2025 Scotland and Ireland trip planning

[Greg_egg]

Hi all, I have been reading through the threads on this board for the past couple of years to assist in planning a Scotland and Ireland trip in 2025. I have a few queries that I would appreciate your input on! 

 

As a side note, while I'd like to play as many courses as I can during the trip it is not a pure golf trip and we will be doing all of the touristy stuff in-between rounds.

 

We are planning to come over from mid-April until the end of May. Would there be a preference for where we start the trip in mid-April or where to avoid starting the trip that early in the season?

 

If you had to choose to cull ~10 courses from the below, which would you choose?

• Scotland - North Berwick, The Old Course, Turnberry, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Royal Aberdeen, Castle Stuart, Trump Internatinonal, Cruden Bay, Royal Troon, Nairn, Brora, Elie, Kilspindie, Crail, Cullen
• Ireland - Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, Waterville, Dooks, Tralee, Adare Manor, Doonbeg, Carne, Enniscrone, County Sligo, Old Head, Narin, Cruit Island, Killeen Castle, The Island, Royal Country Down, Royal Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, St Patrick's links

 

Do you have any other recommendations of courses I may have missed?

 

Roughly when will bookings begin for the mid-April - end of May 2025 season open? From reading other threads I presume roughly a year in advance?

 

Any input/opinions would be greatly appreciated!

[El Gringo]

I would probably add Dunbar, Prestwick and Gleneagles Kings.

 

Cull 13 courses?

 

Cullen

Trump International

Nairn

Kilspindie

Troon

Waterville

Tralee

Doonbeg

Adare Manor

Old Head

Kileen

Portstewart

Castlerock

 

You are going off season, but to try and book your best times I suggest organising as soon as bookings are taken. Email each club to find this out, 

 

Ideally you would travel in the following order for weather

 

East Lothian and Fife

west Scotland 

east to west Ireland

north Ireland

north Scotland working back south to your airport

 

I realise this may not work as well for logistics, but hey…😎

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by El Gringo

[hammergolf]

Sounds like a INCREDIBLE trip! If you have 6 weeks, that gives you plenty of time to play all the courses you’ve listed and leave time to sightsee. If I was going to make this trip I would fly into Edinburgh and fly back from Dublin. Essentially I would work my way up from Edinburgh to the eastern coast then highlands. And finish the Scotland leg on the western coast. From there take the ferry to Belfast. Work the Northern Ireland courses then making your way to NW Ireland courses while working your way south following the coast counter clockwise.
As far as courses to add, in Scotland I would look at The New, Fraserburgh, Panmure, Gleneagles, Prestwick, Western Gailes in place of Kilspindie, Elie, Cullen.

Courses in Ireland to look at would be Donegal, Baltray, Druids Glen, Ardglass, Rosslare, Arklow. 
I would send an introductory email to all the courses and ask them when bookings will open for 2025. The overwhelming majority of the clubs are very friendly and will be happy to help you. If you have any other questions, let me know. I’ll be happy to help.

 

Edited December 29, 2023 by hammergolf

[tad950]

I enjoyed Gullane #1.

[Chanceman]

Going around the island of Ireland looking at your list I would say to play The Island, Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, PortStewart, Castlerock , St Patrick’s, Cruitt Island, C Sligo, Enniscrone, Carne, Lahinch, Tralee, Ballybunion, Waterville, and Portmarnock.

In Scotland, play Muirfield, North Berwick, Kilspindie, Elie, TOC, Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, Nairn, Castle Stuart, R Dornoch, Brora, add in Prestwick and Gleneagles Kings or Queens,  Turnberry, and R Troon.

Nice to have all that choice. Should be a great trip especially when you add in all the distilleries along the way.

And yes do Scotland first then Ireland. 

[Greg_egg]

Thanks all, this has given me some valuable idea, especially re where to start the trip!

[scott_Donald]

April at the start can be a complete mix and it gets better as the month goes on.

