These 11 great Scottish links courses can be played for under £50 this summer

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Scotland and the golf links are inextricably linked – even if most courses in the country are not beach golf experiences.

In addition, popular links courses can even cost you a pretty penny to play if you can find a tee time.

But here are 11 you can play for under £50 this summer.

Winterfield Golf Club

A superb 18-hole course with stunning views of the Lammermuir Hills in the background, as well as the Firth of Forth, Bass Rock, and the Isle of May.

Visiting this beautiful course will not let you down.

Located in Dunbar on Scotland's Golf Coast, It is the ultimate test of golf and an 18-hole masterpiece when it comes to beauty.

The views are spectacular, from the great hole of Whelkie Haugh to the challenging eighteenth at St Margaret's.

Summer Green Fee: £33

Musselburgh Links, The Old Golf Course

The Old Golf Course at Musselburgh Links was part of the first round of the Open Championship and played host to the famous tournament six times before the turn of the 20th century.

It's incredibly affordable on the course where you go and you can rent a set of hickory clubs to experience what the real links do.

Better players who use modern clubs may find this course a touch on the short and easy side and may be better off going for the old school experience.

The course is quite short at 3000 yards and a bit of a back and forth at times but well worth a visit if you enjoy history and culture.

The course is open and available to play all year round except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Summer Green Fee: £17.50

Strathlene Golf Club

If you are serious about playing a historic links course that offers a challenge to players of all levels and is dog friendly from the clubhouse to the course then look no further than Strathlene Buckie Golf Club.

A stunning cliff-top links course, Strathlene Buckie Golf Club is notable for combining the modern and the old with its combination of restoration and renewal.

Redesigned holes will give players a unique challenge, when you go in, you will play some original holes like those that were more than 120 years ago.

Playing nearly 6,000 yards from the fairways, Strathlene offers golfers of all levels ample challenge.

Unstructured fairways, elevated greens and well-placed fairways make it a course for the discerning player, where course management and ball placement promise strong scores.

Summer Green Fee: £40

Kings Links Golf Course

Kings Links Golf Course in Aberdeenshire offers stunning views of the Coast Mountains, Mount Baker, and the Gulf Islands and a level of challenge that will suit most players.

It is much warmer and drier than many other seaside links courses in Scotland and as such, it is a course that can be played all year round.

The area is completely devoid of large trees, due to their age, but the foliage does not provide any protection from the wind which creates a challenge.

Summer Green Fee: £20

Isle of Colonsay Golf Course

This course is another traditional Scottish short course that takes you back in time.

The 18-hole golf course at Machrins on the west coast of the island is reputedly over 200 years old, having first been played in 1775, and was well known and recorded as a feature of island life in the late 19th century.

Set on a traditional machair – short grass growing on sandy soil, typical of the best Scottish links golf courses – this property is surrounded by two beautiful Hebridean sandy bays, crossed by two burns and has beautiful panoramic views of the sea and the ocean. on the edge of the island.

The course was laid out by a professional in the 1930s and, save for some changes to accommodate the airstrip a few years ago, remains the same today.

This natural course has no lodges but features sheep's huts which many say is the origin of today's lodge.

Fortunately, the local rules allow popular lies on all fairways and the free drop of balls that disappear into rabbit holes or are snatched by crows.

Summer Green Fee: £10

Balnagask Golf Course

Built at the mouth of Aberdeen Harbor and surrounding the North Sea, the views up and down the coast and across the busy harbor and city beyond are stunning.

Widely recognized as one of the finest municipal 18-hole courses in Scotland, James Braid, Archie Simpson and the Hawtree family all contributed to the design of this coastal golf experience. Located in the heart of a nature conservation area, the stunning architecture demands equal measure of emotion and balance.

Balnagask is a unique course that offers a variety of holes in an attractive setting.

Players will enjoy a naturally changing coastal landscape that offers hidden lanes, high-rises, high-walled canyons and a host of interesting features including the Girdleness Lighthouse and the Medieval Torry Battery.

Summer Green Fee: £15

Shiskine Golf Club

It may not be a full 18 hole course but Shiskine is a great place to spend some time.

The course itself has a total of 12 holes but is an ocean links course with stunning views.

The course is always in good condition, the greens staff take great pride in the course and work hard to keep it in top condition.

Founded in 1896, Shiskine has many “blind” holes with names like “Crows Nest” and “Himalayas”.

There are 2 burns across the course and some ups and downs but overall it's an amazing course in an unforgettable setting that offers an inviting offering.

Summer Green Fee: £37

Troon Fullarton

We've included the three courses of Troon, Fullarton, Darley and Lochgreen as three entries but the keen golfer has plenty of options for a round in South Ayrshire, a region worth visiting for links enthusiasts.

The Fullarton is the shortest of the three courses at Troon Links, with rounds often taking less than three hours to complete.

This course is perfect for beginners but still provides enough of a challenge for the more experienced golfer as accuracy is key on the short holes.

Summer Green Fee: £30

Troon Darley

Darley is the newest of the three Troon Links courses but for many, it is the favorite of the three.

It offers perhaps the strongest challenge of the three courses and should get the blood pumping somehow.

Darley plays a par 72 over its 18 holes and ranks high in terms of value-for-money experience.

Summer Green Fee: £37

Troon Lochgreen

You can walk in the giants' footsteps at Lochgreen where Jack Nicklaus qualified for his first ever Open.

Purists will point out that this course is not a true links structure as some of its holes are strictly parkland settings.

However, the unique combination of old and new creates a delightfully unique experience for the player.

It's worth noting that Golf South Ayrshire owns and operates eight courses in the area and offers great group rates and discounts and can help you put together a fantastic golf trip.

Summer Green Fee: £37

Reay Golf Club

An unrivaled links experience in the Highlands of Scotland, Reay Golf Club is well worth the journey it takes to reach this gem.

It is the most northerly 18-hole course in mainland Britain, and Reay's unique distinction adds to the appeal of this unique golfing destination.

The value you get from Reay is unmatched. With affordable day tickets priced at just £50 from April to October and a steal at £30 a day from November to March, if you're willing to brave the winter in the Highlands, you'll be hard-pressed to find better value. to find golf links of this quality anywhere in the world let alone in Scotland.

Summer Green Fee: £50 (Per Day)