Scotland last week of June 2024… advice needed

[sheppick.dan]

Hey Everyone,

 

I will be making the trip to Scotland last week of June 2024. I’ve reached out to multiple courses who say they are completely booked (troon, N Berwick and Muirfield). I fly in on a Saturday and will play prestwick Sunday afternoon. 
 

thoughts and suggestions for Monday through Thursday?

 

I plan on doing old course no matter how long I have to stand in line and am hopeful for carouse as well. Waiting on email back from kingsbarns. 
 

it will just be me as a single so I’m hopeful I’ll have no problem getting on. 
 

suggestions on courses and where to stay would be appreciated. 
 

thanks!

[sabram]

Royal Troon is right next to Prestwick, but it may also be fully booked. There are a half dozen good to great courses very close to Prestwick. My favorite is Western Gailes. Others include Glasgow Gailes, Dundonald,  Irvine Bogside, Barassie, Prestwick St Nicholas. For lodging, Sand Hill House is excellent, but may be full.

 

For your time near St Andrews, you've got the other Links Trust courses. After the Old, I like the New best, but Eden and Jubilee are also quite good. Nearby courses worth playing include Elie, Crail, Lundin, Leven, Ladybank, Panmure and Monifieth, any of which would be part of a memorable trip. 

From among the ones I've mentioned in those two locales you should be able to find tee times to fill your itinerary from Monday through Thursday. The most famous courses are likely to be fully booked, don't hesitate to play the lesser known ones. Fife and Ayr have a wealth of fun golf courses to choose from. Good luck.

Edited November 20, 2023 by sabram
Correct typos

[ND2005]

If you’re looking to play the “bucket list” courses, you’re going to have a tough time. 
 
As posted already there are plenty of great second and third tier course options that will be far more likely to have openings 

[Looper34]

Gullane 1 and 2.

[sheppick.dan]

I have carnoustie, kingsbarns and prestwick now booked!!

[ND2005]

15 minutes ago, sheppick.dan said:

I have carnoustie, kingsbarns and prestwick now booked!!

 

A hail mary consideration for you: 

 

The staff at Prestwick and Troon know each other very well. 

 

We were scheduled to play Prestwick one day and Troon the following, but the incoming weather forecast looked terrible even by Scottish standards. At the end of our round the caddiemaster was able to call over and get us booked on that afternoon. 

 

So just saying...if you play your cards right and drop some hints about how much you were hoping to play Troon...they may be able to grease the wheels. 

[sheppick.dan]

1 hour ago, ND2005 said:

 

A hail mary consideration for you: 

 

The staff at Prestwick and Troon know each other very well. 

 

We were scheduled to play Prestwick one day and Troon the following, but the incoming weather forecast looked terrible even by Scottish standards. At the end of our round the caddiemaster was able to call over and get us booked on that afternoon. 

 

So just saying...if you play your cards right and drop some hints about how much you were hoping to play Troon...they may be able to grease the wheels. 

Thanks for the advice! They said because the open was there that it was too close to be open for play. I’m going to try anyways. 
 

I’ve got 2-3 days left open as of right now to try and walk onto the old course and if I don’t get on there go and play one of the other ones. 

[cardia10]

Western Gailes is a must play for me. Totally underrated and a cool layout.

[PrincipalsNose]

Must Plays

St Andrews

Dornoch

Muirfield

Turnberry

Carnoustie

North Berwick

Prestwick-if big into history 

 

[sTmGolfer]

Myself and three buddies went to St. Andrews this past summer (end of July).  We flew into EDI and stayed in St. Andrews.  Here's all the courses we played and my thoughts. 

St. Andrews Jubilee

Gleneagles PGA

Kingsbarns

St. Andrews New Course

St. Andrews Castle Course

St. Andrews Old Course

Cruden Bay

 

Jubilee - first course we played when we got there.  Fun course that we had fun playing.  Nothing worth making an effort of playing if only there for a few days.  Would pass for you itinerary.  

