Crail Golf Society: brilliant Balcomie will make you feel alive
It’s no surprise to find the Scots have more than 100 words for rain – several sprang immediately to mind as I arrived at Crail Golfing Society, the seventh oldest club on the planet. It was a dreich morning, the darkest and dankest of starts to an autumnal day at the easternmost point of the Kingdom of Fife. The rain was stoating, droplets bouncing an inch high, turning car park puddles into mini lochs, the only sign of life was the glow of the pro shop. But as daylight began to win its fight, it was easing to a smirr…
Our guide to the best golf courses near Dublin
Dublin is one of Europe's most vibrant cities. The stereotypes of Guinness, music and culture are all rich and familiar but it also happens to be the gateway to some of the best links golf courses in Ireland…
A blissful Ayrshire golf odyssey: Royal Troon and Dundonald
There is no doubt that Scotland is golf’s holy land; the birthplace of the game itself as well as some of its greatest players. But for centuries, since golf began here some 400-odd years ago, there has been a question over where in Scotland offers the greatest golf experience. There’s East Lothian, with the likes of Muirfield, Musselburgh, North Berwick and Gullane. The kingdom of Fife can boast the Old Course, St Andrews, Dumbarnie Links and Kingsbarns. The Highlands has Royal Dornoch, Brora, Tain and Golspie, while on the Aberdeenshire coast you will find Cruden Bay, Murcar Links and Royal…
Ganton Golf Club: mythical Ryder Cup venue retains its magic
Ganton Golf Club is a truly extraordinary place. There is a stillness to it, a timeless elegance. It’s as if when you leave the busy main road that flanks it and turn down a long narrow drive you are transported to a place of calm and serenity. Even in the fierce and frequent winds that sweep through the Vale of Pickering in Yorkshire, there’s a sense of peace here. Ganton Golf Club dates back to 1891 when Tom Chisholm of St Andrews created a layout that has hosted every major event an inland links course can. The 1949 Ryder Cup,…