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Rest and be thankful: Scotland’s great halfway houses

Whether it’s an opportunity to re-fuel, take stock of your game, or consider the need to change strategy for the inward nine, a stop at the halfway house is becoming an increasingly common occurrence for many golfers.

It’s unclear exactly as to when, or how, the first halfway house in golf opened for business, but there’s every chance it can be found within the roots of the game. One notable watering hole was Mrs Forman’s, a pub located adjacent to the 4th green at Musselburgh Old Course that served golfers whisky and beer out of a hole in the wall as far back as 1822. In 1856, David Anderson, feathery golf ball maker and green keeper at St Andrews, set up a mobile refreshment stand by the tee marker at the 4th hole of the Old Course. ‘Old Daw’, as he was known, would dispense ginger beer, milk (and sometimes stronger stuff too) from his stand – almost certainly the first beverage cart in golf! Anderson’s contribution to golf’s old lady has been saved for posterity; the hole is now called ‘Ginger Beer’.

Here’s some of Scotland’s finest halfway houses for you to consider as part of your visitor experience.

The Pine Lodge, Gleneagles: A first class experience, equally accessible from both the King’s and Queen’s courses, that is aided and abetted by the local rule that golfers leaving the lodge hold priority on the next tee.

The Carrick, Loch Lomond: No ordinary hut, this stop involves you entering the Highland Laddie – a former Thames riverboat situated on the fault line between Scotland’s flat meandering lowlands and its rugged, mountainous highland region.

The Bothy, Nairn: This 19th century stone cottage (pictured), located on the path to the 10th tee, once stored fresh salmon. Now it serves just about anything a golfer could hope for at the mid-point of an enjoyable round on this testing links course.

The Carnegie Club, Skibo Castle: Grand in scale and stature, this stylish building not only serves great food and drink, it also hosts golfing memorabilia from around the world. Little wonder, therefore, that the 10th tee is always free.

The Stevenson lighthouse, Turnberry Ailsa: This iconic lighthouse (pictured above) has long been one of golf’s most photographed objects. It may be due to its spectacular position, as it looks out towards the islands of Arran and Ailsa Craig. Then again, it may be its historical roots – it was commissioned and built in 1873 by Thomas and David Stevenson, father and son of the famous writer Robert Louis Stevenson. No matter, it is unquestionably the world’s finest and most spectacular halfway house and more than a beacon of light for the Trump organisation that owns it.