Welcome to Talking Golf Travel No. 25.
Alas, after countless unforgettable golfing adventures across Ireland and Scotland, the curtain has closed on the 2026 season.
But what a cracking finale! The links were alive with incredible stories for travelling golfers.
Explore our handpicked highlights from an action-packed October.
Can you improve perfection?
Well, the people behind Royal County Down intend to find out.
The club have submitted plans to ‘significantly upgrade’ its iconic Championship Links – arguably the greatest golf course on the planet.
Already, there are rumours that this is the first step towards hosting The Open.
Imagine that!
Meanwhile, the proposal also includes enhancements to the lesser-known Annesley layout at RCD.
Learn more in Irish Golfer here.
For many visitors, it’s a choice between Ayrshire and Fife. Understandably, these regions are widely considered the ultimate Scottish golf tours.
Then there’s the wild, windswept and under-the-radar northeast, where you’ll find a remarkable collection of blockbuster links.
You’ve got age-old classics like Fraserburgh and Royal Aberdeen.
Cruden Bay and Murcar deliver dune-laden drama.
Finally, along the breathtaking North Sea, Trump International boasts two modern masterpieces.
Join shortside in Aberdeenshire.
Royal County Down isn’t the only Irish golf course set for an ambitious makeover.
Seapoint Golf Links, an hour north of Dublin on the scenic shores of County Louth, recently announced a €7 million redevelopment programme that will begin early next year.
But that’s not all.
Pádraig Harrington, the three-time Major champion and bonafide national treasure, has been enlisted to help lead the Seapoint transformation.
Learn more in bunkered here.
This is not just another bucket-list round in the Home of Golf.
This takes you inside the Old Course, from every angle, under Open Championship conditions.
For Grant Horvat and the Bryan Bros, this is the Major Cut.
Their target is level par.
As twilight descends over the tranquil shores of Fife, crowds gather to watch them complete an odyssey that has inspired, confounded and delighted golfers for 600 years.
Imagine being paid to review golf’s greatest venues?
Recently, some lucky wordsmiths highlighted the ‘most impactful’ courses from their travels this year.
Two might just surprise you.
Cameron Hurdus chose beguiling Brora, the lesser-known links gem in the far-flung reaches of the cinematic Scottish Highlands.
Garrett Morrison picked Cruit Island, the staggering 9-hole thriller on the craggy clifftops of Donegal in Northwest Ireland.
Learn more in Fried Egg Golf here.
Rugged, raw and rip-roaring fun, the Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club is pure links pleasure.
But this Atlantic showstopper is also a supreme challenge for any golfer.
Trey Niven, a PGA pro and coach, accepted it.
Two weeks beforehand, Luke Poulter, who helped Team GB&I win the Walker Cup at Lahinch, set the course with an outrageous 64 (-7).
Follow Trey on his exhilarating quest amongst those jaw-dropping dunes.
2 Golfers | 5 Rounds | 7 Nights
Considering a getaway with that special someone?
This tailormade Golfer Journeys itinerary ticks every box, including legendary links, iconic cities, lavish luxuries, and ravishing coastlines.
From start to finish, our Kendrick group encountered the best of Scotland.
IGT arranged:
Bucket-list rounds at Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, Cruden Bay, Castle Stuart and Royal Dornoch.
5-star stays in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Plus, romantic dining, spa treatments, and scenic drives via chauffeured coach.
Magical.
The readers have spoken – all 295,000 of them.
They ranked the 10 best cities in the UK, and three of their choices overlap with marquee golf regions.
Buzzy Glasgow is 28 miles from your stay-and-play haven at Dundonald Links.
Underrated Belfast is drivable from your hotel beside Royal County Down.
Finally, enchanting Edinburgh is 45 minutes from your lodgings at Archerfield House.
Learn more in Condé Nast Traveller here.
Turnberry. Royal Troon. Prestwick.
Ayrshire – a picture of savage coastal beauty – is your gateway to an unforgettable Open Championship trilogy.
Naturally, these legendary championship links headline the itinerary.
However, it’s the world-class support cast that makes your golf trip in southwest Scotland so special.
For instance, the unsung Glasgow Gailes Links is an authentic, entertaining, and wonderfully challenging affair through vibrant heather and gorse.
See for yourself with Danny Elder.
Granted, when choosing rounds for your trip, the halfway house probably isn’t a priority.
But these structures, generally found between the 9th and 10th holes, always enrich the playing experience.
Here are two of the best.
The linksland around the Irish capital overflows with celebrated championship courses such as Portmarnock and Royal Dublin.
Curiously, despite its tournament pedigree, critical acclaim and 136-year history, The Island Golf Club remains relatively unknown.
It’s always a pleasant surprise for our guests.
Bordered by the sea on three sides and hidden within a glorious dunescape, you can’t help falling in love with this no-frills charmer.
The Bogey Men were smitten.
As our Kendrick group discovered, this mystical links masterpiece rewards those who make the trek to Scotland’s spellbinding northeast wilderness.
Royal Dornoch Golf Club is a life-affirming pilgrimage that never leaves you.
The fabled Championship Course combines natural grandeur and eerie tranquillity with riotous terrain and devious design for a truly mesmerising adventure along the Dornoch Firth.
For sheer enjoyment, your Course of the Month is as good as it gets.
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Author: Tom Rooney
