Top 100 Golf Courses in Scotland

13 Castle Stuart (▼ 2)
Highlands. Designers: Parsinen and Hanse.
GW VERDICT: Still only six years old, boasts
great holes, great scenery and lots of fun –
very forgiving too, especially of the tee;
around the greens – less so.
8 Loch Lomond (▼ 1)
Dunbartonshire. Designers: Weiskopf/
Morrish.
GW VERDICT: A sumptuous, beautiful
American-style parkland with a number of
interesting holes and views of the Loch.
Turnberry, Ayrshire.
12 Nairn (▼ 3)
Highlands. Designers: Morris/Braid/
Simpson.
GW VERDICT: Begins with a terrific stretch
along the shore and is complemented by
excellent inland holes. A worthy Walker Cup
venue with ludicrously smooth greens.
11 North Berwick (▲1)
East Lothian. Designer: Unknown.
GW VERDICT: The King of quirks, which only
add to its considerable charm. This is a course
we’d be happy to play every day.
10 Skibo Castle (▲12)
Highlands. Designers: Mackenzie/Thomson.
GW VERDICT: Redesign by Tom Mackenzie
and David Thomson has created a links that
sits very comfortably in this top 10.
9 Royal Troon (▲1)
Ayrshire. Designer: Willie Fernie.
GW VERDICT: An excellent links of course, yet
without the joyful exuberance of those ranked
further up such as Dornoch and the Old.
7 Kingsbarns (▲1)
Fife. Designer: Kyle Phillips.
GW VERDICT: no weak holes here – and the
setting is spectacular. Another unconditional
success for Kyle phillips.
6 Carnoustie ( )
Angus. Designers: Robertson/Morris/Braid.
GW VERDICT: A stringent examination, but
also one it is easier to warm to than many have
you believe. We are confirmed fans.
5 Royal Dornoch ( )
Inverness-shire. Designers: Morris/
Sutherland/Duncan.
GW VERDICT: Combines challenge and
beauty in one magnificent package. Golfing
heaven, especially for the purist.
4 Trump Links Aberdeen ( )
Aberdeen. Designer: Martin Hawtree.
GW VERDICT: Outstanding new layout that
has it all – scenic, challenging, strategic and if
played of the correct (that equate to your
ability) tees, fun.
3 Turnberry (▼ 2)
Ayrshire. Designer: Phillip Mackenzie Ross.
GW VERDICT: Scenic beauty with several
great holes – and poised to get even better
after the makeover on and of the course.
2 St Andrews Old (▲1)
Fife. Designer: Unknown.
GW VERDICT: Might not look like much but it
possesses some of the world’s greatest holes
which require thought as well as execution.
1 Muirfield (▲1)
East Lothian. Designers: Morris/Colt.
GW VERDICT: Lacks the scenic splendour of
Dornoch and Turnberry but every hole, indeed,
every shot, requires thought and execution
and you’ll struggle to find a critic.
TOp 100 SCOTLAnD 2015 Golf World 33