Updated on November 8, 2026
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What is the best golf course in Scotland? The Old Course at St. Andrews, the birthplace of golf, is No. 1 on Top100GolfCourses and No. 3 on GOLF's Top 100 Worldwide list. It ranks ahead of Muirfield and Royal Dornoch. Six courses from our top 25 have hosted the Open, and most of the major links courses are open to non-members by reservation.
Top photo: the 18th green on the Championship Course at Carnoustie, Scotland. Jim Smillie, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The 25 Best Golf Courses in Scotland
25 courses shown.
| Rank | Course | Location | Access | Top100 Scotland | GOLF World | Golfweek classic | Golfweek modern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | St. Andrews – The Old Course | St. Andrews (Fife) | Not stated | 1 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 2 | Muirfield (Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) | Gullane (East Lothian) | Not stated | 2 | 11 | 4 | — |
| 3 | Royal Dornoch – Championship | Dornoch (Highlands) | Semi-private | 4 | 12 | 3 | — |
| 4 | Trump Turnberry – Ailsa | Turnberry (Ayrshire) | Resort | 3 | 18 | 7 | — |
| 5 | North Berwick – West Links | North Berwick (East Lothian) | Not stated | 6 | 25 | 10 | — |
| 6 | Carnoustie – Championship | Carnoustie (Angus) | Not stated | 5 | 39 | 14 | — |
| 7 | Ardfin | Isle of Jura (Argyll & Bute) | Not stated | 8 | 72 | — | 3 |
| 8 | Cruden Bay – Championship | Cruden Bay (Aberdeenshire) | Not stated | 10 | 61 | 17 | — |
| 9 | Royal Troon – Old | Troon (Ayrshire) | Not stated | 15 | 53 | 22 | — |
| 10 | Kingsbarns Golf Links | Kingsbarns (Fife) | Public | 7 | 94 | — | 1 |
| 11 | Prestwick Golf Club | Prestwick (Ayrshire) | Not stated | 13 | 58 | 32 | — |
| 12 | Cabot Highlands – Castle Stuart | Inverness (Highlands) | Not stated | 9 | 97 | — | 6 |
| 13 | Trump International Golf Links – Old Course | Balmedie (Aberdeenshire) | Not stated | 11 | — | — | 2 |
| 14 | Loch Lomond Golf Club | Luss (Dunbartonshire) | Not stated | 17 | — | — | 4 |
| 15 | Machrihanish – Championship | Machrihanish (Argyll & Bute) | Not stated | 14 | 92 | 29 | — |
| 16 | Royal Aberdeen – Balgownie | Bridge of Don (Aberdeen) | Not stated | 12 | — | 25 | — |
| 17 | The Renaissance Club | North Berwick (East Lothian) | Not stated | 27 | — | — | 12 |
| 18 | Dumbarnie Links | Elie (Fife) | Not stated | 28 | — | — | 17 |
| 19 | Western Gailes | Irvine (Ayrshire) | Not stated | 16 | — | 33 | — |
| 20 | Skibo Castle – Carnegie Links | Dornoch (Highlands) | Not stated | 25 | — | — | 26 |
| 21 | Gleneagles – King’s Course | Auchterarder (Perth & Kinross) | Not stated | 18 | — | 38 | — |
| 22 | Gullane No. 1 | Gullane (East Lothian) | Not stated | 22 | — | 42 | — |
| 23 | Nairn – Championship | Nairn (Highlands) | Not stated | 19 | — | 50 | — |
| 24 | Cabot Highlands – Old Petty | Inverness (Highlands) | Not stated | 20 | — | — | — |
| 25 | Trump International Golf Links – New Course | Balmedie (Aberdeenshire) | Not stated | 24 | — | — | — |
Rank: our consensus rank (see methodology). Columns: the course’s position in each ranking; “—”: not listed. Access: listed only when specified by a source; most Scottish courses accept visitors by reservation.
Where are the golf courses in Scotland?
Click on a number to view the golf course, then click on its name to read its profile. Base map © OpenStreetMap.
Our Method
We compared Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland, GOLF.com World Top 100 2025–26, Golfweek 2025 Top 50 Classics in the UK & Ireland, Golfweek 2025 Top 50 Modern Courses in Great Britain and Ireland. The ranking is based primarily on the Top100GolfCourses Scottish ranking, which is the most comprehensive; the other rankings are used to distinguish between courses with similar scores. Golfweek ranks classic links courses and modern courses separately: these two rankings are not comparable. This ranking is updated annually.
The Top 10 in Detail
1. St. Andrews – The Old Course 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 1 · GOLF World 3 · Golfweek classic 2
The birthplace of golf, which has been played here for more than six centuries. The Open has been held here thirty times. Public course; access is by reservation or lottery.
2. Muirfield (Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers) 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 2 · GOLF World 11 · Golfweek classic 4
The links course of the world's oldest golf club (1744), which has hosted sixteen Open tournaments. Visitors can play there on certain days.
3. Royal Dornoch – Championship 🏴
- Designed by Old Tom Morris, J. H. Taylor, John Sutherland, George Duncan, Mackenzie & Ebert
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 4 · GOLF World 12 · Golfweek classic 3
A Highlands links shaped by Old Tom Morris, famous for its plateau greens. Open to visitors.
4. Trump Turnberry – Ailsa 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 3 · GOLF World 18 · Golfweek classic 7
The Ayrshire coast links, with its lighthouse by the 9th, scene of the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” between Watson and Nicklaus.
5. North Berwick – West Links 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 6 · GOLF World 25 · Golfweek classic 10
An 1832 links course on the East Lothian coast, famous for its “Redan” hole, which has been replicated all over the world.
6. Carnoustie – Championship 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 5 · GOLF World 39 · Golfweek classic 14
The most feared links course on the Open circuit, last played in 2018.
7. Ardfin 🏴
- Designed by Bob Harrison
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 8 · GOLF World 72 · Golfweek modern 3
A private course that opened in 2015 on the island of Jura, overlooking the sea. Ranked No. 3 among modern courses by Golfweek.
8. Cruden Bay – Championship 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 10 · GOLF World 61 · Golfweek classic 17
A wild links course in Aberdeenshire, nestled among giant dunes north of Aberdeen.
9. Royal Troon – Old 🏴
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 15 · GOLF World 53 · Golfweek classic 22
The Ayrshire links famous for its “Postage Stamp”, the shortest hole on the Open rota. Host of the 2024 Open.
10. Kingsbarns Golf Links 🏴
- Designed by Kyle Phillips
Ranks: Top100 Scotland 7 · GOLF World 94 · Golfweek modern 1
A modern links course designed by Kyle Phillips (2000), located ten minutes from St. Andrews, with a view of the sea from every hole. Ranked No. 1 among modern courses by Golfweek.
Fred’s Take
My ideal itinerary: St Andrews and Kingsbarns, then Carnoustie, before heading north to Royal Dornoch and Cabot Highlands. Book the Old Course well in advance, or try the daily ballot the day before.
Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Courses in Scotland
What is the best golf course in Scotland?
The Old Course at St. Andrews, ranked No. 1 on Top100GolfCourses in Scotland, ahead of Muirfield and Royal Dornoch.
Can you play the Old Course at St. Andrews?
Yes, it's open to the public: either by advance reservation or through the daily drawing (ballot) held the day before.
Which golf courses in Scotland have hosted the Open?
In our top 25: St. Andrews, Muirfield, Turnberry, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, and Prestwick, where the very first Open was held in 1860.