St Andrews and Edinburgh Golf Vacation
St Andrews, Muirfield, North Berwick, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, with the St Andrews Castle and New Courses
St Andrews with some Capital Gains
The combination of St Andrews and Edinburgh has grown in popularity in the post covid world. We suspect that this is because it lends itself particularly well to accommodating non-golfers. In reality Edinburgh is a golfer’s code for Muirfield and North Berwick, so they’re ‘sorted’, whilst the Scottish capital itself provides an easy non-golf offer, that frees everyone to do as they please.
Once the capital and the links of the east Lothian have been played however, we relocate to Fife where we’ll be taking aim at the St Andrews Old Course, alongside the world ranked venues of Carnoustie and Kingsbarns. Dumbarnie and the St Andrews Castle Course also add legitimate class to the St Andrews and Edinburgh golf vacation
With any luck, the St Andrews and Edinburgh golf vacation, will feature five courses that feature in the world’s top-60, three of which are Open Championship venues
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The Itinerary
Monday – North Berwick (Edinburgh)
Tuesday – Muirfield (Edinburgh)
Wednesday – St Andrews Castle Course (St Andrews town)
Thursday – Dumbarnie (Falkland Palace)
Friday – Kingsbarns (East Neuk of Fife)
Saturday – St Andrews Old/ New Course (St Andrews town)
Sunday – Carnoustie (Glamis Castle)
Important note – We will contest St Andrews Old Course ballots for Weds, Thurs, Fri, & Sat
You can read these days as XYZ / St Andrews Old Course
We won’t be able to contest any singles ballots until Weds for subsequent play on Thurs onwards
North Berwick and Carnoustie are amongst the most difficult courses to rearrange were they to go into a clash with a successful ballot. We place North Berwick on Mon afternoon, a narrower window to reduce this risk, and Carnoustie on a Sunday, to eliminate it
Monday - North Berwick
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 who had to interpret the landscape and weave the hazards nature handed them into their own personal tapestries. North Berwick has an endearing old-fashioned feel.
North Berwick also possesses the original ‘Redan’ hole, (15). Found the world over, ‘Redans’ are the most copied hole in golf.
The Redan completes a trio of holes from 13 which is rarely surpassed in Scottish golf, perhaps only Turnberry’s 9 to 11, and Carnoustie’s 16-18 has better claims for being the best consecutive 3 in a row.
North Berwick is one of those rare courses you never hear a bad word said about, and we’re always struck by the fact that it seems to be the most knowledgeable and the best judges who enthuse most about it.
It would be wrong to think that it’s a curiosity relic though. It’s a beguiling world top-50 ranked course on merit.
Tuesday - Muirfield
Frequently ranked inside the world’s top 10, Muirfield is the ‘blue-blooded’ aristocrat of Scottish golf and always immaculately presented. It doesn’t really have any weak holes. So impressed was Jack, he went back to Ohio and built Muirfield Village in homage to the original.
Muirfield instigated a then revolutionary design of two loops of nine. This was to prevent players dialling into the wind of the traditional out and back nine and adjusting. This design ensures that the wind is constantly changing direction so as to test all aspects of your game and reading of a ball in flight. All three paradigms of golf design penal, heroic and strategic.
The prestigious roll call of Muirfield Open championship winners is perhaps its best testimonial. Player, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson, Faldo, Els & most recently of course, Mickelson. It offers golfers choices and then requires you to execute. It is a golfers, golf course.
Muirfield is notoriously exclusive however, access is limited. Booking early isn’t just advised, it’s pretty well essential.
Wednesday - St Andrews Castle Course
‘The Castle’ is the newest addition to the clan St Andrews (if we require the qualification to be a new build – the Craigtoun Course was added in 2025 but was technically a management arrangement as the Trust took over the old Dukes Course from the hotel).
