Britain & Ireland

Scotland

Perth & Kinross

In 1908, the idea for an hotel at Gleneagles came to Donald Matheson, general manager of the Caledonian Railway Company. He had a dream to build a “Palace in the Glens” which would attract noble and wealthy railway travellers. James Braid (the five times Open Champion) was commissioned to design the King’s course, assisted by Major C.K. Hutchison and Matheson himself.

In 1919 the championship King’s course opened for play and in 1921 the King’s course hosted the first informal Ryder Cup match between Great Britain and the USA. No half points were awarded for this fledgling event and a strong British team that included James Braid won the competition 9 points to 3.

Gleneagles is the perfect mountain setting for a game of golf; the King’s course is surely the best moorland track in the world. The sweeping views of the Ochil Hills and the peaks of Ben Vorlich and the Trossachs are simply ravishing.

Braid was given the most perfect terrain upon which to build a golf course and he built a very special golf course. The holes blend perfectly into the landscape. The springy fairways wind their way through punishing rough, strewn with heather and gorse. Many mature pines, silver birch and rowan provide natural amphitheatres on a number of the holes.

You cannot help but be enchanted by this golf course. Even the named holes are evocative: Silver Tassie, Blink Bonnie and Wee Bogle. But it’s the views that will probably interrupt your concentration on the game. In 

, Bernard Darwin wrote: “The beauty of the place is beyond all question; the exact merits of the course perhaps more difficult to decide”. Darwin went on to say that the ground was once slow; this made the course very long, even for the likes of J H Taylor and Sandy Herd. Then the ground hardened under the feet of thousands, and the ball ran further and further and consequently the scoring became lower.

, features the 18th hole: “From the tee boxes beside the little hut just beyond the 17th green, the drive should ideally clear the crest of the ridge over a line between the twin bunkers. It will then catch a downslope which will speed the ball on towards its ultimate destination. Thereafter, again ideally, the player will repair for the night to the splendour of the hotel.”

In a recent poll we asked: “Have you played all three courses at Gleneagles? If so, which one do you prefer?” The King’s came out on top with 42.9% of the vote followed by the 

A number of important events have been played over the King’s course, including the Curtis Cup, Dunhill Trophy, Scottish Open and the WPGA Championship of Europe. Lee Trevino, standing on the 1st tee of the King’s course, remarked: “If heaven is as good as this, I sure hope they have some tee times left”.

In October 2016, Gleneagles staged the 100th edition of the Scottish PGA Championship. The event was played on the King’s course, which has been returned to how it was 100 years ago. The restoration work has reversed most of the changes that were made in the late 1980s with the most significant alteration focusing on fairway width – increased by 40% – resulting in bunkers moving from the rough and back into the fairways.

Gleneagles (King's)

Gleneagles is the perfect setting for a game of golf and the King’s course is surely the best moorland track in the world.

The Queen’s course is the pretty little sister at Gleneagles. The holes are set within an all together softer landscape than the King’s and PGA Centenary courses. She’s only a short course and not the most challenging, but she is exquisitely delicate and stunningly beautiful. Patric Dickinson summed up Gleneagles in his book, 

: “So let us be fair from the very start; or even before the start, Gleneagles is something that was created, and exists, sheerly to please; if I may take a simile from the theatre, it is glorious musical comedy.”

Designed by James Braid and C.K. Hutchison, the Queen’s course opened for play in 1917. From the medal tees, the course measures less than 6,000 yards, but with a lowly par of 68, it represents an immensely enjoyable challenge. This is one of the finest parcels of golfing land in the British Isles. The holes weave their way across undulating moorland, through charming woodland, to greens set in pretty glades. The ball sits proudly on the springy fairways, inviting the most solid strike. The greens are true and ideal for bold putting and this really is an enchanting and exhilarating place to play golf.

Gleneagles is unusual in that it has three different golf courses and it’s also unique because it’s the only place in Scotland to have three Top 100 inland courses. This is a place to enjoy the entertainment and have some fun. Or as Patric Dickinson said: “Gleneagles is one of the wonders of the golfing world, a kind of Hanging Garden of Babylon on a Scottish hillside, and if you marry Golf, here’s the place to spend your Hinny Mune!” 

Gleneagles completed a renovation programme on the Queen’s course in 2017. Eighty-nine bunkers were rebuilt to improve drainage and enhance the sand line visibility on each of these hazards. Fairway mowing lines were also modified to return the course to James Braid’s original design plan. Additionally, the 16th green, which is laid out in a natural bowl shape, was also upgraded to improve drainage.

