Golf Tours

As Scotland is the ‘Home of Golf’ it is especially appropriate that the sport should play such an important role in the Homecoming 2009 celebrations.  Visitors will appreciate the huge choice of courses – more here per head of population than anywhere else in the world.  Then there is the way that everyone is united in their enthusiasm for the game – in Scotland it’s a very democratic pastime. Organising to play a round is also straightforward (and sometimes remarkably cheap). And, with a climate without extremes, it’s possible to play virtually year-round. Golf in Scotland is friendly, great value and widely available – and better than ever in 2009.

• Scotland’s claim as the ‘Home of Golf’ rests on several references to the sport in historical records dating as far back as the 15th century – for example, a law passed in the time of King James II in 1456 compelled the Scots to practise archery instead of golf.
• Records also exist showing King James IV bought expensive clubs in 1503 from a bow-maker in Perth, with other documents recording money changing hands as a result of his losing golf matches!
• Another indication that Scots took golf seriously is the record that, in 1637, a boy was hanged in Banff for stealing, among other items, two golf balls!
• The first golf club in the world was the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (now at Muirfield, East Lothian) which started in Leith in 1744, though this claim is disputed by the Royal Burgess golfers. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews dates from 1754. There are several other records of the 18th century founding of golf societies who still play today.
• With the expansion of Scotland’s rail network in the 19th century, plus the patronage of the well-to-do, golf rapidly expanded, especially in coastal golfing resorts such as Nairn, North Berwick, Dornoch and, of course, St Andrews.
• One sometimes overlooked but important factor in golf’s development was improvements to mowing machines in the very early 20th century. This allowed golf to be much less dependent on the naturally short turf to be found on coastal links. Alexander Shanks, born in the coastal town of Arbroath in 1801, is credited with patenting the first effective lawnmower.
• First British Open Championship took place at Prestwick on the Clyde coast in 1860. The 139th Open in 2009 is at Turnberry (16-19 July). Other Scottish venues for the Open include Carnoustie, St Andrews, Royal Troon and Muirfield.
• The Ryder Cup will be staged at Gleneagles on the PGA Centenary Course in 2014.
• There are now more than 550 courses in Scotland, the highest concentration of courses per head of population than anywhere else in the world.

74% of golf visitors to Scotland are from the ‘home market’ ie from the UK itself, with a further 12% from the USA.