Schedule
Day One: Mar Hall (optional)
6,507 yds, Par 70
Journey time: 25 minutes
We’ll meet at your arrival airport of choice (see notes below) and transfer to accommodation in Glasgow. You’ll be staying in the student halls of residence at the University of Glasgow – one of the oldest educational establishments in the English-speaking world. Accommodation here is basic but comfortable. Each tourist will have a room with private en suite facilities and free wi-fi. You’re based in the heart of Glasgow’s bustling West End, with a wide choice of eating and entertainment options.
Should you wish, we can arrange a late afternoon/early evening round of golf at the Mar Hall Resort on the outskirts of the city. This modern course, on the banks of the River Clyde, is always in immaculate condition and offers a fun introduction to Scottish golf.
7,203 yds, Par 71
Journey time: 50 minutes
Troon’s Championship Links is one of the world’s finest golfing tests, having hosted the Open on nine occasions. It skirts along and tussles with the rugged coastline, and displays graceful views of the Isle of Arran and the famous Ailsa Craig. Make your score on the friendly front nine as the returning holes into the prevailing wind are relentless. Troon’s signature hole is the 8th – the ‘Postage Stamp’ – one of the most famous par threes in the world. Just 123 yards in length, the narrowness of the green and the severity of the bunkers make it a daunting task. We’ll have lunch in Troon’s historic clubhouse, surrounded by fascinating memorabilia, before heading back to Glasgow for the remainder of the day and a chance to explore this attractive city.
7,082 yds, Par 72
Journey time: 45 minutes flight, 10 minute transfer each end
Today we have an early breakfast before heading to Glasgow Airport and the short flight to the Mull of Kintyre, a jagged peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. We’ll settle into on-course accommodation at Machrihanish Dunes and, after a spot of lunch at the Dunes clubhouse, we’ll head out on to the course itself (pictured above). Located on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, this magnificent natural links is a bear of a course. It was designed by David McLay-Kidd, who created Bandon Dunes in Oregon, and contains several familiar design cues including rugged bunkering and dramatically undulating greens. Set on a Site of Special Scientific Interest, the course feels as if it has simply been laid out atop the stunning dunes which, in many places, it has.
6,473 yards, Par 70
Journey time: 10 mins
After breakfast at the Dunes, we’ll take the short journey down to Machrihanish Golf Club – one of Scotland’s ultimate hidden gems. The tone for the fun ahead is set on the first hole (pictured above). Standing on a raised tee, you’ll have to decide how much Atlantic Ocean you want to carry to a fairway which dog-legs from right to left. What unfolds over the next 17 holes is a dazzling mix of towering dunes, hidden greens, nasty bunkers and winding streams. You’ll have a blast! We’ll have time for a late lunch before heading back to the airstrip and your return flight to Glasgow.
Day Five: Turnberry (Ailsa Course)
7,448 yds, Par 71
Journey time: 1hr 10 mins
The Ailsa course has staged four Opens and shaped some of the most remarkable moments in the Championship’s history, including Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson’s epic ‘Duel in the Sun’. Running alongside the glorious Ayrshire coastline, with the islands of Arran and Ailsa Craig as a beautiful backdrop, it is one of the finest golfing destinations in the world. Turnberry’s stunning stretch of seaside holes stand out. The shore comes in to play at various points from the fourth to the 11th, with greens and tees perched on the rocks next to the rippling waves. Turnberry makes a great matchplay venue and we can arrange a friendly game against a Scottish college team – a great way to make new friends and add an extra dimension to your tour.
6,782 yds, Par 72
Journey time: 45 minutes flight, 10 minute transfer each end
Another early start and another short flight, this time to the lush island of Islay. There has been a course among the dunes at Machrie since 1891 but a comprehensive redesign in 2017 has taken this remote outpost into the highest rank of Scottish links courses. There are many reasons to relish the prospect of playing at Machrie, not least the stunning surrounding scenery. When allied to the quality of the course, the natural hazards of the links game, a number of blind holes and the sense of history that effuses from the venue, any day spent here will be a memorable one. Your overnight accommodation is the well-appointed Machrie Hotel, which overlooks the course’s opening and closing holes.
6,782 yds, Par 72
Journey time: 45 minutes flight, 10 minute transfer each end
With its high proportion of blind shots and hidden hazards, Machrie (pictured above) definitely warrants a repeat visit and this morning you’ll get a chance to do just that. After a light lunch at the clubhouse, we’ll depart for the airport and return to Glasgow for a farewell dinner and one last chance to enjoy the city’s cultural attractions.
Day Eight: Departure
We’ll say goodbye to Glasgow after breakfast and transfer to your chosen airport for the journey home.
Travel notes:
College Links Golf offers full-service golf tours. We’ll meet you at the airport and arrange accommodation, golf, transfers and three meals a day. Our service doesn’t include flights. Glasgow and Edinburgh International Airports daily flights from New York (Newark and JFK), Chicago O’Hare, Boston Logan and Washington Dulles.
Prices for our Wild West tour start at just £2,695/$3,500 per person*, based on a party of eight touring in the summer of 2021. We’d love to make this tour happen for team – click here to get in touch