Scott Fenwick, Golf Courses and Estate Manager, said: “As with the re-launch of The King’s Course last summer, our work over the last 18 months on The Queen’s Course has taken it back to how it would have been in Braid’s day. Braid’s bunker designs at Gleneagles were based on the courses supporting summer play only, so to bring them back to his original design concept, and make them playable all-year-round, marks a tremendous achievement.

“In the mid-1980s we began changing the identity of The Queen’s to meet golfers’ expectations at that time, which included reshaping the course until the fairways became really narrow and the original bunkers were moved into the rough. Using archived photographs and Braid’s designs as our guide, we’ve reversed most of those changes, increasing the fairways by around 40 per cent.

“On the 11th hole, for instance, we’ve removed one bunker and resurrected another that used to sit in the rough – bringing back into play a more strategic hazard and ultimately transforming how the course is played, giving golfers a more traditional experience. Additionally, around the course, we’re re-introducing Scottish heather to frame the fairways and better reflect the course’s appearance in the 1920s.”

Gleneagles (Queen's)

The Queen’s course is the pretty little sister at the Gleneagles Hotel. She’s only short course but she's exquisitely delicate and stunningly beautiful.

Blairgowrie Golf Club is charmingly situated at the feet of the Grampian Mountains amongst glorious pine, birch and heather. The club was founded in 1889 when a nine-hole course was laid out close to the Black Loch on land owned by the Marchioness of Lansdowne.

Dr Alister MacKenzie was commissioned to extend the course to 18 holes in 1914, but the Great War delayed the opening until 1927. Then, in the 1930s, James Braid was called in to add a further nine holes and create a new 18-hole layout. Today’s Rosemount is therefore a James Braid design with a sprinkling of Alister MacKenzie. The original nine-hole course remains and it’s a charming 2,327-yard heathland track called the Wee.

The Rosemount is definitely a very pretty and classy inland course, the crisp turf has a moorland feel to it with the fairways pitching and rolling through avenues of trees. Each hole is carved through the trees, which provide a natural amphitheatre for a calm and tranquil round of golf.

From start to finish the holes are good and varied, but the best holes are left until last. The 17th is especially noteworthy, a lovely par three called “Plateau” with a two-tiered green. The pro’s tip is to take plenty of club, to get on the right level and avoid three putts.

The Rosemount is regularly voted in the top fifty Scottish courses and it does deserve its plaudits for it is an excellent course. There is nothing dramatic or significantly difficult about this layout. You can open your shoulders, as the fairways are generously wide. The course is maintained to a very high standard and all this makes for a good, honest and enjoyable golf. Perhaps it’s a course to which you might want to retreat after you have had enough buffetting at the seaside... and the club's second 18-hole course, the Lansdowne, named after the Marchioness, is pretty good too.

Blairgowrie (Rosemount)

The Rosemount course at Blairgowrie Golf Club is charmingly situated at the feet of the Grampians, amongst the majestic pines, birch and heather.

Gleneagles played host to the 2014 Ryder Cup matches between the USA and Europe. Team Captains were Tom Watson (US) and Paul McGinley (Europe). After a 41-year gap, the Ryder Cup returned to the “Home of Golf” and the heartland of Scotland. In the end, the event was a rather one-sided affair where the rookies on both teams played a significant role. Jordan Speith and Patrick Reid gave the USA hope after the Friday morning fourballs, thrashing Ian Poulter and rookie Stephen Gallacher 5&4. But after the Friday afternoon foursomes the momentum had swung in Europe’s favour. The pattern continued on Saturday with the USA narrowly winning the fourballs but again losing heavily in the afternoon foursomes. With a 10-6 lead going into Sunday's singles it was rather a formality for Europe. Poignantly, the winning shot fell to another rookie, this time Europe’s Jamie Donaldson, who hit a magnificent approach to beat Keegan Bradley 4&3 giving Europe the crucial 14½ points. Europe 16 ½ - USA 11 ½. The Ryder Cup was played at Medinah in 2012 and was played at Hazeltine National in 2016.

Few places in Britain can boast three courses, let alone three nationally ranked Top 100 courses, but then, there's only one Gleneagles. James Braid and C.K. Hutchison were the master architects behind the King's and Queen's but the PGA Centenary is the course that Jack Nicklaus built with Ron Kirby, so it goes without saying that this is an American-styled layout.