 

Gleneagles PGA - inland course.  Beautiful property with 3 courses.  Amazing spa in the hotel.  We made a full day of it.  Course was the most 'american' course and hosted the Solheim Cup in 2019.  It's definitely a full day experience and the spa was incredible.  

 

Kingsbarns - on your list.  Worth it.  Get a caddy, for sure.  What a property.  Not as much history but incredible views.  Hope you get phenomenal weather for that day.  Definitely don't leave Scotland without playing this course.  

 

New Course - this course shocked me.  Ended up being one of my favorites we played.  Closely resembles the Old Course in style.  INCREDIBLE track to play.  If you only have one day in St. Andrews, the Old Course is it.  But I could make an argument this is a better course - if you remove the history.  

 

Castle Course - great views and scenery.  But I'd pass on this course.  Greens make that course damn near unplayable.  If they could make the greens more approachable, it'd be a far better gem of a course.  But so many greens you will struggle to keep your ball on.  

 

The Old Course - we got on by staying overnight on the singles queue.  We could not get on the 48 hour ballot.  The singles queue experience was part of the memory in my opinion.  We arrived at about 9:30pm and two of the four of stayed all night.  Brutal but part of the story and memory.  You'll know how many slots are open once you get in line.  Doors open at 6:00am and they tell you what's available.  The course - INCREDIBLE.  So much history.  So many different ways to play the course.  My favorite memory of the trip.  

Cruden Bay I would pass on.  None of my group cared for it.  The back 9 had some enjoyable views.  The views from the dining area area incredible but the golf course was meh.  Hard pass.  Would not play again if we go back.  Hot take because it is highly ranked by so many websites. 

All the local caddies in St. Andrews say they're not fond of the Old Course and say Carnoustie is a far better championship course and prefer the New Course of all the St. Andrews courses.  

Enjoy!  You're going at a great time of year so you should get incredible weather.  

[hammergolf]

Being this late into planning a summer trip, I would give you the following advice. Make a list of all the golf courses you want to play. From there, go on each courses website and send them an email asking them what days, if any they may have open spots for a single. All of the golf courses are helpful and I’d be shocked if they don’t reply. After you get responses, plan your logistics based on your highest priority courses and adjust the days you’re in certain areas accordingly. If you have any other questions, just message me and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Edited November 21, 2023 by hammergolf

[sheppick.dan]

22 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

Being this late into planning a summer trip, I would give you the following advice. Make a list of all the golf courses you want to play. From there, go on each courses website and send them an email asking them what days, if any they may have open spots for a single. All of the golf courses are helpful and I’d be shocked if they don’t reply. After you get responses, plan your logistics based on your highest priority courses and adjust the days you’re in certain areas accordingly. If you have any other questions, just message me and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Here is what I have booked so far:

6/22

fly into glasgow

turnberry

6/23

prestwick

walk old course

6/24

open (thinking stay all night for old course)

6/25

open (stay all night for old course if no luck monday)

6/26

Kingsbarns

6/27

carnoustie championship course

6/28

open for now

6/29

open for now (probably meet up with my family) head to glasgow

6/30

fly home

 

 

for the singles queue. Do you bring clubs with you or leave in car? They let you in at 6, will you have time to change, get clubs, warm up etc if they get you on right away?I was thinking show up around 10pm?

[sheppick.dan]

35 minutes ago, sTmGolfer said:

Myself and three buddies went to St. Andrews this past summer (end of July).  We flew into EDI and stayed in St. Andrews.  Here's all the courses we played and my thoughts. 

St. Andrews Jubilee

Gleneagles PGA

Kingsbarns

St. Andrews New Course

St. Andrews Castle Course

St. Andrews Old Course

Cruden Bay

 

Jubilee - first course we played when we got there.  Fun course that we had fun playing.  Nothing worth making an effort of playing if only there for a few days.  Would pass for you itinerary.  

