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Toronto Sun
29-07-2025
- Toronto Sun
Where to stay near the best golf courses in Scotland and Ireland
It may be a common assumption that golf and luxury hotels go hand-in-hand, but where golf took root, this wasn't always the case. Published Jul 29, 2025 • Last updated 37 minutes ago • 7 minute read North Berwick Golf Club, founded in 1832, runs along the northeast Scottish coast and is about an hour from Edinburgh. Photo by TOM CHAPLIN / Photographer: TOM CHAPLIN Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. If you're the kind of golfer who has a bucket list, then experiencing the sport's first — and probably still most thrilling — courses in Scotland and Ireland, where the game was born, is somewhere near the top. But until recently, a trip like that meant staying in accommodations that didn't always match their spectacular settings. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The typical 'cozy' inns you'd find had few, if any, memorable features and little approaching luxury amenities. Most rooms were small and either too drafty or too stuffy. Water vacillated between scalding and suitable for a cold plunge and required an engineer's precision to dial in to the right temperature — that was if you were able to navigate the dual faucet setup. Televisions the size of a cinder block (and offering about as many channels) were tucked high into the corner of the rooms and the en suite bathroom lacked a shower. Food was an afterthought at best. But all this mattered little when you found yourself delighting in a round at Brora in the Scottish Highlands or at Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. In fact, when the late billionaire Julian Robertson set out to build Kauri Cliffs, his oceanside dream course in New Zealand, his own experience traveling to the storied courses in Great Britain and Ireland led him to conclude that great lodging wasn't part of the calculus for a great golf trip. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. That is until his wife intervened. It may be a common assumption that golf and luxury hotels go hand-in-hand, but on these windswept islands where golf took root, this wasn't always the case. In its ancestral home, the game is more egalitarian and democratic than it is in the US or, say, the Caribbean. But that's started to change as local courses try to capture all the rich Americans traveling abroad. As Robertson's wife Josie wisely observed, golf trips have grown up, and people want hotels that match their budget and expectations. It's not just better sleeping quarters they crave; it's better food and service too. One hotel brand that's positioned itself to take advantage of this sea change is Marine &Lawn, which opened in 2021 with two hotels and now has six locations, including their newest property, Portrush Adelphi. All their hotels have a golf bent and are strategically positioned near some of the game's most coveted outposts. The North Berwick Golf Club, for instance, was until recently known only to the most astute golfers when the Marine & Lawn hotel there opened, and Dornoch Station, their hotel near Royal Dornoch, positions guests near one of the game's most architecturally interesting courses in a breathtaking setting. Plan your next getaway with Travel Time, featuring travel deals, destinations and gear. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Adelphi, like other Marine & Lawn properties, leans on the golf heritage of its local course: a clubby atmosphere, with rich, dark hues on the walls, carpets and furniture. The property, as well as its sister hotels, feels less like a hotel and more like a curated home passed down through the generations, despite having opened this Aprilin time for this year's Open Championship, one of professional golf's four major tournaments. Its Red Sail Room Bar & Restaurant features fresh seafood and a Mediterranean-inspired menu along with plenty of red meat and fine whiskey. Rates start at £241 (US$283)/night. But Marine & Lawn isn't the only new kid on the block. If you want to play on some of the world's best golf courses in the game's ancient home, you now have more options than ever that are charming, comfortable and even glamorous. Just don't get so comfortable that you miss your tee time. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. St. Andrews Close to: The Old Course and Kingsbarns This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Old Course at St. Andrews is considered the first golf course and to many still the most inspiring and inventive, making it a must-stop on every golfer's wish list. This boutique hotel, which opened in February, features rooms decorated with dark wood furniture and tartan blankets on the bed. Creamy marble bathrooms have soaker tubs that promise to work out the kinks in your back if not your swing. The in-house Ondine Oyster & Grill is also a brightly appointed affair entirely free of kitschy, '19th hole' vibes. For a nightcap, hit the Bow Butts Bar, where rich mahogany and leather seating will take the chill out on sight alone. From £740/night. Fingal Hotel Edinburgh Close to: The Musselburgh Golf Club and Gullane Golf Club This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Scotland's capital is within striking distance of excellent golf and abounds with luxury offerings, but Fingal House, a permanently berthed floating hotel in the Port of Leith, is worth seeking out. It was built by the Northern Lighthouse Board in 1963 to ferry lighthouse keepers and supplies to the west and north of Scotland. Older than most hotels on this list (it opened in 2019), the Fingal wisely avoided nautical clichés — no ships in a bottle on the desk or that sort of thing. Instead, warm, intimate rooms with blond wood and crisp white sheets have a Scandinavian feel. In addition to cabin rooms, the hotel also offers four two-story duplex rooms and several luxury suites if you need a little more space on board. From £323/night. