More than ‘A Monster’
“I’m constantly asked which course I like best in the world... and give the same old answer: Carnoustie Championship!”
I might be a bit biased—this is, after all, my home turf. Despite its fearsome reputation, I’ve enjoyed some of my best rounds on ‘Car-nasty’. Good players are challenged with length, wind and well-placed hazards but us average players can plot our way around without too much damage!
More Than a Monster
The 13th on the Carnoustie Championship Course is beautiful to behold but hard to nail.
“There’s a lot more to the Carnoustie area than just ‘the most challenging golf course on the planet’.”
The famous Open venue sits where the River Tay spills into the North Sea, forming a triangle of luxurious links. Three 18-hole courses share this strip. There could be more! The sandy expanse, known as Barry Buddon, has room for another two top-class layouts, but the British Army laid claim to part of the land in the late 1800s and continues to use it as a rifle range.
“I’d like to introduce you to the rest of my home region…”
The Buddon Course is a delightful combination of links and heathland with a touch of parkland thrown in.
If you come to this part of Scotland to take on ‘The Beast’ (Carnoustie Championship course), good luck to you. I’m only kidding. It’s a wonderful experience. But for those who enjoy golf at a more leisurely pace and without the premium green fees, there’s much to enjoy around the area they refer to as ‘Carnoustie Country’.
I lived in this area for many years, born in Dundee before we emigrated to the US, then, eventually, back to the ancestral roots of Kirriemuir, birthplace of JM Barrie (author of Peter Pan), Bon Scott of AC DC and my kids.
Kirriemuir Golf Club stands 600 ft above sea level and was, for most of the winter, either playing off mats to temporary greens or thick with snow. But, a mere half-hour drive down to the coast offered frost-free play at Monifieth, Montrose, Panmure and the three Council-owned courses (including the Championship course) at Carnoustie.
SUMMER BLISS
For the rest of the year, Carnoustie Country is for me the place to be. There are 25 golf courses within the county of Angus and a handful more across the Border in Perthshire that are part of the deal. All are reachable in half an hour. As a golf travel writer and golf landscape photographer, I was welcomed at all of these courses regularly, so it was like a Busman’s holiday for me, which I admit, I took regular advantage of…
Starting in Carnoustie, the Buddon and Burnside courses are both excellent. If they were located elsewhere, they’d rank much higher on lists of Scotland’s top tracks. I’ve always had a soft spot for the Buddon—it’s where I learned the game. Recent improvements, including two new holes, have added bite to its charming mix of links, heathland, and even a touch of parkland. The Burnside is a step-up again, mirroring the big course.
Value-wise, a combination ticket lets you play all three courses over three days at a very reasonable rate., in the low season £315 or £420 in the high season.
The Burnside offers its own unique combinations of wonderful, links challenges
Panmure: Hogan’s Choice
Panmure 12th is divided by the trees with Monifieth’s Medal Course.
Just south of Carnoustie lies Panmure Golf Club, where Ben Hogan quietly prepared for his 1953 Open triumph. He especially admired the 6th, a dogleg par 4 climbing to an elevated green guarded by gorse and backed by the main East Coast rail line. Hogan even suggested adding a bunker right of the green, transforming it into one of the trickiest par 4s in Scotland.
Winter Solace
The 7th at Monifeith Medal is a great driving hole, usually into the wind with a snaky, sneaky burn to carry.
Next door to Panmure, Monifieth offers two enjoyable links layouts. I spent many a winter round here; the welcome is warm while the inland courses are hard with frost.
The Medal Course is a tough, traditional test—especially into a stiff southwesterly. It’s an Open Qualifying venue and criminally underrated. The shorter Ashludie still delivers fun, with clever greens and plenty of character.
Coastal Charmers
Heading north, Arbroath is a low-key seaside course with plenty of heart and is highly underrated. The terrain feels more inland in places, but the stretch from the par-3 7th—often battered by crosswinds—through the homeward run is pure coastal golf. It’s a local gem and well worth a stop.
At the turn, the 7th at Arbroath marks the beginning of a more linksy experience.
History in the Making
The 16th at Montrose Medal was a favourite of Ben Crenshaw, who incorporated it into some of his worldwide design projects.
Twelve miles further north sits Montrose Golf Links, the fifth-oldest course in the world, with recorded play dating back to 1562. Back then, Mary Queen of Scots was working on her short game—and avoiding execution.
Montrose once offered 25 continuous holes before Old Tom Morris standardised things to 18. It hosted an Open event in 1888, featuring legends like Old Tom, Ben Sayers, and Willie Park Jr. The rugged, authentic feel of Montrose makes every round here a journey through centuries of golf history.
Country Cousins
“The Angus Glens often peek into view from the coast, but inland is where you’ll find some of the region’s most charming heathland and parkland courses.”
Hole 14, a tricky par 3 called ‘Majuba’ plays longer than the card with a deceptive tilt to the green.
Edzell, just inland from Montrose, is a James Braid classic, laid out in 1933. Surrounded by rolling hills and blessed with firm, free-draining turf, it’s one of Scotland’s finest inland tracks.
Brechin leans more parkland in style, but with constant views of the Angus Glens, it’s a peaceful, satisfying round.
Brechin is a nice parkland/heathland with constant, beautiful views of the Angus Glens.
Forfar, though 15 miles from the coast, plays like a true links. Once used to dry flax, its heaving, undulating fairways create unpredictable bounces and lies, adding an extra layer of challenge.
The 17th at Forfar gives some indication of the course’s links-style terrain, even though it’s 15 miles from the nearest waves.
Home to Peter Pan author JM Barrie and AC/DC’s Bon Scott, Kirriemuir Golf Club stays perennially fresh.
And don’t overlook Kirriemuir, hometown of Peter Pan author JM Barrie and rock legend Bon Scott. Short but strategic, its fast, sloping greens and tree-lined fairways make it a fine test for any handicap.
Carnoustie Country
Carnoustie’s Open Championship course might grab the headlines (and American tour buses) but the surrounding region is a treasure trove for golfers of all levels and purses. From ancient links to highland heathland, the diversity, challenge, and charm of Carnoustie Country make it a destination well worth exploring in greater depth.
