The Hidden Gem Strategy: Why Smart Golfers Are Ditching the Famous Courses

After 35 years on the professional golf beat, I’ve watched the pilgrimage to Scotland’s most storied courses become almost religious in its fervor. St Andrews, Muirfield, Royal Dornoch—these temples of the game deserve their reverence, absolutely. But here’s what strikes me most after decades of traveling these fairways: the best golf experiences aren’t always found on the marquee layouts, and increasingly, they’re not bleeding your bank account dry either.

The article highlighting five exceptional value linksland courses isn’t just helpful travel advice—it represents a quiet revolution in how serious golfers are approaching their bucket lists. I think what we’re seeing is a maturation of the golf traveler. The days of “I’ve got to play all 18 holes where the Open is contested or my trip doesn’t count” are slowly giving way to smarter, more strategic play planning.

The Value Revolution in Scottish Golf

Let me be direct: I’ve caddied for professionals who could play anywhere, and I’ve watched amateurs max out credit cards to tee it up at courses that, frankly, offer diminishing returns on the experience. When Gullane No. 3 offers a weekday round for £70, or even better, No. 2 and No. 3 together for £125, you’re looking at a value proposition that would’ve seemed unthinkable a decade ago.

What’s remarkable about Gullane as a destination is the ecosystem itself. As the source notes:

“Gullane is a special town. Everyone in golf knows about St Andrews – the greatest golf town of them all – but Gullane, a few miles east of Edinburgh, is the next best thing.”

In my experience, this matters enormously. The golf tourism experience isn’t just about the course—it’s about walking streets where locals are discussing their handicaps, eating in restaurants where the bartender knows the difference between links and parkland golf. Gullane delivers that authenticity without the St Andrews premium. And here’s the kicker: you’re playing courses that are legitimately excellent, not just historically significant.

The Geography of Smart Golfing

What I find particularly astute about this roundup is its geographic diversity. The selection spans from Scotland’s east coast to the Cornwall toe to Wales’ Cardigan Bay, yet each course offers something distinctly different. Perranporth, at £60, demands imagination in ways that flat, manicured resort courses never will.

“This is what makes linksland golf special: it demands imagination and Perranporth calls for it even more than usual.”

Having walked dozens of linksland courses with tour professionals, I can tell you that this imaginative element is precisely what separates linksland from every other form of golf. Wind direction, run-off areas, the bounce of the turf—these aren’t obstacles to be engineered away; they’re the entire point. Perranporth understands this, and at that price point, it’s almost criminal how good the value is.

The Hidden Northeast and the Welsh Bargain

The northeast of England gets short shrift in most golf travel writing, and Newbiggin proves why that’s a mistake. At £30 to start, it’s the kind of course that challenges the entire premise of “you get what you pay for.” Yes, there’s industrial heritage visible. Yes, it’s quirky. But that’s precisely what makes it memorable. I’d take one day at Newbiggin over three days at a sterile resort course any year of the week.

And then there’s Borth on Wales’ Cardigan Bay coast. The description practically writes itself—a course where stray shots find the road or the beach, where a house sits in harm’s way, yet:

“the course sneaks along the coast towards the Llanynys Dune complex with Snowdownia in the distance and the wide Dovey Estuary of another fine backdrop.”

At £43, you’re getting cinematic golf with genuine character. This is the kind of course that, if you shoot an 82, you’ll remember every single shot. If you shoot 92, you won’t care because the experience transcended the scorecard.

The Bigger Picture

What I think matters most here is that these courses represent a democratization of linksland golf. For decades, the narrative was simple: if you want the authentic linksland experience, you’re paying premium prices, period. These five courses challenge that assumption entirely. They’re legitimately good golf, they’re genuine linksland, and they’re priced for golf travelers rather than hedge funds.

Having covered 15 Masters and watched how the professional tour evolves, I’ve learned that golf communities thrive when they’re accessible. These courses aren’t compromising their integrity to hit lower price points—they’re simply not operating from a position of scarcity the way the championship layouts must.

The smart money in golf travel right now is following exactly this logic: skip the reservation fees, embrace the relative unknowns, and discover that some of the best memories come from courses with fewer Instagram posts and more authentic character. After three and a half decades in this business, that feels like the best direction the game could take.