Golf in Scotland, the Official Publication
A Review of Visit Scotland’s Guide to All Scotland’s Golf Courses
May 18, 2009
The Official Guide to Golf in Scotland is an annual publication from Scotland’s National Tourism Body, Visit Scotland, whose corporate slogan is: “Live it. Visit Scotland.” The guide is released every year, but is annually updated while retaining the same helpful format and layout.
Introduction and Articles
The guide is more than just a simple list of golf courses, addresses and contacts. The 2009 edition, being Scotland’s Year of Homecoming, features an introduction and welcome by the 2002 Ryder Cup captain, Sam Torrance, himself Visit Scotland’s official ‘Golf Ambassador.’ Amongst other articles there are features on the Birth of Golf, a Countdown to the Ryder Cup 2014 at Gleneagles, an A to Z with Sam (Torrance), and the sport of Golf as part of the Homecoming celebrations.
Visiting Scotland to Play Golf
There are, as is only to be expected for a visitor publication, promotions for golf passes, special schemes for hotels and other accommodation under the ‘Golfers Welcome’ umbrella, locations of practice facilities and relevant and helpful travel information. This is a magazine but not one that’s weighted down by unnecessary advertising. There are ads of course, full page and listings, but Visit Scotland seems to have struck the balance in favour of the golfer or the casual reader.
Details of Courses
Content. This is where the visiting and resident golfer alike will find the guide most useful and interesting. For the purposes of listing, the country has been divided up into the following areas.
- South West.
- Highlands and Islands.
- North East.
- Historic Heartlands.
- South East.
- Central.
Each area is colour coded both on an accompanying map and in the colours reflected in the key to the divisions throughout the booklet.
Details by Area
The information on all the courses in each area is comprehensive yet fairly simple. Each section starts with a short introduction, a map of the area, and a numbered index of the location of all the courses in that area. The courses themselves are arranged alphabetically in the guide with the following information listed for each course.
- Address and contact details; email and website.
- Map reference by number
- Type of course
- Number of holes, length in yards, and par/SSS
- Cost of a weekday & weekend rounds.
- Location and a key to facilities.
In most cases this information is complete but there are a number of POA listings for some of the more exclusive courses like Loch Lomond or Gleneagles, and some N/A listings where the courses are presumably reserved for members.
Accommodation, Listings and Index
At the end of each section there are a few accommodation listings for stays relevant to that area, and at the end thankfully, an A to Z listing of all the golf courses in Scotland, as well as a list of all the accommodation and tour operators featured.
The Official Guide to Golf in Scotland does what it says on the front cover. It’s a comprehensive guide to all the golf courses in Scotland without fear or favour, and it leaves the golfer to find their own favourites. As a publication from Visit Scotland it unashamedly promotes Scotland as ‘the Home of Golf,’ and the guide perhaps to help golfers find their way home.
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