The PGA Centenary (formerly known as the Monarch) opened for play in 1993 and it's a big stadium course. In fact, it's the longest inland course in Scotland, measuring nearly 7,300 yards from the back tees. There are five tee boxes to choose from, so select carefully to ensure maximum enjoyment. We're not buggy lovers, but there are some long walks between the greens and tees. If the PGA Centenary is your second round of the day at Gleneagles, a cart comes highly recommended.

“The finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with,” was how Jack Nicklaus described the rolling moorland. This is Nicklaus's first and only design project in Scotland and he's done a fine understated job. Only a couple of holes feature water hazards, and these are for practical, irrigation reasons rather than for effect. The PGA Centenary definitely complements, but also contrasts markedly with the King's and Queen's. The usual Nicklaus features are in place – huge undulating greens, bold bunkering and, of course, a number of risk and reward holes.

The key to scoring well on the PGA Centenary is to avoid coming up short with your approach shots. Invariably, much of the trouble is at the front of the greens, so take enough club. Our favourite holes are those adjacent to the King's course and the 5th is a cracker. The long par four is called "Crookit Cratur" – it's a fun rollercoaster of a hole with a bottle-necked entrance to the green. The 9th is also worthy of mention – a par five which has trouble in the shape of water and bunkers (one of which is huge) lurking down the right.

In consultation with Jack Nicklaus, the PGA Centenary course closed for renovation in October 2011 and reopened at the end of April 2012. 

We wonder what Bernard Darwin might have thought of the PGA Centenary course. We do know that he loved the King's and the Queen's. We suspect he might have said something along these lines: “The PGA Centenary course was intended to test the rampaging animal to the full. Jack Nicklaus has unquestionably made of the PGA Centenary a 'big' course on which it was enthralling to see the big men, from both sides of the Atlantic, stretch themselves during the 2014 Ryder Cup.” The PGA Centenary returned to centre stage in 2019 for the Solheim Cup, which Europe won by a single point. Europe 14½ USA 13½.

Gleneagles (PGA Centenary)

From the back tees, the PGA Centenary at Gleneagles is the longest inland course in Scotland. It was also the venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Blairgowrie Golf Club is in the fortunate position of having three golf courses over which the members play – the 18-hole Rosemount and Lansdowne courses and the 9-hole Wee course.

When the club was formed in 1889, they played golf over 9 holes on the land close to Black Loch that belonged to the Dowager Marchioness of Lansdowne, from whom the course took its name. That course has since become the Wee course.

The Rosemount course came into being some years later and a number of golf course architects – including Dr Alister MacKenzie and James Braid – have been credited with its development into one of the top courses in Scotland.

That is not to say that the current Lansdowne course is in any way inferior to its sister course. Indeed, some commentators actually prefer the more modern 1970s design of Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas to the Rosemount as they feel it offers a more challenging test of golf!

Like the Rosemount course, the Lansdowne is routed through swathes of pine and silver birch trees which put a premium on accuracy off the tee. Many golfers will keep their driver in the bag throughout their round to ensure the ball is kept in play on the way to making a decent score.

For links golfers used to open, windswept courses around the coast, Blairgowrie is almost a surreal experience where every hole is played virtually in isolation as fairways are framed by banks of trees that block out the outside world – it is a wonderfully comforting, peaceful setting in which to indulge one’s golfing pursuits.

At 6,913 yards from the back tees, the Lansdowne is not short by any means. Nonetheless, seven of the twelve par four holes are under 400 yards and the three par threes are all under 150 yards so, once again, accuracy, not length, is the key to good figures on the scorecard.

It's no coincidence that Blairgowrie and Gleneagles are ensconsed in the upper echelons of inland Scottish golfing venues as they're blessed with the most sublime terrain over which to route a golf course – many around the world may try to replicate similar layouts but it's virtually impossible to reproduce what Nature has provided in these celebrated Perthshire landforms.

Day tickets are a marvelous idea when a club like Blairgowrie has two magnificent courses at your disposal – and with a clubhouse refurbishment in 2004 that cost over ₤1 million, you would be mad not to play both the Rosemount and Lansdowne and sample what the members are very fortunate to enjoy both on and off the course.

Blairgowrie (Lansdowne)

The Lansdowne course at Blairgowrie Golf Club is routed through swathes of pine and silver birch trees which put a premium on accuracy off the tee.

