Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation
St Andrews, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Carnoustie, North Berwick, Portmarnock, Kingsbarns, Dumbarnie, The European Club, with the St Andrews New and Castle Courses
The Scots and Irish combo
The Scotland and Ireland golf vacation threads together a beguiling tapestry of Scottish heritage and majesty with Irish magic and mysticism in an overwhelming collision of culture, history and landscape.
As the horizons of travelling golfers expanded beyond St Andrews, and as we saw more non-golfers joining trips, demand for combinations like the Scotland and Ireland golf vacation has grown, particularly amongst North American visitors. It’s probably our most popular enquiry today. We need to compose a symphony of perfect harmony to meet both
These are totemic golf courses, titans of the games development, masterpieces of design, famed for their challenge and uncompromising judgement. Above all else, they have a serious sense of ‘place’. You kind of know you’re standing on hallowed turf
The secret to any non-golf component however is that it needs to be credible in its own right, regardless of golf. With Dublin, Edinburgh and St Andrews prominent this particular Scotland and Ireland golf vacation meets that threshold, and that’s before we introduce the plethora of castles, and palaces
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The Itinerary
Saturday – The European Club (Glendalough)
Sunday – Portmarnock (Dublin)
Monday – Royal County Down
Tuesday – Royal Portrush (Giants Causeway)
Wednesday – (fly to Edinburgh) St Andrews Castle Course
Thursday – Dumbarnie (East Neuk of Fife)
Friday – Kingsbarns
Saturday – St Andrews New Course (St Andrews town)
Sunday – Carnoustie (Glamis Castle & Scone Palace)
Monday – North Berwick (Edinburgh)
Important note – We will contest St Andrews Old Course ballots for the Weds, Thurs, Fri, & Sat. You can read these days as XYZ / St Andrews Old Course. By going straight to St Andrews on Weds, we will be able to contest three singles ballots for play on Thurs, Fri, & Sat
Saturday - The European Club
The European Club is located in tumbling dunes south of Dublin and features sweeping sea views.
This is a complex but enjoyable examination for every golfer provided they use their brains. Those who learn how to flight the ball on a medium or low trajectory will enjoy the fast running fairways and the fact that provision has been made for the punched or running shot to fifteen of the greens. The shorter hitting ‘thinker’ can find a way to stay in the race against the big ball bruisers.
The course also features the longest green in the world at twelve, which measures 127-yards from front to back and restores the art of the great three-putt. Five holes run so close to the sea that it is quite common to find players searching for their golf balls on the beach.
In 2026 the European Club underwent a major renovation and reopened in the spring of 2027
Sunday - Portmarnock
With a rich history closely aligned to the progression of golf in Ireland, Portmarnock has hosted numerous Irish Open Championships, the Walker Cup, Irish Amateur Championships and the British Amateur Championship, and the rumour that it’s being lined up as the next course to be introduced to the Open rotation doesn’t look like dying down (we think this one has legs)
From Sam Snead to Seve Ballesteros, some of golf’s best-known names have tested their skills against this majestic narrow tongue of shallow dunes-land, just north of Dublin.
Considered by many as one of the fairest links courses in the world it delivers an incredible challenge and true test of golf.
Perhaps five-time Open Championship winner Tom Watson summed up the links best during his visits saying, “There are no tricks or nasty surprises, only an honest, albeit searching test of shot making skills.”
Monday - Royal County Down
Periodically Royal County Down can displace the likes of Pine Creek or Cyprus Point as the world’s highest rated golf course (its that good).
It is framed in one of the most stunningly natural links settings in golf. The Murlough Nature Reserve provides the stage, the magnificent Mourne mountains the backdrop. The narrowest ribbons of fairways thread their way through as impressive a set of sand dunes as could be imagined. The fairways are surrounded by purple heather and golden gorse, so beautiful to look at, but so punishing for any who may stray from the prescribed path. The ‘bearded’ bunkers are world famous, featuring overhanging lips of marram, red fescue and heather. The greens are fast and many are domed, rejecting any shot lacking conviction.
The ninth hole is one of the most photographed holes in world golf, a 486 yard par 4, it is played from one side of a huge mound down to a fairway some 60 ft below and 260 yards from the tee. From the bottom of the slope the second shot is played over two bunkers to a raised green.
