St. Andrews & Fife, Scotland Golf Vacations

Par 72, yardage 6,609. The Old Course of St. Andrews Links is without a doubt the most famous golf course in the world and the one course above all others that every golfer dreams of playing. It is the 'Home of Golf', the game having been played in this Fife town for over five centuries.  From the moment you stand on the tee in front of the R&A clubhouse, with St.Andrews locals and visitors spectating, until you putt out on the adjoining 18th green, golfers enjoy an experience unlike any other in golf.

Contact a Golf Zoo Scotland Golf Vacation Specialist to review great stay & play package options that includes The Old Course of St. Andrews and you will also be a part of history!  

Note: Tee times are limited at The Old Course and booking plans recomended to be made months in advance. The Old Course must be paired with a round on the New or Jubilee courses of the St. Andrews Links Club.  For advanced tee time bookings a foursome typically required.   

Maximum handicap: 24 men, 36 women.

Par 72, yardage 6,941. Evidence of golf dates from 1527 with this quote by Robert Maule: "Exersisit the gouf, quhan (when) the wadsie (wager) was for drink". In 1867, Tom Morris extended the original 10-hole design of Allan Robertson (recognized as the greatest player of his time). Architect James Braid altered and modernized the course in 1926. Unlike other links courses, this layout changes direction frequently. Carnoustie was used several times for the Open Championship.
Maximum handicap: 28 men, 36 women.

2026 Course Closed: 5/3-5/8; 9/26-10/4

Par 72, yardage 7,200. St. Andrews Links Trust has created a seventh eighteen hole course to join its portfolio of six courses. Open June 2008, The Castle Course is two miles from the town center. The designer, David McLay Kidd, creator of Bandon Dunes on the Oregon coastline, has created a typical Scottish golf experience. Each hole has a choice of five tees and the course will be playable between about 5,300-7,200 yards.

The experience of playing the Castle Course will be a treat for the senses. The North Sea is a visible presence on every hole while the view towards St. Andrews is one of the finest possible. The focal point of the course will be the headland named Kinkell Ness, or Point, which is where the double green that serves holes 9 & 18 is situated and where the clubhouse is built.

Originally designed by Peter Alliss and the late Dave Thomas, on land that was formerly part of the ladies’ course and Ministry of Defence land, hence the reason why the holes are named after battles. The course was opened in 1979. Since then many changes have taken place including the most recent investment in two new holes in 2014 bringing the course up to a very testing par 68.

2026 Course Closed: 5/3-5/8; 9/26-10/4

The Burnside oozes character and from the back tees is a splendid test of golf. Many of the short holes could grace the top links courses around with the 5th and 14th in particular providing dramatic challenges for the player who strives to gain his par 3. It was on this course in 1953 where the great Ben Hogan shot 70 to help him qualify for the Open Championship which he subsequently won.

2026 Course Closed: 5/3-5/8; 9/26-10/4

Par 69, yardage 5,922. Crail's Balcomie Links is a beautiful links course that's set along the craggy Fife coastline. A number of holes run adjacent to the sea and those who get caught up in the spectacular sea views usually end up paying the price.

Designed by the grand old master himself, Old Tom Morris, this particular links, only a short drive from St. Andrews, was said to be one of Morris' favorites. Round here, it is accuracy and not length that matters most and the short par threes only serve to emphasize that very fact. Plus, if the wind blows like only it can on a true Scottish links, then you can be in for a tough time.

Par 71, yardage 6,310. Situated just 15 minutes' drive from the town of St. Andrews, Scotscraig is a pleasant but testing course that's a mix of heathland and links. It is used as a final qualifying venue when the Open Championship returns to The Old Course. Its inviting blend of heathland and links stems from the fact that there are more trees than would normally be found on a links, although its relatively close proximity to the sea and rolling fairways ensures an enjoyable links experience.

Scotscraig is known for its perfectly kept greens and all-round good condition thanks to an agreable local climate.

Par 70, yardage 6,317. Panmure is one of the oldest clubs in the world, having been formed in 1845.  A traditional links course and adjacent to the world renowned Carnoustie, Panmure is not exceptionally long by today's standards but requires accurate driving and iron play.  In addition, the greens are generally small with subtle borrows developed through over 100 years of play. 

When Ben Hogan came to Carnoustie in the summer of 1953 he was already holder of The Masters and The U.S. Open Championship.  For this, his only (British) Open Championship appearance, arrangements were made for him to practice at Panmure Golf Club, just two miles from Carnoustie, but well away from the busy practice ground at the upcoming Open venue 

At Panmure, only Hogan's caddie Cecil Timms accompanied him.  After two weeks of rigorous preparation for the Championship, he was familiar with the then smaller British ball and the unforgiving links grasses, which prevented him taking his customary long divot. Methodical as ever, Hogan taught himself to pick the 1.62 inch ball off the turf. The long hours of practice paid off.  Ben Hogan won the Open by four strokes, setting a new Carnoustie course record of 68 for his final round.  Hogan's favorite hole at Panmure was the sixth and he suggested the cleverly-placed hidden pot bunker to the front right of the green. Over 70 years on, the members still refer to it as "Hogan's Bunker"  It is a fitting memorial to a champion. 

Ideally situated just 10 miles from Dundee and within easy reach of St, Andrews and Edinburgh Airport, Panmure offers a quintessential Scottish golf experience — authentic, welcoming, and unforgettable.