New Course

The New Course at Peterhead Golf Club sits right on the Aberdeenshire coast, and it's a proper links layout that takes full advantage of the raw Scottish seaside. Eighteen holes winding through rough dune grasses, with the North Sea regularly intruding on your thoughts - especially when the wind picks up, which it does often here.

If you're a golfer, this is worth a round. The course demands respect and rewards decent striking, though it won't humiliate you if your handicap sits somewhere in the middle ranges. The views across the water are genuine compensation for the occasional stray shot. Non-golfers won't find much to do here - it's a working golf club, not a leisure attraction - so this is purely for those with clubs in the car.

You'll want to ring ahead on 01779 874370 (Peterhead Golf Club) to book a tee time and confirm visitor rates, as they do vary. Allow four and a half hours for eighteen holes, possibly longer if the wind is causing chaos. Spring and autumn tend to be the most playable seasons, though summer gives you proper daylight for evening rounds.

Stay at Peterhead Marina Bay Holiday Park just down the road - barely a mile away - and you've got a cracking base. Combine a few rounds here with explorations of the Aberdeenshire coast, Dunnottar Castle inland, and Peterhead's working harbour. It's not glamorous golf, but it's genuine.