Where to Play Golf in Scotland: 4 Must-Visit Courses

There's something about Scottish golf that just hits different. Maybe it's the way the wind comes howling off the North Sea and messes with your head, or how these courses look like they've been carved by God himself rather than some architect with a bulldozer. Either way, these four courses will remind you why you picked up a golf club in the first place.

Okay, so everyone knows about the Old Course. It's like the Mona Lisa of golf—you've seen it a million times, but when you're actually there, it's different. This place has been around since before America was even a thing, and honestly, it shows. In the best possible way.

My student Lincoln and his family are there right now, making their second trip in two years. Here's what blows everyone's mind: seven of the greens are shared between two holes. So you might be putting for eagle on 14 while some poor soul next to you is trying to save bogey on 5. It's chaos, and it's perfect.

And then there's the 17th. The Road Hole. Sweet Jesus, this hole has destroyed more golf dreams than a bad slice. A fellow PGA member told me he stood on that tee for five minutes trying to figure out where the hell he was supposed to hit it. You can't see the green, you're supposed to hit it over a hotel, and there's this bunker that's basically a sandy grave. Miss long? You're chipping off pavement. It's completely insane and absolutely brilliant.

Lincoln sent me a photo last year of him walking over that little stone bridge on 18, and you can see it in his face—he gets it. You're following the exact same path as every golf legend who ever lived. Tiger, Jack, Bobby Jones—they all walked right where you're walking.

If St Andrews is the most famous course in golf, Dornoch is the most loved. It's tucked away up in the Highlands, which means you've got to really want to get there. But from what I hear from friends who've made the trip, it's worth every mile.

The scenery alone is worth the trip—you're looking out over this massive estuary with the Highland mountains rising in the background. But the golf? The father of one of my students who played there said it was something else entirely. Tom Watson, who knows a thing or two about links golf, said it's the most fun he's ever had on a course. And from what I hear, when you're standing on the first tee, you get it immediately.

This one's the baby of the group—opened in 2000—but a friend who played there said it doesn't feel new at all. It's like the course architects figured out how to build a links course that looks like it's been there for centuries. And the location? Right on the coast, about 10 minutes from St Andrews.

Every hole has ocean views. Every. Single. One. I know that sounds like marketing BS, but every golfer I know who's been there confirms it's true. The course runs along almost two miles of coastline, and the designers were smart enough to just let the land do the talking. No forced carries, no fake waterfalls, just natural golf.

They rotate this course with St Andrews and Carnoustie for the Dunhill Links Championship, which tells you everything you need to know about the quality. But what I love hearing from students who've played there is that it's challenging without being mean. You can actually enjoy yourself here, even when you're playing badly.

Castle Stuart is what happens when you take traditional links golf and give it the full luxury treatment. It's about 20 minutes from Inverness, overlooking this gorgeous firth with the Highlands rising behind it. Those who have played here often say that the views are so good you'll forget you're supposed to be playing golf.

The course itself is modern but feels timeless, from what I hear. Those infinity edge greens are wild—one of my students said they seem to just disappear into the landscape. The whole thing feels like it could've been designed by Old Tom Morris if he'd had access to modern earth-moving equipment and an unlimited budget.

Plus, they're adding a second course by Tom Doak that opens later this year. Between the golf, the scenery, and the fact that there's an actual 17th-century castle on the property, this place is quickly becoming a must-play according to everyone I know who's been there.

These four courses aren't just good golf—they're the reason golf exists in the first place. From what I hear from those who've experienced them: St Andrews will humble you, Dornoch will charm you, Kingsbarns will amaze you, and Castle Stuart will spoil you.

If you get the chance to play any of these, drop everything and go. Your handicap might not thank you, but your soul absolutely will.