Strathtyrum Course

The Strathtyrum Course sits right next to the Old Course in St Andrews, and it's where most golfers actually get to play without a five-year waiting list. It's a proper links course - all windswept fairways, deep bunkers, and rough that'll swallow your ball whole if you're not careful. The course plays to around 6,600 yards from the back tees, which sounds casual until you walk it and realise how much the Scottish wind dictates everything.

This is the one for golfers who want the St Andrews experience without the lottery of getting onto the famous Old Course. Families visiting the area will find it accessible - you don't need to be single-figure handicap to enjoy it, though you'll want some game. Allow a full four and a half hours for eighteen holes, longer if you're taking it seriously.

If you're staying at Craigtoun Meadows Holiday Park or Cairnsmill Caravan Park nearby, both just a couple of miles away, you can walk to the course or drive in five minutes. The town of St Andrews itself is compact enough that you'll likely spend mornings on the course and afternoons exploring the medieval streets and seafront. Spring and early autumn play best here - summer brings midges and crowds, winter can be brutal. Worth checking ahead for green fees and booking requirements, as they vary by season. It's not a hidden secret anymore, but it remains the proper way to play championship links golf without the fame inflation.