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Edinburgh Close to: Mortonhall Golf Club and Kilspindie Golf Club This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another option that puts you only two hours from the famed courses of the Scottish Highlands, Virgin Hotels Edinburgh opened in 2022. High-ceilinged rooms are bright and elegant with colorful accents. Cherry-red (Virgin's signature color) SMEG fridges in the suites do double duty as bar carts. Even golf obsessives won't want to miss afternoon tea on the weekends at the top of the cupola in the circular Oculus Lounge. From £391/night. Ardbeg House Isle of Islay Close to: Another Place, the Machrie and Ardfin This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Distilleries abound on Islay, but there's a fine golf course there, too, and another on the nearby Isle of Jura. Ardberg House, formerly the Islay Hotel, was purchased by the Ardberg Distillery in 2022 and will reopen in September after a revamp from Russell Sage Studios. Sage reimagines the quaint 12-room hotel with striking, surprisingly groovy interiors, including rooms with dark patterned ceilings and accented by brightly colored headboards and seating. The bar promises a 'spectacular range of malts' befitting the old-whisky legacy of Scotland. From £561/night. IRELAND Cashel Palace Hotel Cashel Close to: Cork Golf Club This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Dating to 1732, this former palace sits in the shadow of the Rock of Cashel. After an extensive renovation that began in 2017 (and ran until 2022 thanks to COVID-19 delays), the hotel won a Michelin Key in 2024. It's now a dreamy mix of cozy antiques and elegant contemporary decor; carriage house rooms feature exposed beams. The hotel is family friendly, with an outdoor pool and on-site babysitting. A lush spa and a one-star Michelin restaurant, the Bishop's Buttery, are sure to please the grown-ups. From €395/night. Lough Eske Castle Donegal Close to: St. Patrick's Links and Narin & Portnoo This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In 2024, Lough Eske completed a €5 million renovation that added 25 luxury rooms known as the Donegal Suites, which are ideal for multigenerational groups traveling to the Wild Atlantic Way. It's also a great home base for those seeking some of the better golf in Ireland. At night, head down to Whiskey Cellar, near Father Browne's Bar, for a whisky tasting. From US$363/night. The Leinster Dublin Close to: Portmarnock Golf Club and the Island This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Leinster, opened in March 2024 in the Merrion Square neighborhood, and is the perfect place to revel in Dublin's literary heritage while also serving as home base for the best golf on the eastern coast. Famed golf writer Bernard Darwin (grandson to Charles) said of nearby Portmarnock, 'I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last five holes at Portmarnock Golf Club.' Headboards upholstered in graphic florals coordinate with red velvet benches. The Jean-Georges Rooftop Restaurant is the celebrated chef's first restaurant in Ireland. From US$375/night. Adare Manor Adare Close to: Ballybunion Golf Club This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Adare has a reputation for being one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. The stately gray manor, set on 840 acres of parkland, rises in the distance as you approach. The exposed castle walls in the Michelin-star Oak Room restaurant will remind you of the hotel's past, as will the large tapestries hanging over your headboard. The comforters seem as thick as the mattress. There is an on-site chocolatier at the Harry Lowes cottage, named for a former groundskeeper, where handmade treats can be found each day. Although Adare Manor is not new, it will soon be top of mind with golfers as it is set to host the 2027 Ryder Cup,the international golf event that pits the best golfers from Europe against those from the US. The event has grown into one of the most exciting sporting events of the year, and if a stay at Adare Manor is feasible, find your way to County Limerick. From US$1,400/night. MLB Ontario Toronto & GTA Golf Editorial Cartoons
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Can't Get A Tee Time at The Renaissance Club? Try This Nearby Gem Instead
