Some great events and interesting courses to try in October
Free entry to European Tour event plus play Royal Dornoch for half price & a free meal!
Lots happening in October, it really is a great month to come to Scotland. Not only will you save money on travel and accommodation costs, but some golf courses have started to reduce their green fees as well – you may need an extra layer of clothes though!
Here are a handful of events that we have picked out for October:
Dumfries & Galloway
The Wigtown Book Festival (22 Sep – 1 October 2017)
www.wigtownbookfestival.com
Wigtown is a traditional market town, set in the beautiful countryside of Dumfries & Galloway. It is also Scotland’s National Book Town. There are only a few days left of this year’s festival but taking part this week are Chris Brookmyre, Judy Murray, Roy Hattersley, Martin Bell, Gavin Esler, Jeremy Bowen and Mairi Hedderwick
Golf courses to play, if you are in the area, are: Wigtownshire County GC (M-F £32/$43/€37), possibly one of the flatter courses you will play. On the following courses at PortPartrick Golf Club (after 230pm £30/$40/€34) & Stranraer Golf Club (from 16 Oct £20/$26/€23) you will have some fantastic views.
Central
The Enchanted Forest, Pitlochry (28 September – 29 October 2017)
www.enchantedforest.org.uk
As this show is in the evening, you won’t be missing out on any golf. The Enchanted Forest is renowned for being Scotland’s premier sound and light experience and attracted over 70,000 visitors in 2016. Tickets are selling fast and with less that 1,000 tickets available, the event will be sold out soon.
The Enchanted Forest team won the ‘Best Cultural Event in the UK’ at the UK Event Awards in London in December 2016.
If you decide to stay in or around Pitlochry for this event, then the golf courses to play in the area are Pitlochry GC – if you can play on a Wednesday its only £15/$20/€17 otherwise its £30/$40/€34 – it’s a short but challenging 18 hole course. It’s hilly but that means you will have some great views. Along the road, you will be equally delighted with a different challenge at the excellent 9 hole course at Blair Atholl Golf Club (£24/$32/€28 for 18 holes).
Fife & Angus
The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (5-8 October 2017) 
alfreddunhilllinks.com
You may want to plan your trip around the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship that runs from 5 – 8 October this year. This European Tour event is played over St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie. Entry is free on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday but there is a £20 fee on the final day (Sunday) at St Andrews.
There are too many golf courses to mention them all in one post, but if you’re staying near Kingsbarns then you must try and play Balcomie Links at Crail where the weekend green fee reduces from £85 to £47/$63/€54. Further around the coast you will find the excellent links course at Elie – green fees are currently w/d £77 & w/e £88 but these reduce to w/d £45/$60/€51 & w/e £48/$65/€55 from 16 October.
If you’re near St.Andrews or Dundee then Scotscraig Golf Club (after 1:30pm £45/$60/€51) , Downfield Golf Club (£45/$60/€51), Monifieth Golf Links (£60/$80/€69) & Panmure Golf Club (from 15 Oct – £60/$80/€69) have to be on the bucket list.
If you are staying north of Carnoustie then book Arbroath Golf Course where you will get a round of golf, soup and sandwich for £20/$26/€23. Moving a little further north, the medal course at Montrose Golf Links £50/$67/€57 won’t disappoint.
Fort William/Lochaber
The Royal National Mòd (13-21 October 2017)
http://www.ancomunn.co.uk/nationalmod
Famous for celebrating our Gaelic linguistic and cultural heritage, Scotland’s premier Gaelic festival provides opportunities for people of all ages to perform across a range of competitive disciplines including Gaelic music and song, highland dancing, instrumental, drama, sport and literature.
If you are attending Royal National Mòd then why not get along to Fort William Golf Club (£30/$40/€34) – it is an 18 hole course nestled at the foot of Ben Nevis (Britain’s highest mountain). The Course measures 6217 yards off the white tees, 5464 yards off the yellow tees and 4850 yards off the Ladies tees.
Dornoch
The Dornoch Whisky Festival (27-30 October 2017)
https://www.dornochwhiskyfestival.com
Now in its 3rd year, The Dornoch Whisky Festival is an opportunity to learn about and savour malt whiskies in the beautiful location of Dornoch in the North Highlands of Scotland. A festival programme can be view on their website above.
An opportunity, not to be missed, is that you have the chance to play Royal Dornoch on Sunday 30 Oct for half price. Royal Dornoch needs little introduction but it is without a doubt one of Scotland’s finest courses.
The normal rate in October is listed as £130 but for the Stableford Competition, as part of the Dornoch Whisky Festival, the fee has been reduced to £65 plus a coffee and bacon roll before the round, a course planner, souvenir bag tag and a whisky miniature with a one-course meal after the golf – the event is open to both men and women who have an official CoNGU handicap – now that’s a great deal but book soon!
Three other courses to play in the area are: Brora Golf Club, Golspie Golf Club and Tain Golf Club.
Tain Golf Club state on their website that if you play on a Tuesday or a Thursday after 2pm the green fee reduces to £25/€29/$34 – this will give you just enough daylight to get round throughout October.