Set atop cliffs it’s perhaps more Pebble Beach, than Scotland, yet the course has successfully cultivated a links character. The elevation provides stunning vistas of the bay and town below, making it one of the most photogenic courses in the country. You won’t be the first person to pause and smile as you look down into the town of St Andrews itself with all the historic landmarks on the skyline and simply think Wow! The course is really quite dramatic as the sea can usually be relied on to put up a display of raw energy. The eighth and and the par 3, seventeenth, ‘the Braes’ are particularly awesome.
Thursday - Dumbarnie
Dumbarnie opened in 2020, and looks to have replicated the Kingsbarns design with 14 of the 18 holes having unencumbered views of the sea due to it playing on a natural escarpment with 80ft of elevation on the site. A number of high tees are used to provide the drama of hitting drives out to the ocean. Unusually for a links, water has also been introduced, albeit mainly confined to burns rather than lakes. The fairways are wide and forgiving with driveable risk and reward par 4’s a particular feature of the lay-out. The fifteenth looks remarkably similar to the 7th at Valhalla.
The philosophy behind it is aimed challenging the thinking golfer rather than humiliating them through penalty; as course designer Clive Clark remarked
“I have yet to hear a golfer come in from his round and declare: I really enjoyed a great round of golf today – I only lost 6 balls and 3-putted five greens!”
In 2021 Dumbarnie was named the world’s best new golf course at the international world golf awards which you have to imagine will go some way towards securing its top-100 position as it begins to bed down and evolve.
Friday - Kingsbarns
There are records of golf being played at Kingsbarns from 1793, but the modern course opened in 2000, and is set on three-tiered levels, sloping towards the coast. Nearly every hole has stunning views of the North Sea.
Kingsbarns quickly racked up rave reviews and earned a world ranking of about #50, a position which it’s held more or less since.
The par 5, twelfth hole that plays along the arching shoreline to an exposed green, and the par 3, fifteenth, which involves playing a tee-shot across the waves, are often considered to the courses signature assignments. It was the fourth and fifth that caught Tom Doak’s eye when he described as Kingsbarns
“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”
Perhaps of greatest significance is the number of times it beats more illustrious neighbours in surveys amongst visiting Americans since its always immaculately presented.
Kingsbarns completes the trio of East Coast giants that host the European Tour’s Dunhill links challenge each year alongside Carnoustie and the Old Course.
Saturday - St Andrews Old Course
There is little point writing about the St Andrews Old Course as you’ll pretty well know about it. Instead we’ll focus on how it ‘fits in’
We’ll contest Old Course ballots across various days when we’re able to do so dependent on availability and our proximity to play it. This means its fluid as to where it drops in. If we have to play it on another day, then we’ll look to rearrange which ever course was affected by this for Saturday and remove the unpaid New Course (we don’t have to prebook and prepay the New Course).
For the purposes of this presentation, the Old Course is something of a placeholder to help reassure you its there, but it could appear anywhere dependent on how the ballot behaves
If we completely fail with the Old Course, then the New Course will slot in just to ensure we aren’t left empty handed
Saturday - St Andrews New Course (alternative)
“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!
Sunday - Carnoustie
Dubbed ‘Car-Nasty’, Carnoustie is considered by many to be the most difficult links in the Open Championship rotation
In recent years it has seen some dramatic finishes, none more so than in 1999 when Jean van de Velde took an eight at the 72nd hole to throw away the claret jug. Iconic images of him paddling in the notorious ‘Barry Burn’ have entered golfing legend. The final four holes are the hardest finish on the rotation. After the carnage of 1999 (6 over won) Sport Illustrated described it as
“a nasty antique that was brought down from the attic after 24 years …the rough was deeper; and the R&A made the fairways as narrow as an eel’s appendix scar”.
Whereas the eighteenth is the hole that has often generated the most drama. The par 3 sixteenth has the highest average scoring par 3 on the Open Championship rotation as indeed the closing four are the hardest. The Par 5, sixth ‘Hogan’s Alley’, is another famous hole with a punitive out of bounds fence running down it’s left
1999 Carnoustie reduced Sergio Garcia to tears after successive scores of 89 and 83
Non-Golf Options
CLICK, button below to view non-golfers Edinburgh
CLICK, button below to view non-golfers St Andrews
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Featured Group
What's Involved?