 

Gleneagles PGA - inland course.  Beautiful property with 3 courses.  Amazing spa in the hotel.  We made a full day of it.  Course was the most 'american' course and hosted the Solheim Cup in 2019.  It's definitely a full day experience and the spa was incredible.  

 

Kingsbarns - on your list.  Worth it.  Get a caddy, for sure.  What a property.  Not as much history but incredible views.  Hope you get phenomenal weather for that day.  Definitely don't leave Scotland without playing this course.  

 

New Course - this course shocked me.  Ended up being one of my favorites we played.  Closely resembles the Old Course in style.  INCREDIBLE track to play.  If you only have one day in St. Andrews, the Old Course is it.  But I could make an argument this is a better course - if you remove the history.  

 

Castle Course - great views and scenery.  But I'd pass on this course.  Greens make that course damn near unplayable.  If they could make the greens more approachable, it'd be a far better gem of a course.  But so many greens you will struggle to keep your ball on.  

 

The Old Course - we got on by staying overnight on the singles queue.  We could not get on the 48 hour ballot.  The singles queue experience was part of the memory in my opinion.  We arrived at about 9:30pm and two of the four of stayed all night.  Brutal but part of the story and memory.  You'll know how many slots are open once you get in line.  Doors open at 6:00am and they tell you what's available.  The course - INCREDIBLE.  So much history.  So many different ways to play the course.  My favorite memory of the trip.  

Cruden Bay I would pass on.  None of my group cared for it.  The back 9 had some enjoyable views.  The views from the dining area area incredible but the golf course was meh.  Hard pass.  Would not play again if we go back.  Hot take because it is highly ranked by so many websites. 

All the local caddies in St. Andrews say they're not fond of the Old Course and say Carnoustie is a far better championship course and prefer the New Course of all the St. Andrews courses.  

Enjoy!  You're going at a great time of year so you should get incredible weather.  

thanks for the detail! I’m excited to get this trip going!!

[sabram]

11 hours ago, sTmGolfer said:

Myself and three buddies went to St. Andrews this past summer (end of July).  We flew into EDI and stayed in St. Andrews.  Here's all the courses we played and my thoughts. 

St. Andrews Jubilee

Gleneagles PGA

Kingsbarns

St. Andrews New Course

St. Andrews Castle Course

St. Andrews Old Course

Cruden Bay

 

Jubilee - first course we played when we got there.  Fun course that we had fun playing.  Nothing worth making an effort of playing if only there for a few days.  Would pass for you itinerary.  

 

Gleneagles PGA - inland course.  Beautiful property with 3 courses.  Amazing spa in the hotel.  We made a full day of it.  Course was the most 'american' course and hosted the Solheim Cup in 2019.  It's definitely a full day experience and the spa was incredible.  

 

Kingsbarns - on your list.  Worth it.  Get a caddy, for sure.  What a property.  Not as much history but incredible views.  Hope you get phenomenal weather for that day.  Definitely don't leave Scotland without playing this course.  

 

New Course - this course shocked me.  Ended up being one of my favorites we played.  Closely resembles the Old Course in style.  INCREDIBLE track to play.  If you only have one day in St. Andrews, the Old Course is it.  But I could make an argument this is a better course - if you remove the history.  

 

Castle Course - great views and scenery.  But I'd pass on this course.  Greens make that course damn near unplayable.  If they could make the greens more approachable, it'd be a far better gem of a course.  But so many greens you will struggle to keep your ball on.  

 

The Old Course - we got on by staying overnight on the singles queue.  We could not get on the 48 hour ballot.  The singles queue experience was part of the memory in my opinion.  We arrived at about 9:30pm and two of the four of stayed all night.  Brutal but part of the story and memory.  You'll know how many slots are open once you get in line.  Doors open at 6:00am and they tell you what's available.  The course - INCREDIBLE.  So much history.  So many different ways to play the course.  My favorite memory of the trip.  

Cruden Bay I would pass on.  None of my group cared for it.  The back 9 had some enjoyable views.  The views from the dining area area incredible but the golf course was meh.  Hard pass.  Would not play again if we go back.  Hot take because it is highly ranked by so many websites. 

