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Now, everybody knows that Scotland is the home of golf and everybody knows about the role St. Andrews played in the history and development of the modern game of golf. For those that don’t know, here are the facts; the invention that Scotland gave to the game was the golf hole! And, St. Andrews was not one of the first golf courses Scotland had, but it was the first one to establish the number of holes at 18.

With these basic facts out of the way, let’s explore what else Scotland has to offer the golfer (unfortunately it is definitely not the weather!) If you are planning a Scotland golf vacations trip, then I would probably chance going in April / May or September / October. There is no guarantee of the weather in Scotland, but when they have a bad summer it is usually pretty bad. When that happens though, they usually have good weather in Spring or early Autumn.

For this article, I will be writing about the three Championship Courses on the East coast of Scotland, St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Muirfield.

St. Andrews

So, which golf courses should you play when you are on your Scotland golf vacations? I suppose most golfers will want to start at St. Andrews. There are six golf courses at St. Andrews which are all administered by the St. Andrews Links Trust. The courses are; The Old Course (1754), The New Course (1895), The Jubilee Course (1897), The Eden Course (1914), The Strathtyrum (1993), and TheBalgove Course (9 holes – reopened in 1993). There is a new course, The Castle Course, which opens in June 2008 and will make a grand total of 7 golf courses.

For those that want to play The Old Course, you will have to book way in advance. As an example, at the time of writing this article, February, The Old Course was fully booked until the end of the season. There is also a daily ballot for play the next day but it does not always guarantee a game. There is a handicap requirement of 24 for men and 36 for women and you must produce a valid handicap card or certificate.

The Open has been played 27 times at St. Andrews since the competition started in 1860. The last time was in 2005 which Tiger Woods won; it was the second time that he has won The Open at St. Andrews. 2005 also marked the end a great career for Jack Nicklaus who also won The Open at St. Andrews twice. For more information about playing golf at St. Andrews, visit http://www.standrews.org.uk/golf

Carnoustie

Another championship course which is just north of St. Andrews is Carnoustie. The Open has been held there 7 times, the last being in 2007. It is one of the ten oldest golf clubs in the World, founded in 1842, yet golf has been played at Carnoustie since the 15th Century. It is said that emigrants from Carnoustie played a major role in the foundation of professional golf in the US, Canada and Australia.

The earliest record of an established links dates back to 1527 when the local Earl gave permission to play "Gowf" on the Linksland. In the early 19th Century a short 10-hole course was laid out by Alan Robertson from St Andrews and was called the Taymouth Links. In 1842 local golfers founded The Carnoustie & Taymouth Golf Club and in 1867 Old Tom Morris from St Andrews was engaged to extend the course to 18 holes.

Carnoustie now has three fantastic golf courses, the most famous being the Championship Course where The Open is played. For more information visit the Carnoustie blog at http://www.carnoustiegolfclub.com/

Muirfield

While visiting Edinburgh and enjoying the sites and scenes of Europes most beautiful capital, don’t forget to visit Muirfield golf course. Just 30 minutes east of Edinburgh along the coast, you will find another of the historic golf courses Scotland has to offer.

Muirfield was established in 1891 by The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers who wrote the original 13 rules of golf. Their first club, which dates back to 1744, was at the 5 hole Leith Links which is now a suburb of Edinburgh. They then moved to Musselburgh in 1836 which was a 9 hole golf course and again, is situated just outside of Edinburgh. The Open was played at Musselburgh 6 times during the late 19th Century.

The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers made their final move in 1891 to Muirfield where they still administer the club. Muirfield is considered second to none by many golfers, amateurs and professionals, and is considered one of the finest links courses in the World.

The setting, besides the picturesque village of Gullane on the north facing coast of East Lothian, is spectacular. What makes this course so special is its layout; a clockwise outward half encases an anticlockwise inward nine, an arrangement that ensures that players have to make incessant adjustment for wind direction (and facing The North Sea as it does, wind is usually a factor).

If you enjoyed this article, you can find more golf articles at Online Golf Tips where you will find Golf Tips for Beginners and golf swing tips to improve your game.