Tuesday - Royal Portrush
Royal Portrush is constructed on an area of natural dune land framed by limestone cliffs. The Open was held here in 1951, and won by Max Faulkner. In 2019 it returned, Shane Lowry playing the elements best of all to prove a popular local(ish) winner, whilst Scottie Scheffler obliged in 2025 (note how quickly the R&A came back!)
The Dunluce Links is home to one of the most stunning par fours in golf, the 411 yard 5th hole. A dogleg hole played from an elevated tee towards the ocean, it rewards the daring shot across a wide expanse of rough. An overly long approach shot will end up on the sand of the White Rocks beach which lies just beyond the rear of the green however. Carnage!
Calamity Corner, the 210 yard par 3 16th hole is the other feature hole. Between the tee and the green is a yawning chasm, which must be cleared to stand any chance of making your three. This is a score wrecker coming at a decisive moment in the round.
Wednesday - St Andrews Castle Course
‘The Castle’ is the newest addition to the clan St Andrews (if we require the qualification to be a new build – the Craigtoun Course was added in 2025 but was technically a management arrangement as the Trust took over the old Dukes Course from the hotel).
Set atop cliffs it’s perhaps more Pebble Beach, than Scotland, yet the course has successfully cultivated a links character. The elevation provides stunning vistas of the bay and town below, making it one of the most photogenic courses in the country. You won’t be the first person to pause and smile as you look down into the town of St Andrews itself with all the historic landmarks on the skyline and simply think Wow! The course is really quite dramatic as the sea can usually be relied on to put up a display of raw energy. The eighth and and the par 3, seventeenth, ‘the Braes’ are particularly awesome.
Thursday - Dumbarnie
Dumbarnie opened in 2020, and looks to have replicated the Kingsbarns design with 14 of the 18 holes having unencumbered views of the sea due to it playing on a natural escarpment with 80ft of elevation on the site. A number of high tees are used to provide the drama of hitting drives out to the ocean. Unusually for a links, water has also been introduced, albeit mainly confined to burns rather than lakes. The fairways are wide and forgiving with driveable risk and reward par 4’s a particular feature of the lay-out. The fifteenth looks remarkably similar to the 7th at Valhalla.
The philosophy behind it is aimed challenging the thinking golfer rather than humiliating them through penalty; as course designer Clive Clark remarked
“I have yet to hear a golfer come in from his round and declare: I really enjoyed a great round of golf today – I only lost 6 balls and 3-putted five greens!”
In 2021 Dumbarnie was named the world’s best new golf course at the international world golf awards which you have to imagine will go some way towards securing its top-100 position as it begins to bed down and evolve.
Friday - Kingsbarns
There are records of golf being played at Kingsbarns from 1793, but the modern course opened in 2000, and is set on three-tiered levels, sloping towards the coast. Nearly every hole has stunning views of the North Sea.
Kingsbarns quickly racked up rave reviews and earned a world ranking of about #50, a position which it’s held more or less since.
The par 5, twelfth hole that plays along the arching shoreline to an exposed green, and the par 3, fifteenth, which involves playing a tee-shot across the waves, are often considered to the courses signature assignments. It was the fourth and fifth that caught Tom Doak’s eye when he described as Kingsbarns
“as piece of construction work, Kingsbarns is one of the best projects I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t have believed it, if I hadn’t seen it for myself”
Perhaps of greatest significance is the number of times it beats more illustrious neighbours in surveys amongst visiting Americans since its always immaculately presented.
Kingsbarns completes the trio of East Coast giants that host the European Tour’s Dunhill links challenge each year alongside Carnoustie and the Old Course.
Saturday - St Andrews New Course
“New” in the context of St Andrews means 1895!
The course is often said to be the town’s favourite. It’s a tighter and more defined course than its regal neighbour, and aided by yellow gorse bushes, it tends to be more aesthetic too. The ‘New’ runs adjacent to the Old course and as a consequence has similar characteristics. The fairways are undulating but not as dipped as the Old course, leading to fewer hanging lies. A traditional out and back nine, only the 3rd and 15th share a green. The burn wends its way through a low dune system and features some particularly charismatic holes. The 464yd tenth is often cited as the pick. Think about it logically. It’s likely that the newer course that was designed for purpose, would be the better golf course than the ancient artefact. The good folk of St Andrews know!