 

May is certainly normally a drier month, not warm but can't complain as everyone is loving their golf then.

 

Just start at links course, inland courses will be wetter and normally take longer to get in good condition. My home course normally April 1 is great and by May 1 greens are awesome and the rough is still down, it starts to grow in May and the course gets much harder!

[sabram]

On 12/29/2023 at 6:19 AM, Greg_egg said:

Hi all, I have been reading through the threads on this board for the past couple of years to assist in planning a Scotland and Ireland trip in 2025. I have a few queries that I would appreciate your input on! 

 

As a side note, while I'd like to play as many courses as I can during the trip it is not a pure golf trip and we will be doing all of the touristy stuff in-between rounds.

 

We are planning to come over from mid-April until the end of May. Would there be a preference for where we start the trip in mid-April or where to avoid starting the trip that early in the season?

 

If you had to choose to cull ~10 courses from the below, which would you choose?

• Scotland - North Berwick, The Old Course, Turnberry, Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns, Royal Aberdeen, Castle Stuart, Trump Internatinonal, Cruden Bay, Royal Troon, Nairn, Brora, Elie, Kilspindie, Crail, Cullen
• Ireland - Ballybunion, Lahinch, Portmarnock, Waterville, Dooks, Tralee, Adare Manor, Doonbeg, Carne, Enniscrone, County Sligo, Old Head, Narin, Cruit Island, Killeen Castle, The Island, Royal Country Down, Royal Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock, St Patrick's links

 

Do you have any other recommendations of courses I may have missed?

 

Roughly when will bookings begin for the mid-April - end of May 2025 season open? From reading other threads I presume roughly a year in advance?

 

Any input/opinions would be greatly appreciated!

 Without adding any courses that weren't on your list and culling out about 10 courses from your list, this would be a great itinerary:

 

Fly to EDI
•    North Berwick
•    Muirfield
•    Crail Balcomie 
•    Kingsbarns 
•    Elie
•    TOC
•    Carnoustie
•    Cruden Bay
•    Nairn
•    Brora
•    Royal Dornoch
•    Castle Stuart
•    Royal Aberdeen

 

Fly from Aberdeen to Dublin (cheap direct flights on BA, Aer Lingus and Logan)

 

•    Portmarnock
•    The Island
•    Royal County Down
•    Royal Portrush
•    St Patricks
•    Narin & Portnoo
•    Cruit Island
•    County Sligo
•    Enniscrone
•    Carne
•    Lahinch
•    Waterville
•    Dooks
•    Ballybunion

 

Depart from Shannon

 

There are plenty of other courses worth a visit in between stops on this itinerary in case you want to add some on the way along your tour route without going out of your way.
 

 

 

[Greg_egg]

17 hours ago, sabram said:

 Without adding any courses that weren't on your list and culling out about 10 courses from your list, this would be a great itinerary:

 

Fly to EDI
•    North Berwick
•    Muirfield
•    Crail Balcomie 
•    Kingsbarns 
•    Elie
•    TOC
•    Carnoustie
•    Cruden Bay
•    Nairn
•    Brora
•    Royal Dornoch
•    Castle Stuart
•    Royal Aberdeen

 

Fly from Aberdeen to Dublin (cheap direct flights on BA, Aer Lingus and Logan)

 

•    Portmarnock
•    The Island
•    Royal County Down
•    Royal Portrush
•    St Patricks
•    Narin & Portnoo
•    Cruit Island
•    County Sligo
•    Enniscrone
•    Carne
•    Lahinch
•    Waterville
•    Dooks
•    Ballybunion

 

Depart from Shannon

 

There are plenty of other courses worth a visit in between stops on this itinerary in case you want to add some on the way along your tour route without going out of your way.
 

 

 

Thanks that is a really well thought out itinerary. 
 

happy for you to suggest other courses. I am going with some non golfers so the more courses I have to choose from the better depending on our route. 
 

I have some must play courses but otherwise I’m pretty flexible re what I play. All the golf is good over there!

