Welcome to Talking Golf Travel No. 20. What’s been happening across the golfing heartlands?
Quite a lot, actually.
Darth Vader visited St Andrews. Someone tried to tame Ireland’s wildest links. Plus, a much-anticipated new course opened in Scotland.
Golf pilgrims mistook Waterville for the Caribbean. Championship history beckons for Aberdeenshire. And Royal County Down is still No.1, according to everyone, including our guests.
It’s all in this links-laden May issue.
Perhaps it’s the prestigious source, global scale, and two-year wait.
But no rankings list captures attention like the World’s 100 Greatest Courses.
Ultimately, the new 2026-27 edition reaffirms the unrivalled golf awaiting you in Ireland and Scotland.
The countries account for Royal County Down (1st), the Old Course (2nd), Royal Dornoch (4th), and Royal Portrush (5th).
And that’s just the top of the leaderboard!
Learn more in Golf Digest here.
Bagpipes played as the first golfers arrived for the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Scottish Highlands.
They came for the unveiling of Old Petty.
Last year, during a brief preview play, the second links course at Cabot Highlands wowed critics. Unsurprisingly, this only heightened expectation and anticipation for the May 15 premiere.
Elegant, intriguing and dramatic, Tom Doak’s creation did not disappoint.
Learn more in GOLF.com here.
‘Just wow.’
Coming from Neil White and Ian Woods, who travel far and wide to play the world’s greatest courses, that’s quite the compliment.
Even the drive from Killarney to the Iveagh Peninsula exceeded expectations. In fact, they mistook Southwest Ireland for the Caribbean.
Then came the main event.
That scenic, serene and absolutely exhilarating links course at Waterville.
Curious?
The sheer quantity, diversity and concentration of quality courses is staggering.
Granted, the summit of the 2026 Great Britain and Ireland Rankings is virtually indistinguishable from its Golf Digest counterpart.
Instead, let’s focus on the debutants and risers the Top 100 Golf Courses panel chose.
The first category features Old Petty, The Valley (Portrush), and the New Course at Trump Scotland.
Meanwhile, the second includes Carne and Brora.
Here’s why.
For many, Kingsbarns remains the benchmark for the new links that have opened across Scotland in the 21st century.
Castle Stuart, Old Petty’s elder sibling, arrived in 2009.
A debut, at No.63, in the Golf Digest World’s 100 Greatest Courses.
A Rising Star in the Top 100 Golf Courses GB&I rankings.
And a major role in the Finnegan’s Foursome movie.
Carne Golf Links is definitely hot property.
Finally, this rugged masterpiece – nestled among mountainous dunes on the Mullet Peninsula – has shed its hidden gem tag.
However, as Timmy Jordan discovered, Carne is a tough beast to tame.
Last August, Trump International, Scotland, unveiled a second links layout on the awe-inspiring shores of Aberdeenshire.
This August, the mesmerising New Course will stage its maiden professional tournament.
Hosted by the legendary Colm Montgomerie, the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship returns to the resort for the fourth successive season.
During a recent visit, Monty was blown away by the latest addition to this epic dunescape.
Learn more in The P&J here.
2 golfers | 6 rounds | 7 nights
Perfect timing.
Just before Golf Digest released its World’s 100 Greatest Courses, our Guzman group played four legendary championship links that made the cut.
Their jaw-dropping Golfer Journeys itinerary featured:
Luxury stays on the Causeway Coast, beneath the Mourne Mountains, and along Dublin’s Velvet Strand brought the best of Ireland’s warm hospitality and natural beauty to this unforgettable experience.
The Ailsa. Dunluce Links. Gullane No.1. St Patrick’s Links.
When visiting premier golf venues, it’s easy to fixate on the star attractions. Naturally, you want those bucket-list rounds.
Just remember…
These 36 and 54-hole destinations feature a remarkable cast of supporting courses.
Certainly, you won’t regret returning for:
Learn more in Golf Monthly here.
Speaking of 36-hole delights.
Another premier tournament, also this August, is bound for Trump International, Scotland.
But the action will happen on its award-winning Old Course.
Once again, this thrilling modern links along the North Sea will host the Nexo Championship, the concluding event of the 2026 Closing Swing schedule on the Race to Dubai.
Is it worth watching for itinerary inspiration?
Learn more in DP World Tour News here.
As you’ve probably noticed, new Scottish layouts are a recurring theme in this issue.
So it’s only right to visit Ireland’s next great golf course.
Curracloe Links debuts at Ravenport Resort on April 1, 2027.
Located in County Wexford, on the stunning Southeast coast, it runs alongside the beach where the harrowing opening scenes of Saving Private Ryan were filmed.
How is the project progressing?
Learn more in IrishCentral here.
Your golf trip should be about fun, discovery and creating lifelong memories
And yet, whether in Ireland or Scotland, it’s also a chance to test your game against the most formidable championship links courses ever created.
You probably never expected to read that headline!
Well, even disgraced Jedi Knights cannot resist the – ahem – force of St Andrews Links.
Sort of.
Hayden Christiansen, the actor who portrayed Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, recently looped around the hallowed Old Course on a typically windy day.
Alas, all that Lightsaber practice (yes, another pun) couldn’t keep him out of the notorious bunkers dotted throughout the front nine.
This weekend, the best championship course you’ve probably never heard of takes centre stage.
County Louth Golf Club, as it has since 1941, will host the East of Ireland Amateur Open.
Nestled in the glorious Boyne Valley, an hour north of Dublin, your Course of the Month is an exquisite seaside layout that surprises, puzzles and delights.
A pure links, you rarely encounter such a remarkable collection of eclectic holes.
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Author: Tom Rooney