Sunday - Carnoustie
Dubbed ‘Car-Nasty’, Carnoustie is considered by many to be the most difficult links in the Open Championship rotation
In recent years it has seen some dramatic finishes, none more so than in 1999 when Jean van de Velde took an eight at the 72nd hole to throw away the claret jug. Iconic images of him paddling in the notorious ‘Barry Burn’ have entered golfing legend. The final four holes are the hardest finish on the rotation. After the carnage of 1999 (6 over won) Sport Illustrated described it as
“a nasty antique that was brought down from the attic after 24 years …the rough was deeper; and the R&A made the fairways as narrow as an eel’s appendix scar”.
Whereas the eighteenth is the hole that has often generated the most drama. The par 3 sixteenth has the highest average scoring par 3 on the Open Championship rotation as indeed the closing four are the hardest. The Par 5, sixth ‘Hogan’s Alley’, is another famous hole with a punitive out of bounds fence running down it’s left
1999 Carnoustie reduced Sergio Garcia to tears after successive scores of 89 and 83
Monday - North Berwick
The links of North Berwick are a traditional out and back nine. Undulating fairways, blind shots, tricky burns and even stone walls make their presence felt in the landscape. The course really is a throw back to the experiences of the game’s pioneers who had to interpret the landscape and weave the hazards nature handed them into their own personal tapestries. North Berwick has an endearing old-fashioned feel.
North Berwick also possesses the original ‘Redan’ hole, (15). Found the world over, ‘Redans’ are the most copied hole in golf.
The Redan completes a trio of holes from 13 which is rarely surpassed in Scottish golf, perhaps only Turnberry’s 9 to 11, and Carnoustie’s 16-18 has better claims for being the best consecutive 3 in a row.
North Berwick is one of those rare courses you never hear a bad word said about, and we’re always struck by the fact that it seems to be the most knowledgeable and the best judges who enthuse most about it.
It would be wrong to think that it’s a curiosity relic though. It’s a beguiling world top-50 ranked course on merit.
Featured Group
Do I put something about video in here?
What's Involved?
A typical Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation appeals to golfer and non-golfer alike. The Scottish leg usually focuses on St Andrews and adopts something akin to a daily back-to-base model, whilst the Irish leg more closely resembles a point-to-point tour and usually focuses on one of two options, Dublin and the North or West Ireland. It’s difficult to include both Irish regions within the timeframe we’re typically given without the itinerary becoming something of an Irish trip. The trio of Portmarnock, RCD, and Portrush are harder to book, but easier to manage if we can get them, then the west coast trio of Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville.
A typical Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation is laid out as a ten night duration that observes a mixture of a point-to-point itinerary (Ireland) and back-to-base (Scotland) , staying at:
- Dublin or Portmarnock – 2 nights
- Belfast – 2 nights or 1 night each at Newcastle & Portrush
- St Andrews – 4 or 5 nights
- Carnoustie – 1 night (or St Andrews instead)
- Edinburgh – 1 night
At about 650 miles, the Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation is a medium mileage, medium intensity transport burden.
In total, this should demand about 18 hrs 00 mins of road time, which is an average of slightly under 1 hr 45 mins a day (that’s manageable)
We will need to fly from Belfast to Edinburgh
Outside of specific driving guiding for non-golfers, we wouldn’t advise the use of a hired driver for the Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation .
The Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation can support Luxury, Premier and Affordable options
As ever, the scale of non-golf activity depends on whether we’re adding extra value for golfers, or building a stand alone proposal for non-golfers to run alongside a golf programme. The Scotland and Ireland Golf Vacation exhibits a strong correlation between golf and non-golf, with many genuine points of interest co-existing
- Glendalough with the European Club
- Dublin with Portmarnock
- The Giants Causeway & Carrick u Rede with Portrush
- Edinburgh with North Berwick
- Glamis Castle & Scone Palace with Carnoustie
- The East Neuk of Fife with Kingsbarns
- St Andrews is a legitimate destination regardless
The only two that any non-driving, non-golfers would need to consider bringing in a driving guide would be Stirling and any trip into Perthshire, although we could see that it would be easier all round if Glamis & Scone or The East Neuk with Falkland Palace were also considered under these terms
The following courses operate the following handicap thresholds for gentlemen and ladies respectively
- Royal Portrush (18 & 24)
- Royal County Down (24 & 36)
- Portmarnock (24 & 36)
- North Berwick (24 & 36)
- Carnoustie (28 & 36)
- St Andrews (36)
Unlike some courses who needn’t be rigid in enforcing their handicap thresholds, the St Andrews Links Trust will do. Failure to provide evidence will result in a refusal to allow us to play
The Old Course diary is available on-line to consult for availability and is dynamic in so much as it changes every season, although there are some known block outs that occur every year, notably the first week of May, the first week of June, and a run from early/ mid September to early/ mid October
There is no play on the Old Course on Sunday
Portrush doesn’t permit visitor play on Weds, nor Sat or Sun mornings. Their week day play is a mixture of full and half days. Tues and Thurs are full days. Mon is afternoon only, and Friday is mornings only. In order to play the Dunluce links off a morning tee-time, Portrush now require that we play a second round on their Valley course over two days. It maybe necessary to replace Portstewart under this regulation if the booking has been left a little bit later and the less restricted afternoon times have all been taken
RCD doesn’t permit visitor play on Weds or Sat, or Sun morning. They also operate a mixture of half days and full days for weekdays. Mon, Tues, and Fri are full days
Portmarnock only permits visitor play on Mon, Tues, Thurs and Sun afternoons
North Berwick don’t permit visitor play on Fri, Sat or Sun morning. Sunday afternoon play has seemingly been restored after having been withdrawn previously, suggesting perhaps that it’s vulnerable.
Carnoustie whilst usually being open 7 days of the week, visitors will have to play afternoon tee-times at the weekend
With all the usual disclaimers of a lottery being random, and there being no such thing as a certainty etc plus the variable factor of availability for the specific week chosen, our prospects of winning a ballot on this programme would otherwise be considered as good (if we sought to use every opportunity to do so)
We should be able to contest four open ballots (Weds, Thurs, Fri & Sat) and three ‘singles’ ballot (Thurs, Fri & Sat) for a total of seven.
We normally advise against contesting ballots on the shadow of North Berwick. This would lead to a forfeit at North Berwick if we chose to do so and won. If however, we considered this a ‘price worth paying’ in exchange for the Old Course, then yes we could do it
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
Green fees need paying in advance and are always non-refundable against a certain timeline
A St Andrews Old Course ballot is drawn 48 hrs before play, and we can safely assume that this is outside any refund window! Any win in the ballot therefore will send us into a clash with which ever course we had booked that day, and we’ll a loss of the green fee unless we can get the tee-time rearranged. For this reason we don’t necessarily want to fill every day of the week up with a paid green fee and golf course. That would be designing a forfeit (we are after all setting up to win a ballot and play the Old Course)
Luckily the St Andrews New Course can’t be prebooked, and every other tee-time after 09.00 is offered present-pay-and-play-on-the-day. This is a great way of putting a placeholder into the itinerary without taking on the liability of a prepaid green fee
We try to schedule the New Course in any St Andrews swing to max out this position. If we win a ballot on the day we were going to try and play the New Course, we simply play the Old Course instead. If we win a ballot on another day, then we look to reschedule the affected course onto the day we had the New Course inked in and avoid a forfeit that way. We’ll usually try and put the New Course last in an itinerary then to give ourselves the maximum length of runway onto which we might land the rearranged round
Perversely perhaps, we’re actually hoping not to play the New Course. The reason we wouldn’t play it, is because we’ve won a ballot and are playing the Old Course instead
Whereas golf tour operators enjoy favourable arrangements with a lot of courses, one which represents a risk to any assembly in which they feature is RCD.
RCD open their diary for play the following season in February and will sell out in 36 hrs. If we’re late to the party, we’ll be most unlikely to play there. This means that we need to operate on a long-lead time.
This isn’t the only issue we face there however
RCD sell their tee-times on one hectic day by phone. This involves hitting ‘last number redial’ over and over again in the hope of landing on their limited by number call stacking system. Very often we have to spend hours and hours meeting the engaged tone.
Faraway Fairways have nearly always succeeded in getting tee-times at RCD (eventually) but we’ve had too many near misses to know that we’ll fail again in the future.
