The best golf courses on Scotland’s NC500 – including the ‘mini Gleneagles’

SCOTLAND’s North Coast 500 is a thing of beauty.

The picturesque route has been crowned the UK’s best road trip – and ranked in the top FIVE in the world.

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Pretty much anywhere you look along the 516-mile there is simply stunning scenery.

And, a number of varied, fun and interesting golf courses to choose from.

In addition to being home to the NC500, Scotland is known as the Home of Golf thanks to St Andrews.

Alongside the Old Course, this country is spoiled for choice when it comes to places to play golf.

From value-for-money hidden gems to prestigious current and former Open venues such as Trump Turnberry, Muirfield and Prestwick – and this year’s host, Royal Troon – there is something for everyone.

And that includes those keen to explore Scotland’s most famous stretch of road, with 20 to choose from along the way.

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The NC500 is home to a range of courses that will excite and test any golfer, from world-renowned championship courses to superb nine-hole stop-offs.

We’ve excluded one venue on the grounds of its ultra-exclusivity – Skibo Castle.

If anyone reading this has played it, drop me an email… Heck, if anyone reading this even KNOWS someone who has played Skibo, then lucky you.

Anyway, here are our top picks for places to play on Scotland’s answer to Route 66.

Kings Golf Club

Type: Moorland | Length: 6612 yards, Par 70 | Price: £30-£85

Starting our ‘Golf Coast 500’ route in the capital of the Highlands, Inverness, brings us to the newest course in the city.

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The term new when it comes to golf in Scotland is all relative, given that the ‘New Course’ at St Andrews was designed in 1895. But Kings was opened just five years ago in 2019.

Kings Golf Club was laid out over ground that was originally Torvean Golf Club, with a new club hose built and the routing changed to turn it into a championship-calibre test, complete with a large pond to navigate on the final hole.

Ryder Cup hero Bernard Gallacher – dad to former Sky Sports presenter Kirsty – said of the new course: “The newly opened King’s Course in Inverness, designed by up and coming Scottish golf architect Stuart Rennie, is a superb addition to the other fine courses in the Highlands of Scotland. I believe it has the potential to host championships in the near future.”

Kings is ranked number 73 on Top100GolfCourses.com and was included the 100 Golf Courses in Scotland and in the Top 100 under £65 in Great Britain and Ireland by Golf World. It’s a hilly course and from the 12th hole the views overlooking Inverness and down the Moray Firth are particularly impressive.

If you have extra time in Inverness (and extra cash in your wallet) then east of the city is the awe-inspiring Cabot Highlands, where a second course is due to open alongside the former Scottish Open track, Castle Stuart.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club

Type: Links | Length: 5893 yards yards, Par 71 | Price: £30-£105

Heading in an anti-clockwise direction we reach the charming town of Fortrose and its unique golf course.

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This may be the only place in Scotland where you could spot a dolphin during your round. Chanonry Point lies in between Fortrose and Rosemarkie and it’s one of the one of the best places in the UK to view bottlenose dolphins.

The golf club itself lays claim to being the 15th oldest in the world (est. 1793), which makes the vistas over the beach, with the lighthouse towering above, even more memorable. The original course was only six holes long and it wasn’t until 1924 that it was extended to 18 holes (in between, play was suspended during the First World War when the clubhouse was used by the Highland Cyclist Battalion).

Along with the rich history is an utterly unique golf course. It isn’t long but it’s challenging due to its small greens, sprawling gorse bushes and exposure to the wind.

Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club has a number of accolades to its name including Best Golf Course/Venue Under £100 at the Scottish Golf Tourism Awards and a place in the top 30 of Today’s Golfer’s Favourite ‘Fun’ Golf Courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Bear in mind that the quickest route from Inverness to Fortrose is over the Kessock Bridge but if you’re doing the North Coast 500 in full, you’ll head through Beauly and Muir of Ord first (the latter of which is, incidentally, home to another fine golf course).

Bonar Bridge Golf Club

Type: Moorland | Length: 2581 yards yards, Par 34 | Price: £15

Just a pitch and putt away from an illustrious neighbour lies this nine-hole gem dubbed the “mini Gleneagles”.

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It was legendary golf commentator Peter Alliss who coined that term for Bonar Bridge thanks to a blend of tree and gorse-lined fairways and spectacular hills in it sits in amongst.

The colourful purple heather on the course provides a striking contrast to the imposing emerald hillsides surrounding it and when it comes to your round, the highlight is the par three third, with views down to Loch Migdale.

Small greens add to the challenge and these nine holes make for the perfect warm-up for a round at one of Scotland’s most revered golf destinations.

Royal Dornoch

Type: Links | Length: 6626 yards yards, Par 70 | Price: £155-£280

Royal Dornoch has been described in many different ways.

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Majestic. Spellbinding. Fascinating.

And, the second best golf course in the WORLD.

Beating out the likes of St Andrews and Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch captures the imagination with its distinctive plateau greens and mesmerising sea views.

It was Old Tom Morris who laid out the original course before it was updated by John H. Taylor and George Duncan but its history is perhaps most closely associated with Donald Ross, who was the head greenkeeper and head pro before moving to American and designing world famous US Open venue Pinhehurst No.2. Recent changes by leading golf architect firm MacKenzie & Ebert only enhanced Dornoch’s majesty.

The course starts with a relatively gentle par four before a tricky par three, and at the third the golfer is hit by an utterly magnificent view from the tee. From there it’s time to embrace what is an immensely fun but testing championship-style layout.