Can't Get A Tee Time at The Renaissance Club? Try This Nearby Gem Instead originally appeared on Athlon Sports. July kicks off two of the best weeks for watching professional golf, with back-to-back tournaments across the pond at the Scottish Open and The Open Championship. Advertisement For American viewers, we get to set aside our parkland courses for a moment and get a glimpse into links golf at its finest, as the world's best golfers compete on some of the oldest, most storied golf courses in the world. For the golfing audience, it also gets the juices flowing for bucket-list golf courses to add to your future vacation plans, since the only thing more fun than watching the world's best play links golf is to watch them play a links course you've also played. The Renaissance Club in East Lothian, Scotland, is certainly one of those bucket-list courses. Situated directly next to Old Tom Morris' iconic Muirfield, home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers since 1891, The Renaissance Club is young compared to its neighbor to the west. Jordan Spieth during a practice round for The Open Championship© Jack Gruber-Imagn Images Constructed in 2008, The Renaissance Club has quickly garnered prestige and is lauded for its modern design, coastal views and challenging layout. It has hosted the Scottish Open for seven straight years and will also host the event in 2026. Advertisement If you'd like to play The Renaissance Club and aren't a member nor friends with any members, you probably will have a hard time getting a tee time. The club is notoriously exclusive, and while the Visit East Lothain website mentions a 'One Time Experience' program where non-members can play the Tom Doak designed masterpiece, The Renaissance Club's website doesn't mention any such program, nor does it mention much of anything at all — it only has three buttons, "Scottish Open", "Membership" and "Members Login". But worry not, as a rare gem awaits nearby. Located along the Firth of Forth, just four miles to the east of The Renaissance Club, is North Berwick Golf Club. Founded in 1832, the club prides itself on its history as the 13th oldest golf club in the world. North Berwick Golf Club, West Links is ranked sixth on the Top 100 Golf Courses "Best Courses in Scotland" list, just behind Carnoustie and ahead of Kingsbarns Golf Links, two of the three courses played during The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. It has hosted qualifying for The Open Championship and Ladies Amateur Championships. Advertisement The 6,591-yard links course features stunning ocean views, including six holes where the beach is actually in play, stone walls near greens and in the middle of fairways, hidden burns and at times wildly undulating fairways and greens that require creative shot making. Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth enjoyed a round at North Berwick West Links in 2023, and videos posted to the DP World Tour's TikTok account show the duo having an absolute blast putting between the stone walls and chipping to the complex greens. No better hole sums up the quirk and charm of The West Links at North Berwick Golf Club than the 18th, a short par 4 measuring 277 yards from the farthest tees, just begging for you to drive the green, with one catch. The parking lot runs suspiciously close to the right side of the hole and very near the right side of the green, so much so that the yardage book reads, "Concentrate — car repairs can be costly." Advertisement The best part? North Berwick Golf Club reserves windows of tee times for non-members, making it one of the more accessible premium links golf course experiences out there. So if you make it out to Scotland for that bucket-list golf trip, make sure to get a round in at North Berwick Golf Club. And park your car between the first and third lamp post, nearer to the 18th tee, just to be safe. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
NBC Sports
10-07-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Jake Knapp's family round at North Berwick was a '12' on a scale of 1 to 10
Rex Hoggard reports on how Scottie Scheffler is bringing a "clear game plan" to the Genesis Scottish Open and Rory McIlroy's outlook in a links golf event before returning home for The Open Championship. NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – The Genesis Scottish Open has become the perfect tune-up for players heading to The Open Championship, as well as an ideal introduction to links golf for the uninitiated. Count Jake Knapp among the links newcomers to fully embrace the ancient style of play. His first trip to Scotland got started with a round at North Berwick's West Links, one of the world's most storied links courses and a frequent stop for players arriving for the co-sanctioned Scottish Open. Rickie Fowler, who regularly sneaks in a moonlight round at North Berwick, told Knapp, 'it was a place [he] had to go' during a conversation at last week's John Deere Classic, and he helped facilitate the round. Knapp teed off Monday at 4 p.m. and played eight holes before a storm paused the round. 'We hid for 30, 40 minutes and then jumped back out on No. 12 and played in,' said Knapp, who had never played a true links course before this week. A post shared by North Berwick Golf Club (@northberwickgolfclub) On a scale of 1 to 10, Knapp said the round was a '12' and it was made even more special playing alongside his father and his caddie with his mother and girlfriend walking with the group. 'My dad and I don't get to play golf together anymore,' said Knapp, who opened with a 64 Thursday at the Scottish Open and was tied for the early lead. 'It was blowing 35 mph on the front nine, straight into the wind the entire time and it was just fun to have a hit-and-giggle round like that. It cleared up on the holes back into the clubhouse and it was just perfect with rainbows in the sky. You couldn't have asked for a better day.' North Berwick has become an outlier on the PGA Tour with players regularly playing late-evening rounds, which is rare for the game's best players. 'Almost zero,' Knapp said when asked how often he'll play a recreational round during a tournament. 'Maybe at [the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am] I could go play Cypress, but I didn't do it this year. That would be about it.'