All the local caddies in St. Andrews say they're not fond of the Old Course and say Carnoustie is a far better championship course and prefer the New Course of all the St. Andrews courses.  

Enjoy!  You're going at a great time of year so you should get incredible weather.  

 Nice trip. I agree with most of your reviews, especially that the New course is under appreciated. Two comments: (i) too bad you missed the Kings course at Gleneagles. It is spectacular. One of the best inland courses in Scotland. You played the third best course at Gleneagles; (ii) Surprised you didn't like Cruden Bay. I like it a lot.

[hammergolf]

16 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

Here is what I have booked so far:

6/22

fly into glasgow

turnberry

6/23

prestwick

walk old course

6/24

open (thinking stay all night for old course)

6/25

open (stay all night for old course if no luck monday)

6/26

Kingsbarns

6/27

carnoustie championship course

6/28

open for now

6/29

open for now (probably meet up with my family) head to glasgow

6/30

fly home

 

 

for the singles queue. Do you bring clubs with you or leave in car? They let you in at 6, will you have time to change, get clubs, warm up etc if they get you on right away?I was thinking show up around 10pm?

You can leave them in the car. 10pm would be a good time and should get you pretty early in the line. You’ll have time to get your clubs and warm up even if you get a very early time. 
If you’re looking for some places to play that make logistical sense here are a few options:

 

1 After you play Prestwick on the 23rd, you could stay the night in Irvine and play either Western Gailes or Glasgow Gailes on the 24th then drive to St. Andrews. 

2 After you play Prestwick, you could drive to Gullane and spend the night. Then play Gullane, and drive to St. Andrews.

3 Drive to St. Andrews after you play Prestwick. On the 24th, try ballot buddy in advance and if you don’t get it play The New or The Jubilee course. 
4 On the 28th play either of the New or Jubilee, or if you want to play on more hilly terrain like Kingsbarns with huge undulating greens play The Castle Course. 
 

The good news is there are no bad options. 

[sheppick.dan]

3 hours ago, hammergolf said:

You can leave them in the car. 10pm would be a good time and should get you pretty early in the line. You’ll have time to get your clubs and warm up even if you get a very early time. 
If you’re looking for some places to play that make logistical sense here are a few options:

 

1 After you play Prestwick on the 23rd, you could stay the night in Irvine and play either Western Gailes or Glasgow Gailes on the 24th then drive to St. Andrews. 

2 After you play Prestwick, you could drive to Gullane and spend the night. Then play Gullane, and drive to St. Andrews.

3 Drive to St. Andrews after you play Prestwick. On the 24th, try ballot buddy in advance and if you don’t get it play The New or The Jubilee course. 
4 On the 28th play either of the New or Jubilee, or if you want to play on more hilly terrain like Kingsbarns with huge undulating greens play The Castle Course. 
 

The good news is there are no bad options. 

Question on ballot buddy… what’s that?

 

What’s the true likelihood of getting on the old course if I try 2 days and am there by 10 or 11?

 

I was thinking Sunday after Prestwick driving to st Andrews. Since the course is closed on Sunday I was going to walk it just in case. 
 

grt in line Sunday night for Monday. If I don’t get on play the new course and try again Monday night for Tuesday am. 

booked gleneagles kings course for Friday!

 

[sheppick.dan]

@hammergolf what would your pick be. Gleneagles kings course or Craig golfing society balconies links?

 

they finally got back to me. 

[hammergolf]

10 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

Question on ballot buddy… what’s that?

 

What’s the true likelihood of getting on the old course if I try 2 days and am there by 10 or 11?

 

I was thinking Sunday after Prestwick driving to st Andrews. Since the course is closed on Sunday I was going to walk it just in case. 
 

grt in line Sunday night for Monday. If I don’t get on play the new course and try again Monday night for Tuesday am. 

booked gleneagles kings course for Friday!