The Scottish St Andrews and Edinburgh Golf Vacation is a low mileage, and medium to low intensity transport burden.
It’s predominantly a daily back-to-base model we’d observe rather than a point-to-point tour with the Scottish capital acting as our first stop and the ‘auld grey toon’ as the second. In effect therefore we can combine the majesty of Edinburgh, with the magnetism of St Andrews. In many respects, this union possibly means its the ‘best fit’ if we have any non-golfers who are reluctant to undertake any independent self-driving. Two of the biggest visitor attractions in the region are places we’ll be staying at. The delivery is on our doorstep, whereas the train from Edinburgh opens up other possibilities for Glasgow and Stirling
The St Andrews and Edinburgh golf vacation is laid out as a seven night duration staying:
Two nights in Edinburgh, and either five nights in St Andrews,
or
Two nights in Edinburgh, four nights in St Andrews, and one night at Carnoustie
Staying the Sunday night at Carnoustie would allow the golfers to ‘walk off the 18th, and into the hotel’ upon finishing, but it would also add about 45 mins to the following mornings drive to Edinburgh Airport
There is a variant on this structure that would stay two nights in North Berwick and require anyone wishing to visit Edinburgh to travel in by train (35 mins)
At about 350 miles (100 of which would be ‘airport runs’). This is a low mileage to medium/ low intensity transport burden. We have two courses which could easily be ‘walk out to play’ plus the Castle Course which is only 3 miles out of town.
In total, this should only require about 10 hrs of road time, which is an average of about 75 mins a day
We could give consideration to using a hired driver if our numbers allow it. The price of a hired-drive for the St Andrews and Edinburgh golf vacation isn’t likely to be significantly more expensive, but it would be more expensive
The St Andrews and Edinburgh Golf Vacation can support Luxury, Premier and Affordable options. It perhaps needs to be noted however that the description of ‘affordable’ in the context of St Andrews needs increasingly qualifying with the word ‘relatively’.
If we wished to explore the ‘affordable’ option, then an earlier enquiry and booking is strongly advised in the pursuit of securing somewhere in St Andrews for what is a fast vanishing sector
As ever, the scale of non-golf activity depends on whether we’re adding extra value for golfers, or building a stand alone proposal for non-golfers to run alongside a golf programme. The combinations are quite good
- Edinburgh with North Berwick & Muirfield
- St Andrews town with New Course & Castle Course
- Falkland Palace with Dumbarnie
- East Neuk of Fife with Kingsbarns
- Glamis Castle with Carnoustie
By basing ourselves for the first two nights in Edinburgh we deliver a high-class, non-golf offer to our doorstep.
St Andrews is a legitimate point of interest without golf. The ruined old castle and cathedral are natural focus points, whereas the town also possesses aesthetic charisma and history.
The East Neuk of Fife has a collection of charming fishing villages we can wander around at leisure on a gentle afternoon combined with Kingsbarns
Falkland Palace can be justified as well in conjunction with Dumbarnie
Finally, Glamis Castle combines well with Carnoustie
The following courses operate the following handicap thresholds for gentlemen and ladies respectively
- Muirfield (24)
- North Berwick (24 & 36)
- Carnoustie (28 & 36)
- St Andrews (36)
Unlike some courses who needn’t be rigid in enforcing their handicap thresholds, Muirfield and the St Andrews Links Trust will do. Failure to provide evidence will result in a refusal to allow us to play
The Old Course diary is available on-line to consult for availability and is dynamic in so much as it changes every season, although there are some known block outs that occur every year, notably the first week of May, the first week of June, and a run from early/ mid September to early/ mid October
There is no play on the Old Course on Sunday
Muirfield only permit visitor play on Tues and Thurs, and only then as fourballs, up to a maximum of twelve per application. If you apply as anything other than a fourball, you’ll be rejected
Muirfield release their tee-times for play the following season in February. They are the first course to move and we need to be about 18 months ahead of the curve to succeed there
Tee-times are allocated by a lottery, albeit your chances of success are better if you go through a golf tour operator (GTO). Be aware however, GTO’s are limited to 20 nominated golfers per season, so in reality you probably need to get someone to support your application around Nov/ Dec of the year before that. Duplicate entries will lead to you being disqualified
North Berwick don’t permit visitor play on Fri, Sat or Sun morning. Sunday afternoon play has seemingly been restored after having been withdrawn previously, suggesting perhaps that it’s vulnerable.
