Golf in Scotland
Scotland has excellent golfing. We have a long season, with links courses
available for play most of the year.
In the summer we enjoy daylight well into
the evening, making it possible to play a full round of golf after an early
dinner.
To make sure you enjoy your golf holiday it's best to know some of the local
etiquette and traditions. Most courses have fairly strict dress code and
electric buggies are still the exception rather than the norm. We've put
together some notes so you know what to expect.
When to play
What to wear
On the course
Carrying your clubs
Or consult our Frequently Asked Questions
The golfing season generally starts at the beginning of April and runs to
mid-October. Links courses may be played throughout most of the year.
The best weather is usually found in May and September, but Scotland has a
famously unreliable climate, so you need to be ready for all types of weather.
From mid May to end July it is not fully dark until 10pm at night, so your
golf does not always need to be played first thing in the morning.
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Our average summer temperatures range between 60-74F (15-23C) and sunshine can
not be guaranteed, so we recommend you bring warm outer clothing such as
a sweater or a jumper as well as golf waterproofs. It can often be windy on the
coastal courses, so a windproofed outer layer is worth keeping in your golf
bag.
All the clubs on our itineraries have dress codes, which will be enforced.
Jeans, T-shirts, trainers and collarless shirts should not be worn either on
the course or in the clubhouse. Greg Norman and Tiger Woods may be able to wear
collarless shirts in major competitions, but we don't recommend you try it!
Some of the more traditional clubs will insist that gentleman wear a jacket,
collar and tie in certain parts of the clubhouse - these clubs tend to have a
strong tradition and you should view this as part of the overall experience. We
will clearly identify on your itinerary if you require to bring a jacket and
tie to use any of the course clubhouses.
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All visitors are expected to be familiar with standard course etiquette and
play at a reasonable pace. Some of the courses on our itineraries employ
rangers to check on the progress of all players and help avoid slow play. They
may also ask visitors who do not treat the course with respect, or who do not
behave in an acceptable manner, to leave the course.
Where a course is long or a particular challenge play will tend to be around 4
hours. However many of the shorter courses will view this as a slow round
and would expect 18 holes to be played in closer to three hours.
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Pull trolleys are available at most clubs for a very modest fee, so you do not
need to bring one with you. If you want to go for the full experience, and get
advice as you play, caddies can be hired at most courses, but they do need to be
booked well in advance. Let us know if you would like us to arrange caddies for
you at any of the courses.
An increasing number of courses have electric buggies available for hire, by
the round or by the day, but walking is still the norm in Scotland. Some
courses simply will not allow electric buggies or will only permit them if you
have a medical certificate. If it is necessary for you to ride in a buggy,
please let us know at the time of your initial enquiry so we can ensure only
courses where this is possible are included in your tour.
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