Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland
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<strong>Top</strong> <strong>100</strong> scoTland 2015<br />
EXclUsIVE<br />
‘It is still<br />
the soul of<br />
the game’<br />
By top designer Kyle Phillips.<br />
I th<strong>in</strong>k the soul of the<br />
game is still <strong>in</strong> Great<br />
Brita<strong>in</strong> and Ireland.<br />
People like to walk,<br />
they like quirky<br />
courses, they<br />
appreciate the aesthetics and<br />
understand the tradition and history<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d the game a bit more.<br />
so much of golf is now played <strong>in</strong><br />
buggies and I th<strong>in</strong>k that is a shame.<br />
The idea of golf is surely that you are<br />
supposed to be with friends, walk<strong>in</strong>g<br />
together, tell<strong>in</strong>g stories and breath<strong>in</strong>g<br />
it all <strong>in</strong>.<br />
so many scottish l<strong>in</strong>ks provide the<br />
ideal sett<strong>in</strong>g for that experience.<br />
I am proud of my courses <strong>in</strong><br />
scotland; K<strong>in</strong>gsbarns has been a real<br />
success while dundonald (pictured<br />
below) hasn’t perhaps quite had the<br />
same plaudits. But I can tell you it is<br />
a l<strong>in</strong>ks I am very pleased with and I<br />
know they are try<strong>in</strong>g hard there, so I<br />
am really pleased to hear it is ranked<br />
so highly <strong>in</strong> <strong>Golf</strong> World’s list.<br />
K<strong>in</strong>gsbarns didn’t have an<br />
exceptional natural plot – better than<br />
what I was given to work with at, say,<br />
Yas l<strong>in</strong>ks <strong>in</strong> Abu dhabi, but not a<br />
fantastic piece of land. It did have the<br />
sea right next to it though...<br />
Maybe what I’ve been able to do is<br />
figure out a way of do<strong>in</strong>g it which<br />
makes it appear more natural and<br />
believable.<br />
The skill is <strong>in</strong> mak<strong>in</strong>g it look very<br />
natural and not as if it has just had a<br />
face lift.<br />
Hopefully what we have been<br />
do<strong>in</strong>g proves it is possible to create<br />
great natural golf experiences on less<br />
than perfect sites.<br />
n Kyle Phillips is one of the world’s<br />
foremost designers with feted work<br />
<strong>in</strong> Europe, Asia and America,<br />
<strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Scottish <strong>Top</strong> <strong>100</strong> courses<br />
K<strong>in</strong>gbarns and Dundonald.<br />
67 Elie ( ▲ 3 )<br />
Elie, Fife. Par 70, 6,273 yards.<br />
Designer: Old Tom Morris.<br />
BB sacred place as Braid learnt his golf there.<br />
IM Probably the only course you’ll play where<br />
the starter checks the fairway is clear by<br />
look<strong>in</strong>g through a submar<strong>in</strong>e periscope!<br />
NS some nice holes when you get to the shore.<br />
BS Many R&A members are also members at<br />
Elie. Why? Because they know a good l<strong>in</strong>ks.<br />
GW VERDICT short, quirky, full of character.<br />
65 Fortrose & Rosemarkie ( ▲ 9 )<br />
Fortrose, Inverness-shire. Par 71, 5,881<br />
yards. Designer: James Braid.<br />
IM on a th<strong>in</strong> strip of land jutt<strong>in</strong>g out <strong>in</strong>to the<br />
Moray Firth this is one of the most scenic l<strong>in</strong>ks<br />
you could hope to f<strong>in</strong>d. The only course where<br />
I have watched a colony of dolph<strong>in</strong>s at play as I<br />
have putted out. It is simply a captivat<strong>in</strong>g sight.<br />
NS A great course with lots of variety of length<br />
of holes. A fair bit of gorse to avoid as well.<br />
GW VERDICT Ingenious design on a t<strong>in</strong>y spit.<br />
66 Turnberry K<strong>in</strong>tyre (▼ 8)<br />
Turnberry, Ayrshire. Par 72, 6,891 yards.<br />
Designers: Mackenzie Ross/Donald Steel.<br />
BS Is there a better s<strong>in</strong>gle location for two<br />
rounds of golf than the K<strong>in</strong>tyre and the Ailsa?<br />
IM set with<strong>in</strong> the magnificent Ailsa, it sufers <strong>in</strong><br />
the shadow of sister. A couple of great holes.<br />
NS The two n<strong>in</strong>es difer <strong>in</strong> character, the first<br />
be<strong>in</strong>g more open and the second hav<strong>in</strong>g wh<strong>in</strong>s<br />
on both sides which you have to keep out of.<br />
GW VERDICT Nice, but sufers <strong>in</strong> comparison.<br />
64 Carnoustie Burnside ( ▲ 26 )<br />
Carnoustie, Angus. Par 70, 6,028 yards.<br />
Designer: James Braid.<br />
NS Underrated because its brother. Just a<br />
super test of golf and ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed to an equal<br />
standard to the Championship course.<br />
AF Great l<strong>in</strong>ks course. only got one or two<br />
weaker holes, otherwise a great test.<br />
GW VERDICT: Refurb has it is arguably the<br />
best condition of all the courses at Carnoustie,<br />
don’t be surprised if this ends up <strong>in</strong> the top 50.<br />
CoURTEsY sTEWART GRANT<br />
63 Grantown on Spey ( ▲ 10 )<br />
Grantown, Morayshire. Par 70, 5,710 yards.<br />
Designer: Willie Park.<br />
AM Almost comparable to Boat of Garten <strong>in</strong><br />
terms of design, presentation and playability,<br />
so should be closer <strong>in</strong> rank<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
AF lovely <strong>in</strong>land course. some good holes.<br />
With more consistent quality of hole, would for<br />
me be higher. lovely location.<br />
NS some great views from a pleasant course.<br />
GW VERDICT: Exquisite, short heathland.<br />
62 Prestwick St Nicholas ( ▲ 7 )<br />
Prestwick, Ayrshire. Par 72, 6,044 yards.<br />
Designers: John Allan/Charlie Hunter.<br />
DC some really enterta<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g holes.<br />
DD deserves to be higher than 2013 list<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
Nice l<strong>in</strong>ks with a great short par-4 16th.<br />
NS some terrific holes particularly towards the<br />
end of the round.<br />
BS A good old-fashioned l<strong>in</strong>ks; noth<strong>in</strong>g fancy,<br />
just genu<strong>in</strong>e and honest good l<strong>in</strong>ks golf.<br />
GW VERDICT: super 36 holes with the old.<br />
12 <strong>Golf</strong> World ToP <strong>100</strong> sCoTlANd 2015