A week of golf in Scotland: the itinerary that works
East Lothian, Fife and the Highlands in seven days, with the Old Course ballot planned around guaranteed rounds.
A week of golf in Scotland fails for one of two reasons: too many rounds, or too much driving. The country is small enough that you can base yourself in three places and never spend more than ninety minutes in the car. Here is an itinerary built around that.
Days one and two: East Lothian
The coast east of Edinburgh has the densest concentration of links golf anywhere. North Berwick, Gullane and Musselburgh sit within a short drive of each other, and the standard of the second-tier courses here is higher than the first tier in most countries.
It is also where the Genesis Scottish Open is played: The Renaissance Club, at North Berwick, hosts the 2026 edition from 8 to 12 July. If your trip coincides, factor in road closures and full hotels; if it does not, you have a coast to yourself in the shoulder months.
Base yourself in North Berwick and walk to the first tee. Two rounds in two days, with the afternoons free.
Days three and four: Fife and St Andrews
An hour and a half north, St Andrews Links Trust runs seven public-access courses: the Old, the New, the Jubilee, the Eden, the Strathtyrum, the Castle and the nine-hole Balgove. Six can be booked in the normal way.
For the Old Course, enter the daily ballot. It is drawn two days before play, except Fridays, since the Old Course is closed on Sundays. Entries close at 2pm, results are usually out by 4pm, and you enter as a group of two to four with names, home clubs and handicaps, maximum 36 for men and women.
Enter the ballot for both your days in Fife and book the New or the Jubilee as your guaranteed round. If the ballot comes in, you have a bonus. If it does not, you have still played championship links on the same turf.
Days five and six: the Highlands
North again, and the character changes: fewer people, bigger country, and links laid on a coastline that feels a long way from the Central Belt. Royal Dornoch is the name everyone knows; the coast around it holds several more that take visitors without ceremony.
This is the part of the trip to keep unhurried. One round a day, a long lunch, and the drive itself as part of the holiday rather than an inconvenience between tee times.
Day seven: go home the long way
Resist the urge to fit a final round on the morning of the flight. Play nine somewhere on the route instead, or spend the morning on a practice ground working on the bump-and-run you have just spent a week learning the hard way.
What to get right before you leave
An official Handicap Index: most links ask visitors for one, and some ask for a certificate from your home club or association on the day. In England, iGolf provides one for £47 a year without club membership.
Realistic tee selection: most of these links measure over 6,500 yards from the medal tees and play longer into the prevailing wind. Play forward and enjoy the week.
Waterproofs that let you swing, spare gloves, and shoes with grip left in them. And a booking pattern that puts the guaranteed rounds in first and the ballots around them, rather than a week built on lotteries.
Booking and planning
- St Andrews Links: the seven courses and the Old Course ballot.
- Scottish Golf: club directory, visitor conditions and handicap information.
- Genesis Scottish Open 2026: 8 to 12 July at The Renaissance Club, if you would rather watch than play for a day.
- iGolf for a Handicap Index before you travel.
Green fees vary widely by course and season. Confirm each one when you book rather than budgeting from a figure in an article.
