It would be safe to say winter has arrived!  We’ve had snow, frost, rain, Black Friday has been and gone, Cyber Monday went in a flash and it’s December tomorrow!

Next thing on the ‘to do’ list is Christmas Shopping!

So you’ve put together your wish list of what you’d like for Christmas from your pro’s shop but there is always the issue of what to get the golfing partner/wife/husband/brother/sister/mother/father in your life?

Well, one popular idea is to send them off on a short golf trip at the start of 2018 – better still, you could go with them!

Up to 70% discount off Scottish Green Fees – you won’t find that on Amazon!

If you’re prepared to play before the start of the warmer months (April/May) then you’ll beat most Black Friday or Cyber Monday discount deals, that’s for sure!

I’ve listed some links/coastal courses that are likely to be in better condition in the first quarter of 2018 than most of the inland /parkland courses.

All these courses are offering big discounts for playing in the first three months of next year, making them an ideal golfing Christmas gift.

Please read through our ‘Winter Golf Checklist’ before booking.

Highlands

Brora Golf Club
www.broragolfclub.co.uk

The scenery & seabird life on this links course will do its utmost to distract you from concentrating on your golf! This beautiful course hugs the North Sea coastline on the front 9, so wrap up well when the wind blows!

Winter green fee – £40 from now until 31 March 2018
(40%+ discount off April’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £68 from 1 April 2018

Golspie Golf Club
www.golspiegolfclub.co.uk

Golf has been play here for over 125 years! The course is a mix of links and parkland/heathland and will test your golfing strategy.

Winter green fee – £20 from now until 31 March 2018
(66% discount off April’s standard green fee)   

Standard green fee – £60 from 1 April 2018

Tain Golf Club
www.tain-golfclub.co.uk

Tain is another course with over 125 years of golfing history behind it.  However, it is somewhat over shadowed by its illustrious neighbour, Royal Dornoch. This 6,400-yard course is a mix of links and heathland and is a ‘must play’ if you are in the area.

Winter green fee – £22 from now until 31 March 2018
(63% discount off June’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £45 from 1 April – 31 May 2018
Standard green fee – £60 from 1 June 2018

Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club
www.fortrosegolfclub.co.uk

Fortrose and Rosemarkie Golf Club sits on a peninsula called Chanonry Point on the Moray Firth, diagonally across the water from Castle Stuart Golf Links. The course isn’t long but what it lacks in length, it makes up for in the bunkering, gorse, small greens and the Moray Firth looming on many holes – a great challenge!

Winter green fee – £25 from now until 9 March 2018
(54% discount off the 10th March standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £55 from 10 March 2018

Nairn Golf Club
www.nairngolfclub.co.uk

This is a true championship links course and it has held numerous national and international championships over the years. The undulating fairways are guarded by plenty of gorse and heather, so accuracy will win over length. Views of the Moray Firth, on all the holes, make this former Walker Cup course one of the most scenic in the Highlands.

Winter green fee – £50 from now until 31 March 2018
(66% discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £100 from 1 – 30 April 2018
Standard green fee – £150 from 1 May 2018

Nairn Dunbar Golf Club
www.nairndunbar.com

Sitting towards the east side of Nairn, you will find this challenging 6,700+ yard, par 72 course a lot of fun to play. It has held a number of national championships and it will host many more in the future, on account of a lot of work going into the course in recent years.

Winter green fee – £25 from now until 31 March 2018
(70%+ discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £65 from 1 – 30 April 2018
Standard green fee – £85 from 1 May 2018

North East

Moray Golf Club – Old
www.moraygolf.co.uk

In terms of hidden gems in Scotland, the Old Course at Moray Golf Club must be close to the top of the list. Many golfers visiting the area simply aim for Royal Dornoch, Castle Stuart & Nairn. What they don’t realise is that they are missing out of some of the best ‘value for money’ golf on excellent courses, stretching from Nairn to Fraserburgh – the Old Course links at Moray Golf Club is no exception.

Winter green fee – £30 from now until 31 March 2018
(70% discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £70 from 1 – 30 April 2018
Standard green fee – £100 from 1 May 2018

Moray Golf Club – New
www.moraygolf.co.uk

I haven’t played the New Course however it does share the same highly regarded turf and terrain as the Old Course, as they sit side by side. The greens are smaller, less bunkering and 700 yards shorter than the Old Course. Sounds ideal for playing 36 holes on the Old & the New in the same day!

