Jubilee Course

The Jubilee Course sits right next to the Old Course at St Andrews, and if you're a golfer who doesn't have the connections or the patience for the famous links, this is where you'll actually get to play. It's a proper championship layout - opened in 1897 - with that same windswept, unforgiving character that makes St Andrews golf so addictive and occasionally maddening.

What you get here is the real deal: firm fairways, deep bunkers, and greens that'll humbl you faster than you'd think possible. The course winds through classic links terrain with views across the Firth of Tay on clear days. Even if you're not a low-handicapper, the challenge is part of the appeal. You're playing serious golf on serious ground.

Obviously this is only for golfers - you won't just wander round for a look. Green fees aren't cheap, and booking in advance is essential, especially in summer. Most rounds take about four and a half hours. The best time to visit is May through September when the weather's more cooperative, though frankly the wind here doesn't much care what month it is.

If you're based at one of the nearby parks - Craigtoun Meadows, Cairnsmill, or St Andrews Holiday Park - all within a couple of miles - you can walk into town for dinner afterwards. St Andrews itself is worth a day regardless of your golf handicap, but the Jubilee Course is where you come if you actually want to test yourself on a proper links.