St Andrews is a place that is synonymous with the game of golf, and we’ve all heard so many superlatives used to describe The Old Course that it’s perhaps easy to take the history of this links for granted. The earliest reference to golf in this small coastal town in Fife is from 1552, where the charter proclaimed by the Archbishop Hamilton referred to the townspeople’s rights to pasture animals, dig turf and play golf. When the North Sea receded some 10,000 years ago, it had left sandy, undulating linksland which provided the ideal golfing terrain. The ownership of the links has been complicated. The council sold the land in the late 18th century to help pay off some of its debts, and the new owners, the Dempster family, used the links as a rabbit farm, generating huge uproar amongst the local residents and a twenty year legal [...]

Founded in 1851, Prestwick was the first established golfing links on the West Coast of Scotland as the game was developed largely on the East coast until those days. It was also a site of huge significance for Old Tom. Somewhere he travelled to having parted ways with Allan Robertson in St Andrew's, taking a full time position to develop the course & keep the greens as well as resident club and ball maker. Prestwick is also the birthplace of The Open Championship, where a competition was founded in 1860 to establish the champion golfer of the day. Robertson was always known as the greatest golfer of his day, so when he died in 1859, the championship was there to find his replacement. Whilst Willie Park senior might have won that initial title, many others would go on to do so. This is a history that very few clubs [...]

North Berwick West Links evolved from a small stretch of common ground in this small coastal town in East Lothian, and grew significantly throughout the 19th century. Since then, the routing has remained largely unchanged. Golf began all the way back in 1611 at North Berwick when a rudimentary version of the game was played across a small stretch of common land, and from there - The links expanded westward, taking advantage of ground from local landowners who could not find suitable use for the links land we now enjoy. That gradual encroachment allowed the course to extend to 18 holes. Contributors over time include Tom Dunn, Davie Strath and local club maker Ben Sayers. Whilst the course is undeniably quirky, it's also a very honest test for today's golfer. Undulations provide endless variety and fun, and the views out across the Firth of Forth out to the [...]

Whilst an inscription on an old ballot box states that golf was played back in 1781, it wasn't until 1899 that Cruden Bay Golf Club was formed, a product of the fledgling holiday resort that was funded by the Great North of Scotland Railroad Co. back at the turn of the century. In those days, Cruden Bay was frequented by the 'high society' and British Aristocracy, however when the Great Depression and second world war happened in the 20th century, the resort was unable to remain lucrative and sadly the hotel and as a result - the resort - fell into disrepair. Today, it's an altogether different story. This has the feel of a community golf club, where the priority are it's members, and creating a welcoming environment first and foremost for visiting parties. There may be a world class course outside waiting for you outside, but its [...]

Founded in 1780, Cullen Golf Club sits on a very unique plot of land, as it plays its way up and down the escarpment that overlooks the bay, and in and out of the Cullen quartzite formation, with those red-stone outcrops provide the backdrop for your round. First things first with Cullen; this is not a championship golf course, it's not got a sub-air system, and there will be holes where 'Lady Luck' needs to be on your side, but we believe that's the great thing about Cullen. Blind shots and severe slopes make it a thrilling experience, even if you're not always happy with where the next shot has to be played from. Playing at 4,623 from the tippy tips, par of 63 - you could be forgiven for thinking 59 watch is open the cards but we highly doubt that's within reach. What Cullen lacks in length, it [...]

Crail was one of the very first golf clubs in the world when it was established in 1786, and stands today as one of the early pioneers who helped shape the game we enjoy today. The film is packed with information about the club and the game more broadly in those early years, and we really enjoyed catching up with David Roy - Crail Golfing Society's general manager to hear all about it. For us, going into Crail was the last day of tour. We'd played 36 holes at Carnoustie, and 36 round The Old course. It's really hard to top those few days, and whilst I (Sam) had played Crail about 6 or so years previously, we went in with fairly tepid expectations, with our minds probably more occupied on the 6 hour drive home and the jobs that lay waiting for us when we arrived. What [...]

There is far too much to write about the history of Carnousite, so instead we'll simply ask you to check the film out which is filled with a lot of the significant events from its history. We all went into Carnoustie having not played it before. A course that is synonymous with difficulty, and the site of some of the most memorable Open Championships over time. We went in with an open mind, not expecting anything like what we experienced. The course is absolutely fantastic, and the challenge that's in front of you is the product of several great men who have shaped the routing and layout into what we see today. A fairly gentle opener (albeit I don't know how the pro's were putting irons onto the first green), followed by a superb second hole which works its way up the dunescape to a long and narrow [...]

'The Nairn', otherwise referred to as 'Nairn' Golf Club is another heavyweight links that sits in the Scottish Highlands, closely located to Inverness Airport. One of the big takeaways for us was the intimate feeling at Nairn. Our film will give you lots of context on the formation of the club and how the course has evolved over time, however when you step through the doors of the clubhouse you just get the sense that you've arrived at a very special club. The archive room at Nairn is without question one of the greatest highlights - the product of several passionate members who in 2007 took it upon themselves to catalogue the clubs history and in doing so have created one truly beautiful room littered with artefacts from Nairn and further afield - a true celebration of their proud history. The course itself is not gimmicky. It's not [...]

Rye Golf Club: England's Golden Age Wonders There are very few golf clubs in England that have a more significant story to share than Rye. Things got off to a hot start straight away, with Harry Colt elected as the founding captain of the club, and the following year he made his career debut as a golf architect by establishing the initial routing (in fact, Colt was really the first person to create the modern day profession of 'course architect' as we know it today). It's early years, war time history and through to the various special relationships it holds with many clubs and societies, including the Oxford & Cambridge Golf Society who play their annual tournament at Rye each January - The Presidents Putter - Rye has it all. Don't let the relatively short distance of 6,300 yards deceive you - as a par 68 which is [...]

With Golf closed across England and Wales under tight restrictions, and everyone around the world affected by the pandemic in some form, we have created a short and uplifting film in collaboration with our friends in the golfing community!