Glenmuir's Golf Journal

A round at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island, the Pete and Alice Dye design that hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships, and which will host its third PGA in 2031. The course carries the highest slope rating in the United States, and on a 30mph day it earns every point of it.

A first-hand round at Harbour Town, the Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus collaboration that opened in November 1969 with Arnold Palmer winning the inaugural Heritage. The course set among the live oaks and the Spanish moss, finishing beside the lighthouse on Calibogue Sound, that taught American golf course architecture how to think small again.

A first-hand round at Royal County Down, ranked the world’s number one course by Golf Digest for the sixth consecutive edition, paired with a closing round at neighbouring Ardglass and its fifteenth-century clubhouse. Twenty-four hours in Newcastle, County Down, and the question every golfer eventually asks: does the course live up to the ranking?

A journey along Japan’s Golden Route during cherry blossom season, from Tokyo’s astonishing golf retail to the famous Fuji Course at Kawana. A first-person account of the country where precision, patience and the acceptance of fleeting perfection define both the game and the culture.

Two of Scotland’s most significant cultural exports, born a generation apart and intertwined ever since. The history, the hip flask tradition, the distillery trails worth a detour, and what makes a good dram for the course.

Nobody will shout at you for breaking them. But observing Scotland’s unwritten rules of golf etiquette, from letting faster groups through to removing your hat in the clubhouse, makes the difference between being a welcome guest and the kind of visitor that the members discuss after you have left.

No carts. No cart girls. Nobody telling you what tee to play from. Scottish golf operates by a different set of rules, and overseas visitors who arrive prepared for the differences will have the trip of a lifetime. Those who do not may spend the first three holes wondering where the drinks cart is.

Founded in 1892, Palmetto Golf Club in Aiken, South Carolina is the second oldest 18-hole golf course in America on its original site. Designed in part by Alister MacKenzie immediately after he completed Augusta National, Palmetto opens its gates to visitors for a single week each year. That week is Masters week.

A ferry crossing in winter, a drive through mountains and past fleeting deer, and 12 holes on a cliff-top links that asks only to be experienced. A visit to Shiskine Golf Club on the Isle of Arran.

An Alister MacKenzie design for £31.50. A true links course on the Aberdeen coast for the same. A round at the tip of Kintyre that was once a fiver. Scotland’s best golf does not always come with a championship price tag, and some of the finest rounds in the country cost less than a decent bottle of wine.

While the USA boasts opulent halfway houses as a norm, the UK’s approach blends tradition with quiet innovation. From a converted lighthouse on the Ayrshire coast to an unmanned bothy in the Highlands serving Baileys hot chocolate, here is a curated journey through the finest halfway houses in British golf, and the unwritten etiquette that makes them work.

Everyone who visits St Andrews wants to play the Old Course. But the Home of Golf has seven other courses within walking distance, and some of them might just give you a better day out.

Every golfer visiting Scotland dreams of the famous names. But the courses next door, the ones the locals quietly prefer, might just be where the real magic happens.

Golf and railways have been inseparable in Scotland since the very first sleeper was laid. From holes named after the tracks that border them to an entire coastline of courses born because Glaswegians could take the train to the seaside, here is the story of Scotland's railway golf trail.

Learn more about links golf, which is golf played on coastal courses.

Historic Wykagyl Country Club delivered my best round in ten years. The secret? World-class caddies, Tillinghast's strategic design, and the kind of quiet prestige you rarely find anymore. From dress code essentials to hole-by-hole strategy, here's your complete guide to playing this East Coast treasure.

Discover the world’s finest 19th holes span from Portugal’s award-winning Palmares to California’s iconic Pebble Beach, each offering distinctive post-round experiences. These five legendary clubhouses combine architectural excellence with golfing heritage.

Escape the winter freeze or simply start a new festive tradition with our guide to the best golf courses open on Christmas Day 2025. From the sunny fairways of Gran Canaria to the tropical greens of Mauritius, discover six world-class destinations welcoming golfers on December 25th, along with essential tips for securing your holiday tee time.

Heading overseas for a golf getaway? Ensure you are prepared for every fairway and forecast. We explore the essential packing lists and dress code requirements for the world's most popular golfing destinations.

Join Eden Athletic courtesy of Glenmuir for an inside look at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. From McIlroy’s precision to Åberg’s finesse, this European perspective captures the calm before a historic away win.