The 13 best golf courses in Scotland | GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World

By: Jessica Marksbury

November 5, 2023

Scotland boasts 13 of GOLF's Top 100 World courses.

Clockwise: Gary Lisbon, Getty Images (2), Paul Severn

If you’re craving a getaway abroad and seeking a destination where you can play a high number of GOLF’s Top 100 Courses in the World in one trip, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better destination than Scotland.

The home of golf seems made for jaw-dropping courses, with a varied landscape that includes mountains, lochs, woodlands and sandy beaches. And the best part? Even the private courses are generally accessible to the public in some way.

GOLF’s latest ranking includes a total of 13 courses in Scotland, which surpasses the number in Ireland (six) by seven and England (10) by three.

Unsurprisingly, the Old Course at St. Andrews is Scotland’s top-ranked course, coming in at No. 3, followed by Royal Dornoch, which leaped two spots to crack the top 10 this year.

Scotland boasts an impressive three courses in the top 12 with the inclusion of Muirfield, and four in the top 18, with Trump Turnberry’s Ailsa.

Check out the list of all 13 Scottish courses in GOLF’s Top 100 World ranking below.

The 13 best golf courses in Scotland

3. St. Andrews (Old Course) (St. Andrews, Scotland)

the 14th at st andrews' old course — The 14th at St. Andrews. Getty Images

10. Royal Dornoch (Dornoch, Scotland)

best golf courses walk — It’s tough to beat a stroll around Royal Dornoch. Getty Images

12. Muirfield (Gullane, Scotland)

A view of Muirfield in Scotland — A beautiful view of Muirfield. LC Lambrecht

18. Trump Turnberry (Ailsa) (Turnberry, Scotland)

30. North Berwick (West) (North Berwick, Scotland)

a view of north berwick west links — The West links at North Berwick. Gary Lisbon

40. Carnoustie (Championship) (Carnoustie, Scotland)

56. Cruden Bay (Cruden Bay, Scotland)

A stunning aerial of Cruden Bay. Gary Lisbon

63. Prestwick (Prestwick, Scotland)

65. Ardfin (Isle of Jura, Scotland)

the chasm at Ardfin — The chasm at Ardfin. Konrad Borkowski

66. Royal Troon (Old) (Troon, Scotland)

Royal Troon has a stellar list of champions in its history, including Arnold Palmer and Tom Watson. Getty Images

86. Kingsbarns (Kingsbarns, Scotland)

89. Castle Stuart (Castle Stuart, Scotland)

the 18th at castle stuart — The 18th at Castle Stuart. Stephen Szurlej

97. Machrihanish (Campbeltown, Scotland)

The opening hole at Machrihanish in Scotland. Eric Hepworth

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Issue, which debuted in February 2018. Her original interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.