Scotland’s Five Best Hidden Gems by Gordon Dalgleish ­— President, PerryGolf

The Open Championship courses are by default on everyone’s must play list on their first or second golf trip to . For the purposes of this posting, I am going to list a number of must play hidden gems which should be incorporated into your next golf trip to Scotland.

View a map of Scoland with all of the golf courses listed

Western Gailes - Located on the Ayrshire Coast of - Visitors to the highlands of Scotland are fascinated Scotland in the midst of a plethora of outstanding links with Royal which served as a training ground for venues sits Western Gailes which is rated by many visitors Donald Ross. As a result they often overlook the wonderful to Scotland as its finest ‘’unknown’’, and perhaps its most course at Tain which is a short distance way. Tain is, a Tom enjoyable. The course relies on natural defenses created Morris masterpiece that is a combination of seaside and by the sand dunes and wind. A traditional links layout that inland golf terrain that overlooks the Dornoch . plays in a loop with its toughest stretch along the banks of The undulating fairways are lined with gorse bushes which the dunes that generally plays into the prevailing wind. are difficult to avoid. Over the closing holes you must If you are still unconvinced I would invite you to watch the contend with the River Tain. video of the course... click here. Machrihanish - Located on the southern tip of the Mull North Berwick - Situated on the east coast of Scotland, of Kintyre between the and the Hebrides, this about a two hour drive south of St. Andrews sits the West exposed links course is one of the finest ‘’Hidden Gems’’ in Course at North Berwick which shares a similarity with it’s the British Isles. The more famous northern neighbor by virtue of the fact the links first tee requires your starts and finishes in the town. One of Scotland’s earliest drive to cross a corner golf clubs and correspondingly a very traditional links layout. of the Atlantic Ocean. The West Course requires unusual shotmaking, along with Has been in Top 100 blind shots and play over stone dykes. Features the par 3, Courses in the World 15th ‘Redan’ which is probably the most frequently copied since 2007. We invite short hole in the world. Entered into the Top 100 Courses in you to view a video of the World in the 2007 Rankings the course click here.

Crail - Located just a few miles along the coastline to the south of St. Andrews sits Balcomie Links at Crail Golfing Society. It is the seventh oldest club in the world and is located at the very eastern point in the golfing country of Fife. This pleasant links course has a beautiful setting perched high above the ocean, providing panoramic views 800.344.5257 of the North Sea. Several of the fairways wind alongside the [email protected] PerryGolf.com golden sandy bays and rocky outcrops of the shore.