 

Ballot buddy is an app that lets you join other singles so you can enter the 48hr lottery for an Old Course tee time. Essentially you enter the lottery 4th ours before the day you want to play. St. Andrews keep a designated amount of tee times open each day for the 48hr ballot.

If you get in line at 10pm Sunday night I would say your chances are very good to get on. Of course it will always depend on how many spots are available and how many people are in front of you

.

‘I’ve played both Gleneagles and Crail. You made the choice I would make. Gleneagles is great! 

 

Another option you might want to look at is purchasing the 3 day ticket for St. Andrews since you will be there for a few days. It give you a discount price over paying for 3 rounds individually, plus you get 1 guaranteed tee time a day, (Old Course not included) and unlimited play, so if you feel like another 9 or 18 that there’s no charge on any of the other courses as long as they have open spots which they will. 
 

 

[sheppick.dan]

10 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

Ballot buddy is an app that lets you join other singles so you can enter the 48hr lottery for an Old Course tee time. Essentially you enter the lottery 4th ours before the day you want to play. St. Andrews keep a designated amount of tee times open each day for the 48hr ballot.

If you get in line at 10pm Sunday night I would say your chances are very good to get on. Of course it will always depend on how many spots are available and how many people are in front of you

.

‘I’ve played both Gleneagles and Crail. You made the choice I would make. Gleneagles is great! 

 

Another option you might want to look at is purchasing the 3 day ticket for St. Andrews since you will be there for a few days. It give you a discount price over paying for 3 rounds individually, plus you get 1 guaranteed tee time a day, (Old Course not included) and unlimited play, so if you feel like another 9 or 18 that there’s no charge on any of the other courses as long as they have open spots which they will. 
 

 

Awesome! Thank you. Gleneagles is paid and booked! I’ll pass on crail. 
 

signed up for ballot buddy and got matched for Monday and Tuesday! Fingers crossed I don’t have to stand in line all night!

 

as far as gear goes…. Obviously better rain gear than I have in the states. What’s your suggestion for amount of balls, bag cover for rain, etc…

 

thanks for all of your help and advice!

[hammergolf]

1 minute ago, sheppick.dan said:

Awesome! Thank you. Gleneagles is paid and booked! I’ll pass on crail. 
 

signed up for ballot buddy and got matched for Monday and Tuesday! Fingers crossed I don’t have to stand in line all night!

 

as far as gear goes…. Obviously better rain gear than I have in the states. What’s your suggestion for amount of balls, bag cover for rain, etc…

 

thanks for all of your help and advice!

Great news on ballot buddy! Hopefully you get it! You’ll really like Gleneagles. 
 

Definitely bring some good rain gear. I would bring a dozen balls and if you need more there are plenty of golf shops in St. Andrews. I wouldn’t over pack, just make sure you can dress in thin layers that you can add or take off as the weather can change quickly. The joke is you may see all 4 seasons of weather in one round. I wouldn’t use a bag cover, honestly they are more hassle. I would recommend looking to see if you find a waterproof stand bag instead. I’ve seen some on sale for between $100 - $150. As it gets closer I can give you more tips.

[sTmGolfer]

2 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

Awesome! Thank you. Gleneagles is paid and booked! I’ll pass on crail. 
 

signed up for ballot buddy and got matched for Monday and Tuesday! Fingers crossed I don’t have to stand in line all night!

 

as far as gear goes…. Obviously better rain gear than I have in the states. What’s your suggestion for amount of balls, bag cover for rain, etc…

 

thanks for all of your help and advice!

I agree to get good rain gear.  A lot of the caddies are fond of Sunice rain gear.  You'll be there in June so my guess is you'll have days where you may wear 'summer attire' and could also end the round with layers and rain gear on.  Pack thin layers that can be easily stored.  Or plan to buy some in the pro shops (they have a lot of logo gear you may want to purchase).  

