The Feeling

Carnoustie’s Championship is one of the courses that every golfer in the world wants to play. Voted the World’s Best Golf Course in 2019, venue for eight Open Championships and two Women’s Opens, Carnoustie is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, memorable golf courses that you’ll ever play, not just in Scotland but in all of golf. This bucket list venue, also known as the toughest venue on The Open rota, is a course that challenges each person who visits and is rightly known as Golf’s Greatest Test. It will make you think on every shot, there’s no escaping the course once you’ve started, one of the beauties of Carnoustie is the way in which it grabs hold of you, immerses you in the landscape and takes you on a journey. That deep breath that’s taken on the first just before teeing off is only exhaled on stepping off at the 18th.

The Course

The first record of golf played on this links land dates to 1527. In 1842, a 10-hole course was designed by Alan Robertson followed by an 18-hole course by Old Tom Morris in 1857. James Braid extended the layout in 1926 which is essentially the links found today.

As you progress through the course, every step is worth savouring, you will walk the old links taking the same delight in the challenges of this incredible course that have tested golfers for hundreds of years, encountering unique features and hazards synonymous and unique to these famous Scottish links. Carnoustie is wonderfully exposed to the elements, with wind directions designed to keep you thinking each step of the way.

Follow in the footsteps of legends on a links that has played host to the world’s greatest golfers and produced many of golf’s most dramatic moments. Choose your shot carefully on 6, fondly named Hogan’s Alley after the great golfer himself, keep out of the Spectacles bunkers at 14, and plan to land your shot neatly on the Island formed by the famous Barry Burn on 17.

As you continue around the course, you will understand its charm as a golfing venue, with vistas from the tees and fairways which confound, tempt and please you. Culminating in the last three holes better known as the finest finish in golf anywhere in the world. As you approach the final holes, accuracy is what’s needed as you face narrow corridors from the tee while approach shots demand precision to greens heavily guarded by steep bunkers and burns. As well as being the finest, Carnoustie presents without doubt the ultimate toughest finish in Championship Golf. You will step off this course wearing you round like a badge of honour, leaving you knowing that not only have you done it, but having truly lived it.

This is Scottish links golf at its absolute best

The History

History is not only stories at Carnoustie, it’s engrained in the place. With a list of legends such as Ben Hogan, Tom Watson and Gary Player hoisting the Claret Jug and more recently Paul Lawrie, Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari in 2018. Carnoustie’s history extends further than just the players that have walked the Championship links, it has also contributed to the world of golf through the innovative nature of the people themselves. It is documented that around 300 Carnoustie residents in the early 1900’s emigrated to the United States of America (fondly known as The Carnoustie 300) and took with them not only club making skills but golfing talent in abundance. Many golf clubs in the United States can trace a direct line to Carnoustie through the contribution given by these immigrants from Scotland, establishing Carnoustie as the ancestral home of American golf.

Carnoustie’s other contributions include being the very first to use white and red flags on the courses and the town proudly boasts the first and oldest ladies club in the world, keeping true to its long-standing value of inclusivity. A number of forward tees, including the new black and green tee’s, provide an opportunity for anyone looking to enjoy Golf’s Greatest Test with a more comfortable round. You’re always going to be challenged at Carnoustie, that’s why you visit, but these excellent tees will allow you to customise your round and set the level of challenge that you’re looking for.

The Facilities

Off the course, The Rookery Restaurant and Bar allows you to enjoy a panoramic view over a course of legends and the opportunity to relive a day that will stay with you forever. The Rookery showcases the best produce Scotland has to offer where you can enjoy a relaxed lunch or dinner with great service. With a focus on local, seasonal produce, the menu is designed for informal lunch and dinner time dining pre or post-round, and the chance to review or prepare for your round over a cold refreshing drink.

Leading the way once again, Carnoustie boasts its unique state-of-the-art indoor golf facilities delivering a premium warm up and practice experience. The Performance Centre houses seven simulator bays. Six of the bays, complete with GC2 launch monitors and a seventh teaching studio bay, which comprises of a GCQuad launch monitor, balance plate and camera analysis technology. You will warm up in style before venturing out to take on your own unique Championship Course challenge.

Further to The Carnoustie Championship Course, Carnoustie also gives you two more courses to enjoy while you are there, the challenging Carnoustie Burnside and Carnoustie Buddon Links. Before Ben Hogan could win the 1953 Open at Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland he had to qualify. Incredibly, the great man travelled to Carnoustie in Scotland with no guarantee of even making the 1953 Open Championship field. Of course, he did qualify though and he did so on Carnoustie’s Burnside Course, making the Burnside Course an opportunity for a double-dose at history.

Not only is the Championship course itself a marvellous piece of Scotland to behold, but the journey to the course is an adventure in itself – from travelling through the iconic landscapes of Scotland, arriving at Links House, checking in next to The Claret Jug in the atrium then placing a tee on the first hole.

The Memories

Carnoustie is an immersive landscape, it’s much more than a round of golf, it’s a moment that will be remembered for a lifetime. It’s where you can experience Golf’s Greatest Test and make incredible, unique and unrivalled memories and walk off with the rewarding feeling of accomplishment that only comes with such a personal achievement.

W: Carnoustie Golf Links
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T:  +44(0)1241 802270

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