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Southern Scotland - Dumfries and Galloway, Borders

Southerness Golf Club ()

This is one of the great Scottish links courses which is still largely unknown outwith the country and as such can be relied upon to be a peaceful and unhurried experience - "one of the great unsung links of mainland Britain", Golf Monthly. It was designed by Mackenzie Ross - while simultaneously working on the Ailsa course at Turnberry - and is invariably in excellent condition with fast, true greens.

Those familiar with Royal Portrush will find certain similarities with Southerness. Here too, many fairways bend at driving distance, and in the growing season, with profuse heather and waist high bracken, every tee shot becomes a test of nerve. The straightforward advice given by locals is "Straight is good - straight and long is even better".

Portpatrick Golf Club ()

A remote links in a glorious part of the country, it is always in excellent condition and proves a very testing examination when the wind blows. Dunskey, as the Portpatrick club is known, had, like many courses in Scotland, no known architect. It has simply evolved over the years into a totally natural cross between rolling moorland and seaside heath complete with gorse. While measuring only 5,732 yards, it is no place for the hacker or fainthearted. "Linksmen will love its challenge, and it says much about the place that most visitors are regulars. It's infectious and, by repute, incurable." Golf Monthly.

Powfoot Golf Club ()

Another classic Scottish links laid out alongside the Solway Firth. Like all courses in this part of the world you are invariably faced with empty fairways and the opportunity to play relaxed and contemplative golf. The quality of the course has long been recognised by those in the know, underlined by recent hostings of the British Seniors Open and the Scottish Girls Championship. The ninth hole, known as Crater, gets its name from the fact that a German bomb was dropped here during World War Two. This provides the hole's defining feature - a great, deep hollow some eighty yards short of the green and eating well into the right side of the fairway.

Dumfries and County Golf Club ()

A wonderful example of Scottish parkland golf, renowned for its superb greens and laid out alongside the River Nith. Founded in 1913, it's just under 6,000 yards to a par of 69, but with gorse and trees abounding it's not a place to practice your long driving. Designed by Willie Fearnie, the Open Champion of 1883, it is considered a minor masterpiece in the lists of Scottish inland courses.

The Roxburgh Golf Course ()

Opened in July 1997 - with an opening fourball consisting of the Duke of York, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Scotland Rugby Captain, Gavin Hastings - this is a top quality addition to the Scottish golfing lists and is rated in Golf Worlds top ten new courses in Britain. Situated in the wonderful Borders countryside, within the Duke of Roxburghe's 56,000 acre estate, the course will provide challenging golf for all levels.

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