[Schley]

The biggest one on there with access issues aside from TOC (which you can wait in line and avoid) is Muirfield.  Set that up as only T/Th do they have visitors.

 

Will you be the only golfer btw?

 

Scotland

• Muirfield
• TOC
• North Berwick
• Elie
• Royal Aberdeen
• Trump Turnberry
• Trump Int. Aberdeen
• Cruden Bay
• Castle Stuart
• Royal Dornoch
• Add in Machrahanish (see photo)

Ireland

• Lahinch
• Ballybunion
• Waterville
• Portmarnock
• Enniscrone
• Royal County Down
• Royal Portrush
• St. Patricks
• European Club (new)
• Add another round in Scotland

[hammergolf]

7 hours ago, Schley said:

The biggest one on there with access issues aside from TOC (which you can wait in line and avoid) is Muirfield.  Set that up as only T/Th do they have visitors.

 

Will you be the only golfer btw?

 

Scotland

• Muirfield
• TOC
• North Berwick
• Elie
• Royal Aberdeen
• Trump Turnberry
• Trump Int. Aberdeen
• Cruden Bay
• Castle Stuart
• Royal Dornoch
• Add in Machrahanish (see photo)

Ireland

• Lahinch
• Ballybunion
• Waterville
• Portmarnock
• Enniscrone
• Royal County Down
• Royal Portrush
• St. Patricks
• European Club (new)
• Add another round in Scotland

I would definitely add Tralee, Carne, in place of E Club and Portmarnock.

[Chanceman]

8 hours ago, Schley said:

The biggest one on there with access issues aside from TOC (which you can wait in line and avoid) is Muirfield.  Set that up as only T/Th do they have visitors.

 

Will you be the only golfer btw?

 

Scotland

• Muirfield
• TOC
• North Berwick
• Elie
• Royal Aberdeen
• Trump Turnberry
• Trump Int. Aberdeen
• Cruden Bay
• Castle Stuart
• Royal Dornoch
• Add in Machrahanish (see photo)

Ireland

• Lahinch
• Ballybunion
• Waterville
• Portmarnock
• Enniscrone
• Royal County Down
• Royal Portrush
• St. Patricks
• European Club (new)
• Add another round in Scotland

Do yourself a favour and don’t skip Carne. Especially for the European Club which is good but hardly memorable compared to Carne.

[hacker101]

Of the Scotland sites you listed, that I have played, I’ll sort my preference top to bottom.

 

Dornoch

Carnoustie

North Berwick

Old Coarse

Aberdeen

Troon

Castle Stewart

 Brora 

Nairn

 

I actually prefer the New Course and Jubilee over the Old, but you have to play it. In two trips, we haven’t been able to get on Muirfield. We hope to in 2025. In 2023 we had a local club pro working his side job as our driver for the week. His top three courses in Scotland were Dornoch, Muirfield and Western Gailes. We are adding WG to our visits in 2025. 

[sabram]

6 hours ago, hacker101 said:

Of the Scotland sites you listed, that I have played, I’ll sort my preference top to bottom.

 

Dornoch

Carnoustie

North Berwick

Old Coarse

Aberdeen

Troon

Castle Stewart

 Brora 

Nairn

 

I actually prefer the New Course and Jubilee over the Old, but you have to play it. In two trips, we haven’t been able to get on Muirfield. We hope to in 2025. In 2023 we had a local club pro working his side job as our driver for the week. His top three courses in Scotland were Dornoch, Muirfield and Western Gailes. We are adding WG to our visits in 2025. 

Our tastes are a bit different. 

 

North Berwick, The Old Course and Royal Dornoch are my top three from your list. I'd play them on every visit if I could fit them in. 

 

I really don't have an interest in playing Royal Troon and Carnoustie agan. They'd be #8 and #9 of that group.

 

The other four would be bunched in the middle. Brora and Nairn were really fun courses that I'd be happy to play again