There is a known risk in this process, and whereas clients are always welcome to roll the dice themselves and see if they can get lucky alongside our efforts (can always be worth trying), but we’ve never had anyone succeed where ahead of Fairways Fairways yet
The west coast courses of Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Tralee are handicapped somewhat by three of them denying visitor weekend play. This makes them difficult to line up with St Andrews since the one that does permit weekend play (Waterville) also happens to be furthest south
It’s made harder still by the flight schedules between Shannon and Edinburgh being nothing like so frequent as those which involve Dublin or Belfast (or even Cork). There are typically only three flights a week between Shannon and Edinburgh and they do tend to appear on different days of the week (often on poor times) with very little predictability from one season to another
About Activities
Carrick u Rede
The Carrick-u-Rede rope-bridge walk is another attraction that grown in popularity on the back of Games of Thrones. The waves roar in 70 feet below as you undertake what looks like a precarious traverse (no one has ever fallen, but some have refused to return and needed to be rescued instead).
Edinburgh
Few trips to Scotland could really be considered complete without the Scottish capital. Edinburgh is frequently regarded as one of the UK’s most charismatic cities. Most visitors prioritise the castle, Greyfriars Bobby, Holyrood Palace, the various galleries, and increasingly its Harry Potter connection
St Andrews
St Andrews is a legitimate visitor draw regardless of golf. The town is home to the third oldest university in the western world, ensuring it has a lot more life than you might expect. The ruined old castle and cathedral lend it historical relevance. Above all though, it’s a charismatic town with a sense of aura and place
Testimonial
From BB Canada
“I told Alun the courses I was interested in playing and he prepared a stay and play package with 14 days of outstanding golf, but also tremendous site seeing opportunities for my wife.”
From JC Illinois
“His attention to detail is amazing--I think our travel plan booklet ran to forty-eight pages, with gorgeous descriptions of cities and sights, plus maps showing where to go to catch trains, or walk from trains to hotels, sights and golf courses, etc.”
From DF Alabama
“I will cherish the memories for a long time- especially the wonderful times spent on and off the golf course with two of my brothers and brother-in-law. None of the memories and golf would have been possible or enjoyed without your tremendous planning and logistical support.”
AS from Colorado
“Alun and Faraway Fairways created possibly the most memorable golf trip we have ever experienced. EPIC is the only word that comes to mind.”
AC, From Florida/ New York, 2025
“We were hopeful to secure a 4 ball at St. Andrews while avoiding the massive expense other operators had quoted. He was very clear about the plan for achieving a tee time at the Old Course through the ballot, including detailed instruction on how it could be done, and what our odds were. He suggested mid- to late April as the best chance of success and advised that this is also the least rainy part of the year. We took his advice and trusted the process. Well, he was right on all counts!”
From SB, Minnesota
“We wholeheartedly recommend Alun and Faraway Fairways if you’re looking for a golf trip that is effortless, enjoyable, and truly unforgettable—even for a non-golfer in the mix! My husband and I will be daydreaming about this trip for years to come. 5.5 stars!”
From JB, California
“The best part was that the service was surprisingly affordable. They were thousands of dollars below other quotes that I received, in fact the prices were very similar to what I would have paid if I would have booked everything on my own.”
From JCA, Maryland
“I would and will highly recommend your company to anyone looking to plan an unforgettable golf trip. Thank You for putting together a fantastic trip for J.C. and me”
From WF Connecticut
“I think all eight of us would agree that Alun at Faraway Fairways did an absolutely wonderful job of putting this “golf vacation of a lifetime” together for us. His focus on the details was extraordinary from the choice of courses and the timing of the tee times, the amazingly beautiful accommodations along with some excellent meal selections, and the transportation options he provided to get us from place to place.”
From DR South Carolina
“You are about to tee it up in your Major. Seek wisdom, integrity and professionalism. Alun Davies and Faraway Fairways will not disappoint you. They cannot assure a calm sunny day with temperatures in the 70’s on the Old Course.”
From MM, California
“One fantastic trip you organized, and more importantly took ownership of in terms of daily communication and stewardship during our 2+ weeks in Scotland and Ireland. The logistics were spotless…100% of the transports were on time and excellent, the lodging choices spectacular and the golf was off the charts in terms of quality and arrangements made”
DH from California
“You cannot go wrong with the support Faraway Fairways offered. I did this trip solo and all last minute but I have already begun to plan the next trip which will include my best golfing buddies.”