Carnoustie whilst usually being open 7 days of the week, visitors will have to play afternoon tee-times at the weekend
With all the usual disclaimers of a lottery being random, and there being no such thing as a certainty etc plus the variable factor of availability for the specific week chosen, our prospects of winning a ballot on this programme would otherwise be considered gently favourable if we sought to use every opportunity to do so
We won’t contest a ballot on Tuesday against the shadow of Muirfield (we’d never get Muirfield rearranged) and in many respects Muirfield is an equally sought after and prestigious round than St Andrews anyway
We normally advise against contesting Monday’s ballot on the shadow of North Berwick as well. Again, this is a difficult round to rearrange, but since we arrive on Monday morning, it would be particularly disruptive to head to St Andrews. There is a realistic forfeit risk to this
We should be able to contest a total of four open ballots (Weds to Sat) and three ‘singles’ ballot (Thurs to Sat), for a total of seven.
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
A St Andrews Old Course ballot is drawn 48 hrs before play, and we can safely assume that this is outside any refund window! Any win in the ballot therefore will send us into a clash with which ever course we had booked that day, and we’ll a loss of the green fee unless we can get the tee-time rearranged. For this reason we don’t necessarily want to fill every day of the week up with a paid green fee and golf course. That would be designing a forfeit (we are after all setting up to win a ballot and play the Old Course)
Luckily the St Andrews New Course can’t be prebooked, and every other tee-time after 09.00 is offered present-pay-and-play-on-the-day. This is a great way of putting a placeholder into the itinerary without taking on the liability of a prepaid green fee
We try to schedule the New Course in any St Andrews swing to max out this position. If we win a ballot on the day we were going to try and play the New Course, we simply play the Old Course instead. If we win a ballot on another day, then we look to reschedule the affected course onto the day we had the New Course inked in and avoid a forfeit that way. We’ll usually try and put the New Course last in an itinerary then to give ourselves the maximum length of runway onto which we might land the rearranged round
Perversely perhaps, we’re actually hoping not to play the New Course. The reason we wouldn’t play it, is because we’ve won a ballot and are playing the Old Course instead
Adding Non Golf Value
Edinburgh
Few trips to Scotland could really be considered complete without the Scottish capital. Edinburgh is frequently regarded as one of the UK’s most charismatic cities. Most visitors prioritise the castle, Greyfriars Bobby, Holyrood Palace, the various galleries, and increasingly its Harry Potter connection
St Andrews
St Andrews is a legitimate visitor draw regardless of golf. The town is home to the third oldest university in the western world, ensuring it has a lot more life than you might expect. The ruined old castle and cathedral lend it historical relevance. Above all though, it’s a charismatic town with a sense of aura and place
East Neuk of Fife
The picturesque fishing villages of the East Neuk are atmospheric, with local histories, rather than being of national significance. These villages are an integral part of the fabric of Fife and easily overlooked, but fishing has played an historically important role.
Falkland Palace
Falkland Palace is a medieval ‘pleasure palace’ and one-time home to Mary Queen of Scots. More recently it’s become a film location for the fictional time travel series ‘Outlander’, which might have been set in the highlands, but was largely filmed in Fife.
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