but will usually operate seven days a week
Crail is probably the toughest but has two courses. The ancient old Balcomie, and the more modern Craighead
Elie has recently taken to closing for visitor play during the supper peak summer period
Both Lundin and Leven Links can be relied on with a bit dependency
Kingsbarns
Kingsbarns became something of an overnight sensation. Opened in 2000 it was built to a pseudo links design with many expressing doubts as to whether it could be done, yet alone having the audacity to do it in the shadow of St Andrews. On completion it quickly established a world top-50 ranking prompting Tom Doak to say “as piece of construction work, Kingsbarns is one of the best projects I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t have believed it, if I hadn’t seen it for myself”. The par five, 12th, played around an arching bay, and the par three 15th, played to a promontory green on a rocky outcrop are the two signature assignments
Dumbarnie
Dumbarnie is Scotland’s newest links, opening in 2020. It’s probably fair to say that if there was no Kingsbarns, there might not have been a Dumbarnie. The course makes extensive use of the escarpment on which its built to offer commanding sea-views. Hopes remained high, (and justifiably so) that it was also going to quickly follow Kingsbarns onto the prestigious world-top-100 list, but its arrival was somewhat suffocated by covid (it closed the same day it opened) and it now looks like settling in the top-200 from where it will need to claw its way up the ranking
Lundin Links
There are four ancient old links on the south Fife coast that have historically been used as final Open qualifying venues
There’s no established hierarchy amongst them, but equally there’s a body of opinion that perhaps Lundin consistently records the most favourable reviews and remains largely laid out as it was by James Braid a century ago. Play on a raised beach the course naturally undulates allowing green to sighted on the rise of a ripple or sat down in a bowl. It’s a complex links course with open burns, an internal out of bounds (the old railway line), and strategic bunkering, which presents a challenge for the thinking golfer. Position from the tee rather than distance will yield just rewards on the scorecard.
Elie
Twenty minutes from St Andrews, Elie sits between two headlands affording players sensational views. Five time Open Championship winner Peter Thomson, summarised Elie thus: “It’s quirky and it’s the most enjoyable course I know. If I had my way I’d build Elie’s all over the world.” Indeed, the first tee features a genuine submarine periscope that allows the starter to peer over a blind hill to the fairway yonder before inviting you to “play away” once it’s clear. Elie is not a course that gives up good scores easily. The patient player who crafts their way around these cultured links will always fare better than the thoughtless bludger who tries to overpower them.
Crail
The Crail Golf Society is the seventh oldest in the world, and always popular. It’s a short, fun course defended by hazard rather than yardage, making it a thinkers track. You have to play shots over rocky bays, hit long par threes with greens perched atop vertical cliffs, and then hit a return drive from an elevated tee into fairways laid out invitingly below. Shots to greens seemingly engulfed by gorse, and curving par fours round sandy strands, all dare the golfer to cut off too much. Beware the fifth, no lesser an authority on Scottish golf than Sam Torrance regards ‘Hells Hole’ as the most difficult par 4 in Scotland. If all this wasn’t enough, Crail sits on the eastern tip of the Fife Peninsula and so adds ‘exposure’ to the garrison.
Leven
Leven Links is steeped in history, one of the oldest links in the world. As you might imagine of such a relic of the early days, Leven is an archetypal links course with fine bents and fescues, humps, bumps, hollows and “wispy” rough and of course a snarling burn! If we were to look for the most quintessential links course in Scotland, Leven would expect to the in the conversation. It’s a bit more than just this though. Leven has long been held in high enough regard for it to have hosted Final Open qualifying on behalf of St Andrews, as well as a number of national championships
We can include the Fife Courses as follows
Testimonial
From BB Canada
“I told Alun the courses I was interested in playing and he prepared a stay and play package with 14 days of outstanding golf, but also tremendous site seeing opportunities for my wife.”
From JC Illinois
“His attention to detail is amazing--I think our travel plan booklet ran to forty-eight pages, with gorgeous descriptions of cities and sights, plus maps showing where to go to catch trains, or walk from trains to hotels, sights and golf courses, etc.”
From DF Alabama
“I will cherish the memories for a long time- especially the wonderful times spent on and off the golf course with two of my brothers and brother-in-law. None of the memories and golf would have been possible or enjoyed without your tremendous planning and logistical support.”
AS from Colorado
“Alun and Faraway Fairways created possibly the most memorable golf trip we have ever experienced. EPIC is the only word that comes to mind.”
AC, From Florida/ New York, 2025
“We were hopeful to secure a 4 ball at St. Andrews while avoiding the massive expense other operators had quoted. He was very clear about the plan for achieving a tee time at the Old Course through the ballot, including detailed instruction on how it could be done, and what our odds were. He suggested mid- to late April as the best chance of success and advised that this is also the least rainy part of the year. We took his advice and trusted the process. Well, he was right on all counts!”
From SB, Minnesota
“We wholeheartedly recommend Alun and Faraway Fairways if you’re looking for a golf trip that is effortless, enjoyable, and truly unforgettable—even for a non-golfer in the mix! My husband and I will be daydreaming about this trip for years to come. 5.5 stars!”
From JB, California
“The best part was that the service was surprisingly affordable. They were thousands of dollars below other quotes that I received, in fact the prices were very similar to what I would have paid if I would have booked everything on my own.”
From JCA, Maryland
“I would and will highly recommend your company to anyone looking to plan an unforgettable golf trip. Thank You for putting together a fantastic trip for J.C. and me”
From WF Connecticut
“I think all eight of us would agree that Alun at Faraway Fairways did an absolutely wonderful job of putting this “golf vacation of a lifetime” together for us. His focus on the details was extraordinary from the choice of courses and the timing of the tee times, the amazingly beautiful accommodations along with some excellent meal selections, and the transportation options he provided to get us from place to place.”
From DR South Carolina
“You are about to tee it up in your Major. Seek wisdom, integrity and professionalism. Alun Davies and Faraway Fairways will not disappoint you. They cannot assure a calm sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s on the Old Course.”
From MM, California
“One fantastic trip you organized, and more importantly took ownership of in terms of daily communication and stewardship during our 2+ weeks in Scotland and Ireland. The logistics were spotless…100% of the transports were on time and excellent, the lodging choices spectacular and the golf was off the charts in terms of quality and arrangements made”
DH from California
“You cannot go wrong with the support Faraway Fairways offered. I did this trip solo and all last minute but I have already begun to plan the next trip which will include my best golfing buddies.”
Enquiry
We don't need to make this an ordeal by 101 filtering questions! In reality there are probably little more than half a dozen things we need to know to build out a proposal. The guidance below might help you frame answers
Duration - usually best expressed as a range up to a maximum
Time of year - can be anything from a specific date range to a named season
Travel class - Faraway Fairways uses 'Luxury', 'Premier' or 'Affordable' for generic purposes. You might choose to reference the international 'star' rating system. We're only looking for something to help steer us into the right sector
Self drive or hired driver - In broad terms, self driving is normally less expensive, and much more flexible, but some folk just don't want to do it
Must play courses/ must do places - a few name checks is all that's needed