Golf Weekends in Scotland: St Andrews, Ayrshire & East Lothian Compared

"It's just a field." That's what someone in our group said before his first round on the Old Course. By the 17th he'd gone very quiet.

Scotland does something to you. It's not just the golf — though the golf is extraordinary — it's the whole thing. The cold, the wind, the way the light hits a links course at 7am when you're the only group on the first tee. If your society hasn't done a Scottish trip yet, you're overdue. Here's how the three main regions compare.

St Andrews — the pilgrimage

Getting a tee time on the Old Course is genuinely difficult. The ballot system means you can apply months in advance and still not get one. The locals call it character building. If you do get on, the experience is unlike anything else in golf — flat, featureless to the eye, deadly to the scorecard. The Swilcan Bridge photo is unavoidable and nobody apologises for it. The town itself is excellent for an evening — good restaurants, whisky bars, the kind of place that makes you want to stay an extra day. Book other courses on the St Andrews Links (the New, Jubilee, Eden) to fill the week; they're excellent in their own right and much easier to get on.

Ayrshire — Turnberry and Prestwick

Turnberry's Ailsa course is as dramatic as golf gets anywhere in the world. Perched on the Firth of Clyde with Ailsa Craig sitting in the sea beyond, it's the kind of course you have to see to believe. Expensive — proper resort pricing — but if you're going to treat the group once, this is how. Prestwick, a few miles up the coast, is the antidote: ancient, quirky, blind holes that would never get planning permission today, and a fraction of the price. Playing both in the same trip is the right approach.

East Lothian — the underrated one

Twenty minutes from Edinburgh and most people have never heard of it as a golf destination, which is precisely why you should go. Muirfield is there — one of the Open Championship venues, strict dress code, no buggies, no nonsense, and worth every penny of the green fee. Gullane and North Berwick offer outstanding links golf at sensible prices. You can fly into Edinburgh, be on a golf course within an hour and be back in the airport two hours after your last putt. For a long weekend, nothing beats it for value and quality.