The city of Dundee offers an ideal golfing break base for all levels of golfer. From the challenges of the longest course on the current Open Championship circuit, the Carnoustie Championship course, to one of Scotland's best inland parkland courses at Downfield, there are over 20 golf courses within a 30 minute drive of the city centre.

Dundee tends to be hidden in the shadow of the more iconic St Andrews to the south over the River Tay, but Dundee has so much to commend it to golfers.

Not only does Dundee claim to have more sunshine hours than any other city in Scotland, it is has recently experienced a major culture boost. The V&A Museum of Design Dundee opened in 2018, the first ever UK design museum built outside London. The V&A is part of major transformation of the waterfront, where you can also find and explore the RRS Discovery, a ship used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott on his first Antarctic expedition.

If football is more your thing for a change from golf then Dundee is unique in having 2 Scottish Premiership football clubs, both with a stadium in the city centre, just 5 minutes walk apart.

Golf Courses

If you just want to experience links golf, the nearby classic venues include the two courses at Monifieth – the Medal course and the Ashludie, the three at Carnoustie – the Championship, Burnside and Buddon - and Panmure. A challenging and extremely enjoyable long weekend of golf could be based on just these three venues.

Other links venues could include Montrose, the world’s 5th oldest golf course, Arbroath, or head south across the Tay Bridge to Scotscraig – the 13th oldest golf club in the world.

Around the city quality parkland golf can be played at Downfield, Piperdam or Ballumbie Castle.

The 2021 standard green fees for a midweek trip playing at each of the Monifieth Medal course, Scotscraig, Downfield and Piperdam were £275 per golfer. Experience all that Carnoustie can offer by playing the Buddon and Burnside courses as well as the Championship course by using a 3 day Combination ticket.

Taking out the two Open Championship venues, the 30 other golf courses within 30 minutes of Dundee city centre had an average standard, high season, midweek green fee in 2021 of less than £60 per round.

Accommodation

In Dundee itself there is an excellent range of accommodation on offer from good value budget hotels, such as Premier Inn or the Holiday Inn Express, to boutique luxury 4 star city centre hotels.

In and around the city centre there are 5 Premier Inns for the more budget conscious. There are 30 golf courses within half an hour of the Premier Inn Dundee Centre, and 10 courses within 15 minutes of the Dundee East hotel. Carnoustie, Panmure, Monifieth, Arbroath and Ballumbie Castle are all within 15 minutes of the Premier Inn Dundee East and the Premier Inn Dundee (Monifieth).

For those who prefer the full hotel experience, the 4 star Apex City Quay Hotel offers elegant modern rooms on the waterfront, many overlooking the River Tay. The Apex is just half a mile walk from the V&A Design Museum.

Even closer to the city centre and the V&A is the boutique Malmaison Dundee – a plush, trendy hotel that combines the historic character of its building with 91 contemporary styled bedrooms. Both the Apex and the Malmaison are just 30 minutes from a choice of 30 golf courses, from the Carnoustie Links to the links of St Andrews, including the Old Course.

Travel

Dundee is 90 minutes south of Aberdeen Airport and just over an hour from Edinburgh Airport so is easily reached from a wide choice of international flights into Scotland. Dundee Airport, 10 minutes from Dundee City Centre, has Loganair flights from Belfast City and London City.

Skyscanner.net is a useful tool for exploring possible connections to Dundee, as well as Scotland's other airports.

Dundee is on the main east coast train line between London and Aberdeen with frequent services. For something different travel by Caledonian Sleeper overnight from London to the very centre of Dundee.

In 2018, the year the V&A Design Museum opened, Lonely Planet named Dundee one of 10 essential destinations to visit in Europe – add in all the quality golf choices so close to the heart of the city and Dundee has to be high on the list for a Scottish golf break destination.

Further information:

• All golf courses in the East Region of Scotland
• All our suggested accommodation in Dundee
• Dundee Airport
• Travelling to golf on the Caledonian Sleeper

Published: 17 March 2022