Why Travel to the British Isles for Golf?

Jan 1

Why go golfing in Scotland, Ireland, England, or even Wales? Yes, it’s where the game first evolved hundreds of years ago, but what makes it so appealing to a North American or other visiting golfer? We believe the appeal can be summarized in one word – different. The game of golf in the British Isles is very different to what most people experience anywhere else in the world. That begs the question: how is it different?

Natural Settings in Stunning Locations

Golf evolved long before motorized grass-cutting machines, or even horse-drawn mowers, were invented, so it had to be played where nature allowed a ball to roll and be found, i.e. where there was naturally short grass and well-drained soil. Fortunately, nature provided the perfect place – the nutritionally poor, sandy terrain called links or machair on the west coast of Scotland. Such terrain had fine, natural grasses, kept short by plentiful rabbits and flocks of sheep, and even the heaviest rain showers can barely create a puddle because the sandy soil allows water to drain right through. The best bit is that such places are to be found where we humans most enjoy spending recreational time: at the seaside. So, these traditional golfing locations are accompanied by crashing waves, rolling dunes, fresh sea air, and views to die for. Classic examples of linksland are St Andrews and Leith (the port of Edinburgh, where golf was first recorded in the 1500s but is no longer played, and Dornoch, where the first record of the game is in the 1600s. But that’s not all, because linksland has an ideal, inland cousin: heathland. Heath is similarly well-drained, sandy terrain, where the poor quality of the soil also meant it wasn’t ploughed up for agriculture. Typically found in open countryside with similarly wide vistas and fresh, upland air, heathland is home to many of Britain’s finest inland courses such as Gleneagles, Sunningdale and Ganton. Another, famous example of such terrain is the sandbelt of Melbourne, Australia, home of Royal Melbourne and other iconic courses.

Fun

With many of the classic link courses being ‘laid out’ over the existing, natural landscape, rather than ‘built’ with modern machinery and enormous amounts of earth moving, there is great variety and quirkiness in courses of enormous character. Many holes would never be laid out in the same way today, so you won’t have an opportunity elsewhere to play such holes as Pit (the 13th at North Berwick), which has an old stone wall right across the front edge of the green, or the famous Alps (the 17th at Prestwick), where the blind approach shot has to clear a high dune (the eponymous alps) and a large bunker named “Sahara” to reach the green. But more than anything, the green complexes provide the greatest amount of enjoyment. The natural contours of the land provide many undulations on and around the putting surfaces, so that there are frequently several ways for getting a ball to the hole: in the air or along the ground, off one bank or around another. Many visitors notice that green speeds tend to be slower than in North America, but that’s a necessary consequence for keeping them playable and fun on such slopes and when the wind is often otherwise strong enough to move a stationary ball.

Accessible

The various rankings of the top 10 or so golf courses in the world frequently include Cypress Point, Pine Valley, Shinnecock Hills, Augusta National, National Golf Links, Pebble Beach and Oakmont in the United States, and Royal County Down, Muirfield, St Andrews (Old Course), Royal Dornoch, Turnberry (Ailsa course) and Royal Portrush in the British Isles. Only one of those U.S. courses is open to visitors and even then, only at enormous cost. In stark contrast, every one of the British courses welcomes visiting golfers with open arms. This accessibility percolates down through all British courses, of which many are world class, despite being less known. In short, if you’re looking for a trip filled with the very best courses in the world, the British Isles is the only place to achieve that.

Close Proximity of the Courses

The entire United Kingdom is about the same size as Michigan, and Ireland is roughly equal in area to Indiana. With all those renowned golf courses in such a comparatively small area, an itinerary can be achieved to take in a week or more full of legendary courses, and not waste anywhere close to a half day for any one journey. For example, half of the Scottish Open Championship courses – St Andrews, Carnoustie, Muirfield – are within a 2-hour stretch of road on the east coast, and the other half - Troon, Turnberry, and Prestwick (where it all started) – are with a 35-minute stretch of road on the west coast. Less than 2 hours separates Muirfield in the east from Prestwick and Troon in the west. Ireland is not dissimilar.

History

Golf has been played in Scotland for at least 600 years, and a number of the oldest clubs were founded in the 1700s. Most of the clubhouses are open to visiting golfers and many contain displays of antique clubs, balls, trophies, and artwork. There’s also the British Golf Museum in St Andrews, where you can see clubs from the 1600s, Seve’s shoes, and everything in between. But the non-golfing history is even more pervasive. All around you are relics of a millennium or more of human history. The remains of the castle where King Robert the Bruce was reputedly born can still be seen by the 10th tee at Turnberry. The sidewalks of St Andrews are inlaid with cobblestone crosses marking where martyrs of the Scottish reformation were burnt at the stake in the early 1500s. The medieval Dornoch Castle and Cathedral are just a couple of hundred yards from Royal Dornoch’s first tee. In short, there’s a feast for the historical eye everywhere you go in the British Isles.