Golf in Scotland

As the 'Home of Golf', Scotland has always been guaranteed its fair share of visitors over the years, with the Americans in particular flocking in their droves to St Andrews and the other famous courses in the country which are used by the R&A to stage the Open Championship.

You can hardly blame them for that as these are courses steeped in history and provide visitors with the opportunity to discover exactly how the game was meant to be played over traditional links.

There's no better place to start, of course, on a visit to Scotland than St Andrews, known worldwide as the 'Home of Golf' and a magnet as far as golfing visitors are concerned. The Fife town simply reeks of golf, whether you are playing on one of the many fabulous courses there or walking through the streets among the students, whose numbers have, of course, included a certain Prince William recently.

Once you have paid one visit to St Andrews you'll want to go back time and time again and one thing for sure is that there's no danger of you running out of courses to play in the immediate area. Fife, after all, is a golfer's paradise. In addition to the six courses in St Andrews itself - No.7 is in the pipeline - the Duke's Course, designed by former Open champion Peter Thomson, St Andrews Bay, where there are two superb layouts, and the breathtaking Kingsbarns are all within close proximity of the town.

And, if you're prepared to drive just a little further, then you can take in more golfing gems such as Crail, Elie, Scotscraig, Ladybank, Lundin Links and Leven. Add in the likes of Balbirnie Park, Burntisland, Dunfermline and Aberdour, where the views over the River Forth to Edinburgh are quite stunning, then you can see why Fife is such a popular golfing destination. So, too, is East Lothian, where the most-famous course is undoubtedly Muirfield, scene of Ernie Els' Open Championship victory in 2002.

It sits on the edge of the village of Gullane, where there are three other splendid courses and others such as Luffness, North Berwick, Craigielaw, Dunbar, Longniddry, Whitekirk and Musselburgh all close by. Edinburgh, of course, has become famous all over the world for its annual Festival and if you fancy paying a visit some time then take your golf clubs as the Scottish capital boasts some gems in Duddingston, Dalmahoy, Royal Burgess and the Braids, the latter being a municipal course which offers stunning views across the city and to Fife beyond.

Down in the Borders both The Roxburghe and Cardrona are relatively new courses which are well worth a visit while over on the West coast you are spoilt for choice given that you can take your pick from the likes of Turnberry, Troon, Kilmarnock Barassie, Western Gailes, Glasgow Gailes, Irvine and, in Glasgow itself, Haggs Castle.

You'll no doubt be disappointed to discover that the general public can't get to play at the exclusive Loch Lomond Golf Club but you can get a game at the equally plush Gleneagles, which has three fabulous courses, including the PGA Centenary, which will host the 2014 Ryder Cup.

You'll definitely need to visit Scotland on more than one occasion to sample its full delight as a golfing destination as the likes of Southerness, Machrihanish, Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Royal Aberdeen, Blairgowrie, Downfield and, of course, Carnoustie are just a few of the other courses you should play. Add in the lesser-known hidden gems such as Cruden Bay, Boat of Garten and Edzell and you are in for a golfing experience which is hard to match anywhere else in the world.