In the St Andrews area, the rain can be a bit overblown - at least comparative to me living in the Gulf Coast (Houston, TX) and the type of rain we get here.  It never rains HARD, just typically steady drizzles.  But with good rain gear, it is playable weather.  It's the driest part of the country so the rain is not as bad as most expect.  We only had one round (Kingsbarns) where we had rain for the majority of the round - about 10 holes.  Other than that, we got a lot of sunshine and perfect weather.  You're going at a great time weather wise.

- Under pack and expect you'll fill up luggage with purchased items from various courses.  

- Bring a good pair of walking shoes that do well in wet conditions - seems obvious but maybe overlooked.  Ecco's are high on my recommendation (the Biom C4 would be top of that list).  The Ecco's will stay dry in any condition so you may just need that one pair.  Otherwise, you may need a few pairs in the case that one pair get wet. 

- Bring a pair (or two) of rain gloves.  I found myself using them even if it wasn't raining. 

- Waterproof hat wouldn't be a bad idea.

- If you intend on walking with the rentable push carts (we did a lot of that - usually $3-5), recommend bringing some bungy cords to help keep your bag secured.  Not absolutely needed but definitely helps. 

 

Last suggest is to don't try to stretch too much into one day.  Play golf, enjoy walking around the towns and chatting up with local people, having a few pints in a pub and take as much in.  I've heard that some people that push too much into one day feel rushed and it takes away from their experience.  Keep a good flow to the trip and allow yourself time for detours for unplanned events.  
 

[scott_Donald]

When at gleneagles make sure you have curry in the dormy house before or after. I stopped on way down and back and had the same curry both times last month. Kings is the best course there. The place is very very nice but expensive but worth it. 
 

old course is worth the wait, I am even going to play at Christmas time with mats - just an amazing experience.

 

st Andrews is a great town, all year everyone is happy and the place has a buzz about it.

 

everyone has their favourite courses and ones they are not a fans of; one thing links golf is amazing fun!

 

 

 

 

[sheppick.dan]

6 hours ago, sTmGolfer said:

I agree to get good rain gear.  A lot of the caddies are fond of Sunice rain gear.  You'll be there in June so my guess is you'll have days where you may wear 'summer attire' and could also end the round with layers and rain gear on.  Pack thin layers that can be easily stored.  Or plan to buy some in the pro shops (they have a lot of logo gear you may want to purchase).  

In the St Andrews area, the rain can be a bit overblown - at least comparative to me living in the Gulf Coast (Houston, TX) and the type of rain we get here.  It never rains HARD, just typically steady drizzles.  But with good rain gear, it is playable weather.  It's the driest part of the country so the rain is not as bad as most expect.  We only had one round (Kingsbarns) where we had rain for the majority of the round - about 10 holes.  Other than that, we got a lot of sunshine and perfect weather.  You're going at a great time weather wise.

- Under pack and expect you'll fill up luggage with purchased items from various courses.  

- Bring a good pair of walking shoes that do well in wet conditions - seems obvious but maybe overlooked.  Ecco's are high on my recommendation (the Biom C4 would be top of that list).  The Ecco's will stay dry in any condition so you may just need that one pair.  Otherwise, you may need a few pairs in the case that one pair get wet. 

- Bring a pair (or two) of rain gloves.  I found myself using them even if it wasn't raining. 

- Waterproof hat wouldn't be a bad idea.

- If you intend on walking with the rentable push carts (we did a lot of that - usually $3-5), recommend bringing some bungy cords to help keep your bag secured.  Not absolutely needed but definitely helps. 

 

Last suggest is to don't try to stretch too much into one day.  Play golf, enjoy walking around the towns and chatting up with local people, having a few pints in a pub and take as much in.  I've heard that some people that push too much into one day feel rushed and it takes away from their experience.  Keep a good flow to the trip and allow yourself time for detours for unplanned events.  
 

 

Thank you!

 

I plan on playing 1 round per day and the rest will be seeing the sights or relaxing. If I get on old course on Monday I will likely take tuesday off to recoup as we will be in paris the entire week before. 