The fairways are wide enough but the wind will try its best to steer you into bright yellow gorse bushes and the elevated greens are protected by some devilish bunkers and the natural undulations will have you second-guessing yourself on more than one occasion.

Golf at Royal Dornoch really is unlike anywhere else in the world. The legendary Tom Watson is an honorary member and he described it as “the most fun I’ve ever had on a golf course”.

This remote place is regarded as a pilgrimage for all keen golfers. If you’re on the NC500, you quite simply cannot miss it out.

Golspie Golf Club

Type: Heathland, Links, Parkland | Length: 6021 yards yards, Par 70 | Price: £55-£100

Golspie is an eclectic experience. It’s a mixture of styles, with some holes running alongside the sea and others feeling more parkland in nature.

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The opening two holes play next to a field along a stone wall but from the third through the sixth, you’re have uninterrupted views of the North Sea.

From hole seven things turn inland and things turn into more of a parkland-heathland type of challenge, with a pond at the par three 10th waiting to swallow up any short shots as trees take on a more prominent role amid several elevation changes.

Golspie will charm you as much as it challenges you along the way through its varied layout.

It’s also the nearest course to the magnificent Dunrobin Castle, a key stop-off point on any trip on the North Coast 500.

Brora Golf Club

Type: Links | Length: 6211 yards yards, Par 70 | Price: £50-£140

If you turn up at Brora without having done your research, you could be in for a shock when you see that the greens are surrounded by electric fences

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That’s because it’s not uncommon to spot some sheep out grazing on the property and if you’re lucky you might also spot a fluffy Highland cow!

But while they are free to roam along the fairways and the rough, the greens wouldn’t stand a chance against their not-so-subtle hooves.

Brora is just a ten minute drive north from Golspie and makes amazing use of the same rugged coastline.

Brora’s remote setting means it’s one of the least well-known of Scotland’s classic links courses but this is as vintage as they come.

A traditional out and back layout with all nine holes of the front half hugging the coast, there are no sand dunes to obstruct your views out to the sea. Even on the way in the generally flat setting means you can still catch a glimpse of the water (which may or may not have claimed a ball).

The 13th hole is definitely unlucky for some. Named Snake, this short par three has a burn that slithers in front of the green to protect it and snatch any stray golf balls. And it’s here where you could be hitting your tee shot over the sheep that graze on the boggy marshland in between.

Reay Golf Club

Type: Links | Length: 5,854 yards yards, Par 69 | Price: £50

Designed by James Braid, a five-time Open champion and inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame with over 200 courses bearing his name including Gleneagles and Carnoustie, this is his most northerly piece of work.

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Perched on the edge of Sandside Bay, it’s also the most northerly 18-hole links course on the British mainland but is well worth the trip.

Reay often features on lists of best golf courses on a budget, and at £50 this summer it’s a relative bargain. For that £50 you’ll have views of the Pentland Firth and North Atlantic from every hole on the course and a round that will have you extracting every ounce of your shot-making ability as you navigate the humps and bumps on the fairways to the manicured oval greens.

Donald Steel knows a thing or two about designing golf courses, having lent his name to the Machrie, Royal St George’s and the Strathtyrum Course at St Andrews. He is quoted as saying of Reay, “In a different location, it would enjoy worldwide acclaim.”

But it’s precisely because of its location that we love it.

Durness Golf Club

Type: Links (9) | Length: 2,777 (5,555) yards, Par 35/70 | Price: £30

Durness is as rugged and wild as the setting it inhabits.

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A fitting feature on our hidden gems of Scotland list, Durness can lay claim for being the best nine-hole golf course in the UK, let alone Scotland.

Situated close to Cape Wrath, this is perhaps the most remote setting for golf on the British mainland.

Despite being only nine holes there are two sets of tees to vary of the round and give you a chance to feel like you’re playing a full 18.

The jaw-dropping finale keeps best until last, with a tee shot across Balnakeil Bay.

This is a must-play for any golf enthusiast who happens to be on the North Coast 500 and was recently ranked ninth in Today’s Golfer’s list of best courses in Great Britain & Ireland for under £40.

Gairloch Golf Club

Type: Links (9) | Length: 2,224 (4,448) yards, Par 31/62 | Price: £15-£20

Similar to Durness, this delightful nine-hole offering is an ideal pit stop for a keen golfer on the NC500.

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A round here will leave you plenty of money left over for some scran in the on-site Links Cafe and as a reward for teeing it up here you’ll be treated to the breathtaking views of the Torridon Mountains and across to the Isle of Skye.

Like Durness there are two sets of tees to give the feeling of playing 18 holes but there is perhaps a greater variety of holes here, with some parts of the course feeling more heathland in nature with trees and elevation changes.

Gairloch isn’t long as six of the holes are par threes but the lone par five on the course, Traigh Mor, requires quite the whack and encourages players to give it a right go with the driver and even the more skilled will find it hard to reach in two.

It’s also the lone course on the west of the Highlands on our ‘Golf Coast 500’ route so be sure to soak up every moment of the stirring journey.

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The other golf courses on the North Coast 500 are:

• Invergordon Golf Club
• Inverness Golf Club
• Gairloch Golf Club
• Lochcarron Golf Club
• Lybster Golf Club
• Muir of Ord Golf Club
• Portmahomack (Tarbat) Golf Club
• Strathpeffer Spa Golf Club
• Tain Golf Club
• Thurso Golf Club
• Ullapool Golf Club
• Wick Golf Club

And, if you start or finish your trip in Inverness then don’t forget that just outside of the Highlands capital is Cabot Highlands, home to Castle Stuart Golf Links and the soon-to-be-opened Old Petty Golf Course.

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