Daily Mirror
03-06-2025
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful UK seaside town 30 minutes from major city 'perfect' staycation spot
North Berwick in East Lothian is a short 30-minute train ride out of Edinburgh, providing sweeping views of the Firth of Forth, some great places to eat and the North Berwick Golf Club A seaside town that has been a fashionable holiday hotspot for over 100 years is perhaps the perfect place for a UK holiday. North Berwick in East Lothian is a short 30-minute train ride out of Edinburgh, roughly 20 km along the coast to the east. On a clear, wind-free day, it can be reached from the Scottish capital by bike in just over an hour. The arrival of the railway in the 19th century brought holidaymakers to North Berwick, which has been called the 'Biarritz of the North' by some. It is perhaps most famous for the North Berwick Golf Club, which was founded in 1832 and delivers stunning views and challenging holes. North Berwick is becoming increasingly popular as a place to live, thanks to the rising property prices in Edinburgh that are pushing people further out of the city. The Capital's loss is North Berwick's gain. In recent years the movement of younger people to the town has brought with it trendy coffee shops, fun bars and a new lease of life. Which is why the Telegraph named North Berwick it's number one place for a "genteel" weekend break. Whether a genteel weekend breaker or someone who enjoys getting whipped in the face by the sea breeze, North Berwick promises something for everyone. Nature lovers will be in their element with bird watching at the Scottish Seabird Centre and Bass Rock. Tantallon Castle and Dirleton Castle, located east and west of North Berwick respectively, are ready to spark your visitor's imagination. Tantallan Castle, just a short drive from the town, sits dramatically on a cliff edge, offering ancient dungeons and battlements ripe for exploration. Dirleton Castle, one of the country's oldest structures, features towers dating back to the 13th century and beautiful Victorian gardens. Among the must-see spots are the Archerfield Walled Garden and North Berwick Law, a strikingly steep conical hill behind the town itself, offering unparalleled views of the surrounding area. However, one location has received high praise from tourists: Seacliffe Beach. Visitors to this charming spot are met with dazzling blue seas and soft golden sands, offering a perfect retreat for some chill-out time when the sun makes an appearance. The coastline is simply breathtaking, with dramatic rock formations reaching into the sea and imposing cliffs providing an awe-inspiring setting. Food enthusiasts will find much to love in North Berwick with its plentiful eating out options like the hip Steampunk Cafe or Drift, which offers stunning cliff vistas. If you have a sweet tooth, then Bostock Bakery is your destination, or you might opt for the day's freshest catch at North Berwick Fry. Ethical food lovers will also want to check out the famous Lobster Shack – all of these places come highly recommended by Time Out's glowing critiques. Bass Rock, an unmistakable landmark on the Firth of Forth horizon, is home to the world's biggest colony of northern gannets. It provides stunning wildlife spectacles that even Sir David Attenborough has described as one of the "wildlife wonders of the world". For those keen on adventure, from April to September, the Scottish Seabird Centre organises boat tours to witness these natural wonders firsthand – a definite bucket-list item for anyone visiting North Berwick.