Alyth, in the Vale of Strathmore, is a little off the main Scottish golfing tracks, but is well worth the deviation away from other more well known courses. Alyth Golf Club was formed over a hundred years ago, in 1894 to be precise. Their original 9-hole layout was designed by no greater an architect than Old Tom Morris and, forty years later, when land became available to extend to a full 18 holes, another golfing great, James Braid, was the man who carried out the work.

Many of the holes are tree lined and beautifully routed over rolling heathland that brings great pleasure with each and every subtle change in elevation as the round progresses. There is also the odd blind shot here and there and a horseshoe-shaped green to be putted on at one of the holes. Throw in doglegs, integral fairway bunkers, burns and out of bounds at five of the holes on the course and you will find plenty of interesting challenges at Alyth.

An old-fashioned favourite – the short par four – is found at the 255-yard 8th hole, named “Heathery Muir.” It is followed by a demanding trio of holes, starting with the 456-yard, par four 9th, called “Balloch” where trouble, in the form of trees and scrub, lurks either side of the fairway from tee to green. The 436-yard 10th hole, entitled “Kilpurnie” is played to a green that – after a blind tee shot – lies uphill, seemingly a long way away from the landing area! This tough section ends with one of the two par fives on the card, the 504-yard, 11th named “Loyal” where straight shots from tee to green are essential.

The feature hole at Alyth, however, is the 5th called “The Brig”, a 353-yard par four with out of bounds down the right, where there may be no bunkers to penalize errant shots but there is more than enough water to make up for the lack of sand. First of all, there is a lateral ditch across the fairway to catch a topped tee shot and then another trench crosses further along, before the elevated green. If ever a hole invited golfers to plot their way to a par, it is this one!

Alyth

Alyth Golf Club, in the Vale of Strathmore, is a little off the main Scottish golfing tracks, but is well worth the deviation away from other more well known courses.

Completely overshadowed by the world-famous Gleneagles Resort next door, the village of Auchterarder was offering golf as a sporting amenity to its locals more than thirty years before the arrival of the Caledonian Railway Company’s Grand Design in 1924.

Formed in 1892, Auchterarder Golf Club acquired the services of Ben Sayers to set out a 9-hole course in 1913 and this layout from the 1888 Open runner-up remained in play until a major expansion at the end of the 1970s resulted in the course that’s still in use today.

Measuring a modest 5,750 yards from the back tees, the layout at Auchterarder is arranged with six par threes, four of which are encountered on the back nine – indeed, a round here concludes in a somewhat unconventional manner, with testing short holes played at the 16th (“Gully Brae”) and 18th (“Hame”).

Auchterarder

Situated next door to the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles, Auchterarder Golf Club’s 18- hole moorland layout was extended from a 9-hole course in 1979.

Pitlochry is gloriously colourful and it’s surrounded by some of the most stunning mountain scenery in Europe. This vibrant and picturesque Victorian town is one of Perthshire’s tourist hot spots and one of its best-loved attractions is the Pitlochry Dam and Fish Ladder. Here salmon negotiate the specially constructed ladder allowing them to climb the Dam before diving into Loch Faskally.

Pitlochry is also where one of Scotland’s finest and most scenic inland courses is located. Willie Fernie originally designed the course back in 1908. He was quick to see the natural beauty of the Balnacraig and Drumchorry farms, which the course now occupies, and he used the undulating landscape fully. Pitlochry was ‘tweaked’ by Major Cecil Hutchison in the early 1920s and little has changed since.

The first three holes are a great challenge – all up hill against a steep slope – but the walk to the top is well worth it as the scenery is breathtaking. A famous description of the course is as follows: “Where golf, beauty and the social life, go hand in hand”. The views around Pitlochry are certainly uplifting and, whatever you do, don’t forget your camera.

It’s not a long course, measuring less than 5,700 yards (par 69), but it is a tricky little course with small, fast and devious greens. There are no par fives at Pitlochry, but only a fool would say short means easy. There are holes that cross gorges and valleys and there are others that climb hillsides. The final hole weaves back down hill, finishing with an approach shot over a burn in front of the clubhouse. After you’ve putted out on the 18th, you realise that you have been involved in an unforgettable golfing challenge. Playing near to handicap will be a real bonus.

Resident golf professionals at Pitlochry have been few and far between, in fact, in virtually 100 years there have been only four Pros. John Murray was the first Pro and he put in 33 year’s service and then Jimmy Wilson clocked up a remarkable 40 years. Both have annual club competitions named after them in honour of their lasting contributions that have become legendary.

