Carnoustie Golf Links

Situated on the Angus coast, only ten miles from the city of Dundee, the small seaside town of Carnoustie is home to the truly magnificent Carnoustie Golf Links. An eight time Open Championship venue with a fearsome reputation as ‘golf’s greatest test’, The Carnoustie Championship Course offers spectacular golf, and is steeped in the game’s history. Moreover, Carnoustie Golf Links is home to The Carnoustie Burnside and The Carnoustie Buddon courses, both quality eighteen hole tracks, and offers a state of the art golf performance centre, which is open to members and visitors.

History: The game of golf has been played in Carnoustie for well over four centuries. Evidence of this is found in the Parish Records of 1560, where the game of ‘gowff’ (golf) was first mentioned. It has been part of the town’s life, ever since. Carnoustie’s first golfer might well have been a gentleman named Sir Robert Maule (1497-1560), a local landowner who was described as, ‘a gentleman of comlie behaviour’, who was, ‘given to sports such as, ‘hawking, hunting and the gawf.’ (golf) Unfortunately, the exact site where he, ‘exercisit the gowf’ (exercised the golf) in the 15th century is not known, but we do know that by 1839 the Carnoustie Golf Club had been formed, making it the oldest artisan club in the world. Around that time, the Carnoustie course consisted of ten holes, laid out by Allan Robertson, arguably, the greatest golfer of his time and the man generally acknowledged to be the first golf professional. Later, in 1867, Tom Morris Snr extended the course to eighteen holes but it was not until 1926, when the great James Braid was brought in to oversee sweeping changes, that the course became ready to receive the Open Championship.

Open Championship Outline: Tommy Armour was a popular winner when Carnoustie staged its first Open Championship back in 1931. Since then, a stellar list of players including Henry Cotton, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Tom Watson, Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari have lifted the Claret Jug, after winning at the venue. However, probably, the most famous victory at Carnoustie came in 1999, when Scottish golfer Paul Lawrie shot a four under par, final round of 67, and was there to pick up the pieces, after Frenchman Jean Van de Velde imploded, in spectacular fashion in front of a world-wide audience of millions, when losing a three stroke lead on the final hole. Lawrie subsequently beat the Frenchman in a play-off and became the first Scot to win the Open Championship, since Sandy Lyle in 1985.

The Carnoustie Championship Course: Host venue for eight Open Championships, two Women’s Opens and the Seniors Open twice, The Carnoustie Championship Course has an exceptional reputation. It is one of three courses used for the annual Dunhill Links, the other two being Kingsbarns and the Old Course in St Andrews. The Championship Course has been voted Best Golf Course in Scotland, by the general public, on a number of occasions. The Carnoustie Championship Course is an eighteen hole, par 72/70 (men), par 74/71 (women), track. It has tees ranging from 5,610 to 6,945 yards.

SGB Signature Hole: Name: Hogan’s Alley. Number: Hole 6. Officially re-named in 2003, after the immortal Ben Hogan who won the Open Championship in 1953, the sixth hole is where The Carnoustie Championship Course starts to turn up the heat. Normally played into the prevailing wind, this 520 yard hole can be a severe par 5. Bunkers and out of bounds await miss-directed drives and although the best line is up Hogan’s Alley between the bunkers and the out of bounds fence, it requires a brave player to drive to that narrow piece of fairway. The second shot is no less perilous, with a ditch angling across the fairway and the out of bounds continuing to be a threat. The approach is reasonably straightforward to an undulating green, however, particular care must be taken if the pin is located on the back right portion of the green. A player should always be content with a five on this hole as it can be the ruin of many a scorecard.

The Carnoustie Burnside Course: Character oozes from this course and from the back tees it is a splendid test of golf. Many of its short holes could grace the top links courses, anywhere. The Carnoustie Burnside is an eighteen hole, par 68/64 (men), par 71/66 (women), track. It has tees ranging from 4,070 to 5,943 yards. This course was where the great Ben Hogan, in 1953, shot 70 to help him qualify for the Open Championship, which he subsequently won on Carnoustie’s Championship Course. It was the only Open Championship that Hogan ever played in.

The Carnoustie Buddon Course: Originally designed by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas, the course resides on land that was formerly part of the ladies’ course and on land previously belonging to the Ministry of Defence. The Carnoustie Buddon is an eighteen hole, par 68/66 (men), par 68/66 (women), course. It has tees ranging from 4,192 to 5,921 yards. The course was opened for play in 1981 and revamped through investment in 2016. Offering a mixture of links and parkland golf, The Carnoustie Buddon Course is a unique and enjoyable test of golf.

Links House & Practice facilities: Links House officially opened in 2018. It provides Carnoustie with a world-class facility to match its world-class golf courses. Outside you will find, the bag drop area, a practice putting green, a practice chipping area and the 5-hole Nestie Course. The ground floor hosts, the professional shop, an indoor performance centre, equipped with seven state of the art simulator bays and Foresight Sports technology, the guest relations desk, locker rooms and changing facilities, and the Caddie Master. While ‘The Rookery’, Carnoustie’s destination restaurant, with panoramic views of the golf courses and the sea, and serving the very best local produce, is situated on the first floor.

Accommodation: The Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa offers a large selection of accommodation options; the hotel has 96 luxury en-suite bedrooms, including ten suites with amazing views over The Championship Course, the sea and the local town of Carnoustie. The hotel offers elegant twin, double, family, and junior suite bedrooms, with many having views over The Championship Course or Carnoustie Bay.

Food & Dining: While staying at Carnoustie Golf Hotel & Spa, fine dining is available in Calders Bistro. This venue hosts Breakfast for residents, offers an amazing Afternoon Tea and provides exquisite Lunch and Dinner menus, serving locally sourced produce, including meats procured from a family butcher, in Dundee, and fresh fish landed in the port of Peterhead.

Spa & Leisure: The Spa and leisure facilities at the resort are exceptional. Experience the meaning of relaxation, with Spa offerings including aromatherapy, golfer’s tonic, Reiki massage, body therapies, and a variety of beauty treatments. The hotel’s leisure facilities include a 15-station gymnasium, a swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, and a steam room.

Featured deal: Championship Carnoustie

Typical packages include:

Accommodation in guest rooms, or signature suites
A round on The Carnoustie Championship Course
A round on The Carnoustie Burnside Course
A round on The Buddon Course
Dinner Reservation @ The Rookery or Calders Bistro
Full Scottish Breakfast
Use of resort facilities: Access to changing and locker-rooms at Links House, access to the 5-hole ‘Nestie Course’, and practice chipping & putting areas
Access to Carnoustie Performance Centre (Indoor driving range & state of the art practice facility)

Packages can be designed to your specification and group size, and can include alternative accommodation, additional courses across Angus, Dundee, Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, the North East, and or other regions within Scotland.

Additional services: