Staging The Open Championship in Carnoustie in 2018 showcased not only the best golfers on the planet, but also this wonderful golfing terrain on the east coast of Scotland. Carnoustie Country, the coastal area around Dundee, with a population of 150.000. Scotland’s 4th biggest city, calls itself proudly “Scotland’s most exciting golf destination” with a lot to offer to golfers.
The classical links courses of Panmure (the 6th hole pictured at the top), Montrose or Monifieth should be on the bucket list of any serious golfer. The classical inland courses of Forfar or Edzell offer a welcome variety and should not be missed.
In total 34 courses in Carnoustie Country welcome visitors with typical Scottish hospitality. Many of theses courses look back at a long history and were designed by legendary golf course architects like Old Tom Morris, Willie Park Jr and James Braid.
In the footsteps of Tom Watson
At the links course of Monifieth you can follow the footsteps of American five time Open winner, Tom Watson, who played the famous links a week before his first win at Carnoustie, his first round on such a traditional seaside course and he immediately fell in love with Scottish golf.
The Monifieth Golf Club was founded in 1858 and is the 5th oldest in the world. The traditional heathland course of Forfar was designed by Old Tom Morris in 1871. It is the 4th oldest 18 hole course and was the first 18 hole course by inception and inauguration in the world.
The course underwent a redesign in 1926 by James Braid. However 13 of the original 1871 greens and holes are in the same, if not very similar locations today. There are hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs for every budget and at Carnoustie Golf Resort & Spa you virtually stay on famous links land.
Great also for casual golfers
Casual golfers, higher handicaps and tourists who just want to have fun or play with the whole family will find the right playground in Carnoustie Country. There are a lot of nine hole courses which can be play played in less than two hours.
That leaves plenty of time for excursions and to experience wonderful beaches, old castles, scenic fishing village or picturesque glens of Carnoustie Country. Dundee with its great location on the estuary mouth of River Tay offers great shopping, pubs, bars and a great variety of top notch restaurants, family diners, not to forget the typical Scottish fast food outlets “fish’n chips”.
Many eateries serve typical local dishes like world renowned Arbroath Smokies, a whole wood-smoked haddock with the backbone still intact. They are still produced in small family smokehouses in the east coast fishing town of Arbroath. The outside of the fish having a coppery, brown colour with the flesh being creamy with a luscious, savoury flavour.
Carnoustie Country is a 90 minute drive from Edinburgh Airport or from Aberdeen Airport. Glasgow Airport is about two hours away. St. Andrews, the “Home of Golf”, can be easily reached via the Tay bridge in about 35 minutes.
On the way to St. Andrews you virtually pass Scotscraig, one of the best and toughest links courses in Scotland. For many years it served as one of the qualifying courses for The Open Championship in St. Andrews.
Read more: Carnoustie Country