Winter green fee – £15 from now until 31 March 2018
(70% discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £30 from 1 – 30 April 2018
Standard green fee – £50 from 1 May 2018

Peterhead Golf Club
www.peterheadgolfclub.co.uk

As you arrive at Peterhead Golf Club, you’ll be forgiven if you thought your SatNav has taken you to a remote car park instead of a golf course! You are in the right place and access to the course is by the bridge over the River Ugie – it gives the course a secluded feeling. The Craigewan Links at Peterhead has got some great holes once you reach the dunes area and when you add in the views, you’ll be well satisfied at the end of 18 holes.

Winter green fee – £30 from now until 30 April 2018
(53% discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £65 from 1 May 2018

Cruden Bay Golf Club
www.crudenbaygolfclub.co.uk

I first played Cruden Bay 30+ years ago, late on a summer’s evening. My lasting memories of that round were the shadows cast by the undulating fairways in the setting sun. It not only created a dramatic effect but also created doubt in my mind, making me question the severity of each shot on the closing holes. This is indeed one of our finest true links courses – it pretty much has it all in terms of links golf.

Winter green fee – £50 from now until 15 April 2018
(56% discount off April’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £115 from 16 April 2018

Newburgh-on-Ythan Golf Club
www.newburghgolfclub.co.uk

Newburgh-on-Ythan is definitely a hidden Scottish gem. Over the years it has been overshadowed by Cruden Bay to the north and Murcar & Royal Aberdeen to the south. With the addition of Trump International, 2-3 miles south of the course, my concern is that this course remains over shadowed. Go and play it and then tell everyone about it.

We’ve listed the winter rates at £30 as their official rate but I know you can play the course next week, for example, for £18 – the winter course is on the normal greens (weather permitting) but the course has been shortened by 800 yards (yellow tees). Even if you wait until the full course is in operation in April, at £40 it’s still a bargain!

Winter green fee – £30 from now until 31 March 2018
(25% discount off April’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £40 from 1 April 2018

Fife

Leven Golf Club
www.leven-links.com

As a former qualifying course for the Open Championship, you know you are playing on a top track! When the wind blows here, you can throw your yardage book out of your bag and unstrap your GPS watch  and try and managed your way round without the gadgets. It’s a truly great links course, with a final hole that is in my top 5 finishing holes of all time. Get the woolly hats on – for £27.50 it’s a steal!

Winter green fee – £27.50 from now until 31 March 2018
(60% discount off April’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £70 from 1 April 2018

Lundin Golf Club
www.lundingolfclub.co.uk

Lundin Links sits side by side with Leven Links, separated by the Mile Dyke – their history is even closer! You will be tested on this Open qualifying course with deep bunkers, tight fairways, out of bounds, burns, the ever present wind but rewarded with excellent greens and an award winning clubhouse at the 19^th.

Winter green fee – £35 from now until 1 April 2018
(53% discount off May’s standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £45 from 2-29 April 2018
Standard green fee – £75 from 30 April 2018

The Golf House Club – Elie Links
www.golfhouseclub.co.uk

If someone suggested I play a course made up of 2x par 3s and 16x par 4s, my first thoughts would be that it sounds unusual and perhaps a bit monotonous. However, nothing could be further from the truth at The Golf House Club at Elie Links.

Golf has been played over these links since the sixteenth century, by all accounts! Old Tom Morris and James Braid have both been involved in the design of the current course layout. A submarine periscope, salvaged from the Royal Navy’s HMS Excalibur, is used to ensure the fairway ahead is clear at the first hole – unusual? Yes! And with no two holes the same, this course is a pleasure to play and anything but monotonous!

This course is highly regarded in Fife and further afield, and if you can get along to it before 25 March, you’ll save yourself 43% on green fees!

Winter green fee – £45 from now until 25 March 2018
(43% discount on standard green fee)

Standard green fee – £80 from 26 March 2018

And finally……

Please read through our ‘Winter Golf Checklist’ before booking any of the above courses.

 

NEXT WEEK:

I’ll be looking at courses in East Lothian, Angus, Dumfries & Galloway & Ayrshire next week for the final blog post of 2017!

Thanks for reading!