 |
Golf in Fife |
St Andrews Golf Club, synonymous with the Home of Golf, is located in Fife, making this region the
main destination of golfers on a Scottish golf break. With 7 courses and the British Golf Museum,
one could spend a full week exploring the St Andrews course alone, though obtaining tee times on
the courses might prove as much of a challenge as the links themselves. St Andrews seven courses
include the New Course, which is itself over 100 years old, the Jubilee Course, the Eden Course, the
Strathtyrum Course, the Balgove Course, the Castle Course and the world famous Old Course, where
it is possible to guarantee tee times in the winter, summer golf breaks must be won through a ballot
system online.
Fife offers much more than St Andrews, however, so please read on for a 7-day itinerary for experiencing a top golf break in Fife, Scotland.
Stay in St Andrews, which offers accommodation from the 5-star Old Course Hotel which overlooks the
17th hole of the Old Course, to the 3-star Albany Hotel, which guarantees a round on the Old Course
with each booking, or one of the many (and more affordable) guest houses in the area.Day 1If you spend the morning over at St Andrews at the British Golf Museum, then the afternoon
would be perfect for Scotscraig, offering 18 holes of an intriguing mix of links and heathland just 15
minutes from the Old Course at St Andrews.
Explore the town of St Andrews, from the famous university, the St Andrews Castle, the St Andrews
Botanic Gardens, or take a guided walking tour, explore surprisingly chain-store-free shopping
experiences and test some of the best food and drink on offer in Scotland.Day 2Finish your golf break at Ladybank Golf Course in the west of Fife. This testing golf course is a
definite challenge and the perfect final showcase for your golf skills. Ladybank is one of Scotland's top inland courses, based just a short drive from St Andrews.
With its close proximity to St Andrews just across the Firth of Tay, drive the 13 miles to explore Dundee,
Scotland's 4th largest city, in afternoon on your second day. Explore the city's industrial history, visit the Dundee Contemporary Arts – which houses a cinema, two art galleries, a print studio and a cafe/bar, or check out the Mills Observatory, the only full-time public astronomical observatory in the UK.Day 3After warming up on Scotscraig and Ladybank, it is time to golf one of the finest courses in the
world – the Home of Golf itself, St Andrews. While you must apply on a ballot to golf the Old Course,
the New Course is first come first served, so head there in the early morning to secure yourself a day
out on one of the finest golf courses in the world.
With your afternoon still ahead of you, you could pop round to one of the many pubs near St Andrews,
or head ambitiously to Balbirnie Park Golf Club, which has played host to several PGA events and is a
good challenge for golfers of all abilities. Located in Markinch near Glenrothes, this club is just 20 miles
south of St Andrews, and offers 140 acres of woodland to play through for a lovely afternoon of golf.
Alternative Accommodation option: Kirkcaldy
While St Andrews serves as an excellent base for the entire golf break, why not head down to Kirkcaldy
at the end of Day 3 to play Fife's more southerly courses. Kirkcaldy's 1 mile long main street is home
each year to Links Market, Europe's longest street fair, boasts the Kirkcaldy Museum and Art Gallery,
and is a great base to explore the East Neuk villages while not out on the green.Day 4Situated in the heart of Fife, Lochgelly Golf Club is a parkland course considered by reputation
as a must-play course not only for its great layout, but also for its stunning views of Ochil and Lomond
Hills.Day 5Located at a 30 minutes drive from St Andrews, and only one hour from Edinburgh, Leven Links Golf Course is a breathtaking seaside course, perfect for a mid-week golf outing.Day 6The old fishing village of Crail offers the opportunity to tackle the Balcomie Links course of Crail
Golfing Society, an excellent holiday course and excellent afternoon after a morning exploring the
seaside town or the Crail Raceway for thrill seekers.Day 7After two days of spectacular scenery and sightseeing sprinkled in to your golf break in Fife,
head to Lundin Golf club in the village of Largoward for a real challenge on the Open Championship
qualifying course located less than 11 miles from Kirkcaldy, 15 miles from St Andrews.Golf PassFor golf breaks in Fife, the First in Fife Golf Pass offers three rounds for £59 or five from
£92 on twelve courses and this golf pass can be used on one long golf break or on several day trips
from April to October. The St Andrews Links Pass offers three or seven days of unlimited, consecutive
play on all courses excluding the Old Course, costing anywhere from £70 - £290.
|
|
|