[sheppick.dan]

26 minutes ago, scott_Donald said:

When at gleneagles make sure you have curry in the dormy house before or after. I stopped on way down and back and had the same curry both times last month. Kings is the best course there. The place is very very nice but expensive but worth it. 
 

old course is worth the wait, I am even going to play at Christmas time with mats - just an amazing experience.

 

st Andrews is a great town, all year everyone is happy and the place has a buzz about it.

 

everyone has their favourite courses and ones they are not a fans of; one thing links golf is amazing fun!

 

 

 

 

Is regular golf attire acceptable in most places prior to or after the round or do you need to take a change of clothing for after?

[sabram]

14 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

what would your pick be. Gleneagles kings course or Craig golfing society balconies links?

 

they finally got back to me. 

The Kings course at Gleneagles is a great and challenging  course: brawny, bold and beautiful. One of the best inland courses in Scotland. It is a must play, with the only downside being it is a further drive from St Andrews and more expensive than the Balcomie links at Crail. Balcomie is a very good, fun and quirky links. If you want to save a few bucks and stay in the neighborhood it is a good choice, but if you don't mind the drive and green fee, Kings is the right choice. Before or after your round consider visiting the Tullybardine distillery. It is a fun tour and tasting just a few minutes from Gleneagles.

Edited November 23, 2023 by sabram

[scott_Donald]

11 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

Is regular golf attire acceptable in most places prior to or after the round or do you need to take a change of clothing for after?

 

Both times when I went recently I was wearing smart shorts, Air force ones. The dormy house is the clubhouse for golf. The hotel would have a stricter dress code for dinner. Last time I had a Sunday lunch in the conservatory; I wore shoes, jeans and a shirt.

 

Gleneagles is much more than just golf so look into other things there... 

 

When in St Andrews make sure you book some of your dinners, they get booked out fast in the summer.

[DoubleorQuits]

Panmure is a great choice to pair with Carnoustie.  
 

Play the Kings course at Gleneagles.  
 

Kilspindie is super fun.  

[roboref]

Just a suggestion. I have been to Scotland/Ireland 4 times now. Always on my own. Some peak season and others on shoulder season. My 1st suggestion is to consider not playing so much. I know, I know. It is a trip of a lifetime, may only get to go once, etc. You will be walking 90% if not all of these courses. Consider physical ability to play that much golf. I play M,W, and F and walk and I would never consider more than 3 days in a row of golf. I can't tell you how many times I have encountered groups of golfers on golf tours, playing every day. By the 4th or 5th day, they all have blisters, exhausted and even injured. Plus my game goes in the toilet if I play more than 3 consecutive days. Take some time to see the historical sites, enjoy some pub food and enjoy the views. Scotland is magical and I am sure you will want to return.

[Golfnuck]

On 11/20/2023 at 11:20 AM, sheppick.dan said:

Thanks for the advice! They said because the open was there that it was too close to be open for play. I’m going to try anyways. 
 

I’ve got 2-3 days left open as of right now to try and walk onto the old course and if I don’t get on there go and play one of the other ones. 

 

If you do get on the Old Course and it conflicts with one of the other booked times talk to the staff at St. Andrews and they will work with the other courses to get you rebooked.

 

We were one of the lucky ones that got in on our 2nd draw.  It conflicted with Kingsbarn and the staff at St. Andrews quickly worked with the staff at Kingsbarn to get us rebooked.  We were prepared to walk away from our Kingbarn tee time to play the Old Course.

[sheppick.dan]

11 hours ago, Golfnuck said:

 

If you do get on the Old Course and it conflicts with one of the other booked times talk to the staff at St. Andrews and they will work with the other courses to get you rebooked.

 

We were one of the lucky ones that got in on our 2nd draw.  It conflicted with Kingsbarn and the staff at St. Andrews quickly worked with the staff at Kingsbarn to get us rebooked.  We were prepared to walk away from our Kingbarn tee time to play the Old Course.

That’s awesome! Thanks for the heads up. I’ve got a time at kingsbarns. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by sheppick.dan