When to find cheapest rounds at Tayside and Fife's top golf courses

The Courier

01-05-2025

The demand to play a round of golf at Scotland's courses continues to grow.
And here in Tayside and Fife, we are blessed with some of the best in the world – including Open Championship hosts St Andrews and Carnoustie, and Gleneagles, where Ryder and Solheim cups have been played out.
In order to meet that demand, St Andrews Links Trust is offering Scottish residents the chance to play several of its most famous courses – including the Old Course – at a near-90% discount.
Off the back of that announcement, we've taken a look at where you can find the cheapest rounds at the region's top courses as the summer season kicks in.
All the courses here are among the top 50 best courses in Scotland and are listed in order of their ranking.
The prices are for adults, with most of the courses offering cheaper rates for juniors.
The world's most famous course normally costs £340 to play.
However, St Andrews Links Trust's initiative – The Drive – will give 44 golfers the chance to play the Old Course for just on May 21.
Players must enter a ballot for the chance to participate.
Playing the course that hosted the 2018 Open Championship does not come particularly cheap.
A round here during the high season – May to October – .
There is also a deal to play all three Carnoustie courses on consecutive days for £420.
A standard 18-hole round at the Fife course, one of the hosts of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship each autumn, will set you back £448 during high season – which runs from May 1 until November 9.
There is a cheaper rate available to PGA or Bigga members, however, who can play for .
As with many of the top courses, winter is the best time to get a cheap round at the famous Perthshire resort.
From July to September, one round on each course costs £330, with a full-day ticket costing £500.
In October, the cost of a round on both courses drops to , with a full-day ticket reduced to £295
The cost drops again to in November and in December.
Gleneagles also offers discounts for visitors staying at the resort.
A recent addition to Scotland's golf offering, a round at Dumbarnie will cost visitors £335 between May and October.
However, Fife residents can play during the high season for while Scottish residents are charged , if booked within 21 days of play.
In peak season, a round costs £145 during the week and £160 at weekends.
However, during the low season from the end of October to the end of March, there is a dramatic fall in prices with a weekday round costing , rising to £75 at the weekend.
Although cheaper than the town's Championship course, Panmure still costs £190 for a round between May and September – rising to £195 for 2026.
However, playing in October this year costs less at £160.
The cheapest prices are available to UK golf club members, who can play for in May to September or in October.
Winter prices have not been confirmed on the club's website.
Set on a rugged clifftop with spectacular views over the town, playing the Castle Course normally costs £180 during high season or £125 during shoulder season (October 20-November 2).
However, this course is also part of the Drive initiative – meaning there will be rounds available for just on September 9, 17, 21 and 26, and October 13.
However, the theme and criteria for these cheaper rounds are yet to be confirmed.
As with many of the region's courses, UK-based golfers can get cheaper rounds at Lundin.
Rounds normally cost £165 before 1.30pm and £140 after that time.
However, this drops to and respectively for UK residents.
October rounds are priced at £135 before 1.30pm and £115 after 1.30pm.
A round on the Rosemount course in Blairgowrie costs £155, with a day ticket also allowing visitors to play a round on the Lansdowne course for £230.
Costs drop in October to £100 and £150 respectively.
From November to March, however, the cost is just per round.
Through the Drive initiative, the Jubilee Course is available to play for just per round.
However, as with other courses taking part, there are limited tee times on four dates in September and October.
Details on how to enter are still to be confirmed.
The normal green fee on this course is £150.
Prices at the Angus course, considered the fifth oldest in the world, range from £100 to £200 in peak season.
However, an SGU card-holder can play from £85.
The costs drop during April to £80-£110.
The cheapest time to play is November to March, when rounds cost between and .
Peak-time rounds at this popular north-east Fife course cost £110, rising to £200 for a two-ball, £270 for three and £325 for a group of four.
However, prices drop to per round out of season, with evening tee-offs costing just