This is a friendly course that often gets overlooked but we thoroughly recommend a visit. We doubt you’ll be disappointed.

Pitlochry

If you can survive the climb up the first few holes at Pitlochry Golf Club, then the views are quite possibly the most breathtaking in golf.

Scone is a place steeped in the history of the Scottish nation, as the nearby Palace was for many years the seat of Parliaments and crowning place of Kings. Scone also housed the Stone of Destiny for nearly 500 years before it was taken to Westminster Abbey in 1296, only to be returned to Edinburgh, some 700 years later in 1996. Today, Scone Palace is the home of the Earls of Mansfield and a major Scottish visitor attraction.

A major Perthshire golfing attraction lies just a few miles away, to the north of Perth and the River Tay, in the shape of Murrayshall – 350 acres of rolling parkland with a 41-bedroom hotel complex boasting activities such as falconry, archery, fishing and two 18-hole golf courses.

The Lynedoch is the easier of the two courses on the estate, measuring 5,400 yards with a par of 69. The Murrayshall course, on the other hand, has tree-lined fairways, several water hazards, generously proportioned putting surfaces and, above all else, excellent conditioning from tee to green. Unusually, there are six par fives on the course which help it stretch the overall yardage to 6,441 yards with a par of 73.

There are two outstanding holes at Murrayshall, one on the outward and one on the inward half. The 7th, a 379-yard par four is unfortunately called “Dog’s Grave”, is a right hand dog-legged hole where the brave hearted golfer takes the line between the tree in the middle of the fairway and the out of bounds on the right for his or her tee shot. The approach must then carry a stream to an elevated green.

The closing hole is a wonderful 199-yard one-shotter named “The Fountain” where out of bounds lurks all the way down the left of the fairway. Missing on the right of the green will leave a very difficult second shot, probably from one of the two large bunkers placed there. Overshoot the green and you may find yourself in either sand or, worse still, in the stream that runs behind the hole.

Murrayshall (Murrayshall)

The Murrayshall golf course has tree-lined fairways, several water hazards, generously proportioned putting surfaces and excellent tee to green conditioning.

Located at the “gateway to the Highlands”, Crieff Golf Club is surrounded by dramatic scenery with views over the Strathearn Valley. The course plays across rolling parkland that was once the grounds of the Hydro, a grand Victorian Spa.

Old Tom Morris laid out a nine-hole course in 1891, which was later extended to 18 holes by Robert Simpson and James Braid. In 1980, significant changes were made by John Stark in order to accommodate an additional 9-hole course.

Crieff is a parkland course, which can be enjoyed by golfers of all levels. The rolling fairways are generous and the rough is not too penal. Although the course is only 6,400 yards long, there are four par 4s in excess of 400 yards, requiring long and accurate tee shots. The course is laid out over a hill, consequently you may be faced with tricky sloping lies. Thankfully, the fairways climb gradually making walking relatively easy.

Crieff is an immensely friendly club, welcoming visitors with open arms. It also represents great value golf in a beautiful setting.

Crieff (Ferntower)

Located at the “gateway to the Highlands”, Crieff Golf Club is surrounded by dramatic scenery with views over the Strathearn Valley.

Perth & Kinross is a land locked region so there’s no links golf played here. Instead, there are some wonderful tracts of moorland, heathland and parkland terrain to be found and it’s on some of these prime sites where top tracks like the three 18-hole layouts at 

Around forty golf clubs and societies come under the auspices of 

 and many of these clubs operate from little 9-hole courses tucked away in the glens of the Perthshire hills. There are more than a dozen of these wee charmers dotted around the area and it’s worth taking the time and trouble to turn off the beaten track now and then to discover these hidden gems.

Since the Scottish Area Team Championships was inaugurated by the Scottish Golf Union in 1977, Perth & Kinross district has won the event on three occasions. The first two titles came with back-to-back victories at Panmure in 2001 then at East Renfrewshire the following year. The most recent championship was claimed on home soil at Blairgowrie in 2012.

Not many people are aware that the oldest Royal golf club in the world resides in the county of Perthshire & Kinross. Royal Perth Golfing Society and County and City Club, as it's now named, was the first club to have the honoured Royal title conferred by a British monarch (King William IV) in 1833, eleven years after its formation.


 rankings were last updated in November 2019. Click the link to read the story.
