The Open is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf and the only one contested outside the United States. Always played on a coastal ‘links’ course, there are now ten courses on the rota, five in Scotland. This unforgettable tour will take you to each of the five Open Venues in Scotland to experience for yourself the challenges faced by the world’s top golfers at the toughest major of them all. Along the way your guide will discuss other places of interest with you, exploring the glorious scenery and history of the surrounding area. There will be plenty of stops for refreshments, and ‘retail therapy – the choice is yours! Located 45 minutes’ East of Edinburgh, Muirfield is home of ‘The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers’, and a ‘men only’ club until March 2017. Having rejected the idea of women members in May 2016 and been briefly removed from the Open rota, the members re-considered their position and agreed to ‘welcome women to their waiting list’. Considered to be the fairest test of all the Open venues, there are fewer quirky bounces and hidden dangers than most links courses contain, though tall heather, blind shots and deep bunkers are still there to ‘punish’ bad shots. The challenge lies in the layout of the course. Most links courses run along the coast and then back again. Muirfield, is arranged as two loops of nine holes, one clockwise, one anticlockwise. This means every hole on the course has a different wind direction from the tee. No more than three consecutive holes follow the same direction at any stage. Perhaps because ‘luck’ is less of a factor here the list of winners here is impressive. The last 7 championships have been won by Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo (twice), Ernie Els and Phil Mickelson. You’ll return to Edinburgh tonight and spend another evening in the city. A chance to re-live the 300 yard drive at the 3rd, or the missed put at 17th, the Perhaps add in a trip to the Scotch Whisky Experience? For non-golfers From museums and galleries to atmospheric walks through the cobbled medieval streets under the magnificent backdrop of the castle, smart shops, coffee shops, restaurants and bars, Edinburgh has something to suit everyone. If you want to travel further afield, perhaps to the pretty town of South Queensferry or visit ‘The Kelpies’ and The Falkirk Wheel your guide can plan a day to suit. South of Glasgow the Ayrshire Coast is home to over 50 golf courses and two of the most picturesque courses on The Open rota – Royal Troon and Turnberry Located in North Ayrshire Royal Troon is a true seaside links test and home to the shortest the longest and arguably the hardest holes in the Open championship. Measuring just 123 yards with views towards Ailsa Craig, the 8th hole ‘The Postage Stamp’ is beautiful to look at but considered one of the toughest and most iconic par 3 holes in the world. The tiny green (hence the name) is surrounded by bunkers with near vertical faces, so any mistake can lead to catastrophe! Greats such as Tiger woods have run up big scores here (in his case a triple bogey 6) to see their chances of claiming the championship fade away. Two holes earlier, the par-5 6th ‘Turnberry’ extends to a lengthy 601 yards, a stern challenge for amateur golfers but less so nowadays for the long hitting pros. The 11th hole ‘The Railway’ runs parallel to railway and is surrounded by gorse. The tee shot is blind and even if you don’t find trouble you are required a play a long 2nd shot to a small green that falls away, with nearby out of bounds! Jack Nicklaus took a 10 here when he was the current US Open champion in 1962. Having hosted The Open nine times, winners here have included Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson and most recently Henrik Stenson. After a challenging day, with tales to tell about your exploits at ‘The Postage Stamp’ or losing your ball in the gorse, you will enjoy a relaxing night at your Ayrshire hotel. For non-golfers The coastal towns of Troon, Prestwick and Ayr are all worth exploring with a good selection of shops, restaurants and coffee shops. If you want to explore further afield the magnificent Culzean Castle south of Ayr and the stunning Dumfries House are both worth visiting and your guide can arrange visits to both. If Scottish culture is of interest The Robert Burns Birthplace Museum in Ayr is a must. Further down the Ayrshire coast lies Turnberry, famous for its stunning views and breath-taking scenery. The ninth hole ‘Lighthouse’ is one of the most photographed in the world. Unlike many classic links, the sea is visible from every part of the course, nearly half the holes are right on the shoreline. Host of four open championships to date, The Ailsa Course at Turnberry has been the venue for two of the most exciting and memorable in its history – both involving golfing legend Tom Watson. First played there in the sweltering summer of 1977 that championship became known as ‘The Dual in the sun’, a battle between the two greatest players of the time Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Matching each other’s score all the way from day one to the final round and leaving the rest of the field in their wake, with temperatures soaring Tom Watson finally prevailed by one shot. They left the green arm in arm, one of the most iconic images in the golfing history. 32 years later in 2009, at the age of 59, Tom Watson once again provided the story. 26 years after his last Open victory in 1983 he nearly won again. At the last hole, the ‘Golfing Gods’ decided against it though and he ultimately finished second. You’ll return to your Ayrshire hotel again this evening, perhaps having had your own ‘Duel in the Sun’, perhaps enjoy a glass of claret at the bar? Heading into to ‘the Kingdom of Fife’ you’ll soon discover golf here is a ‘way of life’ with courses scattered all over the region. Two or the most iconic Open courses are located here, arguably the toughest challenge of them all Carnoustie and the ‘Home of Golf’ St. Andrews. Located on the Angus Coast, Carnoustie is considered one of the toughest courses on the open rota, particularly if the wind blows. Dubbed by some as ‘Carnasty’, the closing three holes in particular ‘Barry Burn’, ‘Island’ and ‘Home’ have served up their share of open Drama. No Open will ever forget the unravelling of Frenchman Jean Van De Velde at the 1999 Championship. 3 shots ahead playing the last hole, he hit one bad shot after another, at one point standing in the famous Barry Burn with his shoes and socks off, contemplating playing from the water, before common sense prevailed. He eventually managed a triple bogey 7 and lost in a play-off to unlikely winner, Scotland’s own Paul Lawrie. At 7,421 yards, it is the longest of any of the Open venues and the strategically positioned bunkers will capture anything which is less than a top-quality shot. Former R&A secretary Sir Michael Bonallack, commented during his tenure that “When the wind is blowing, it is the toughest golf course in Britain. And when it’s not blowing, it’s probably still the toughest.” Perhaps Carnoustie’s greatest claim to fame is that the 1953 Open was the only one legend Ben Hogan ever played (and won). The 6th hole ‘long’ was officially renamed ‘Hogan’s Alley’ in 2003 in his honour. For non-golfers There is plenty to see and do in Fife and the surrounding area. The Ancient town of St.Andrews is a must for golfers and non-golfers alike with. Stroll in the University grounds, explore the castle ruins, visit the botanic gardens or just enjoy coffee and cake and a browse of the many speciality shops and galleries. If you want to venture further afield the pretty coastal fishing villages in the ‘East Nuek’ are well worth exploring or perhaps a trip to Dundee - a city on the up may appeal. The RRS Discovery which carried Captain Scott on his first expedition across the Antarctic is moored there and the new V&A design museum is due to open in the summer of 2018. Once again you can discuss a plan with your guide. The Old Course, St. Andrews, the most famous course of them all, where every golfer in the world dreams of playing. Unfortunately as everyone wants to play the only way to ensure everyone has the same chance is to enter a ballot. The ballot closes at 2pm two days before you hope to play and you can enter online or by phone so if you are keen to play make sure you enter in good time. If you are unsuccessful you may wish to check in at the Old Pavilion on the day of play and the staff will do their best to join you with a two or three-ball group playing the Old Course. You will have to be up very early for this though and there are no guarantees. Having hosted the open more often than anywhere else the course is surrounded by history. The iconic Swilcan Bridge which stands on the 18th fairway has welcomed every champion as they take the ‘best walk in golf’ before sinking the winning put, and greats of the game, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson all bid their final Open fairwell from the bridge.