Monifieth Medal

The verdict

Monifieth is one of Scottish golf's great open secrets. Sharing the same stretch of Angus linksland as Carnoustie and Panmure, it has the pedigree of a championship course, golf has been played here since 1845, and the genuine standing to act as an Open qualifying venue when the Claret Jug is contested down the road. Yet because it sits in the shadow of one of the most famous links on earth, it is far quieter, far cheaper and, for the value golfer, one of the smartest tee times in the country.

For the traveling golfer the Medal Course is the round to slot in alongside Carnoustie rather than instead of it. It is a proper links test, exposed to the North Sea wind, with the firm turf, the gorse and the small targets that define this coast, and it makes a perfect first or second day of an Angus trip. Pair it with the Carnoustie Championship Course and the other Angus links and you have a few days of world class golf at a budget that the headline venues alone could never match.

The holes worth the trip

The Medal Course winds through classic Angus duneland, undulating fairways set among gorse and rough with the North Sea never far away. It is a course that asks for thoughtful, controlled golf rather than brute strength. The premium is on driving the ball into the right positions, because the gorse and the contours punish anything wayward, and on flighting approaches into greens that are firm, subtly contoured and well protected. When the wind blows, as it usually does on this exposed coast, the test ratchets up quickly and par becomes a fine score.

What gives Monifieth its championship credentials is the consistency of the challenge. There is no weak stretch where you can switch off; the holes keep coming at you, each demanding a precise tee shot and a committed approach, and the closing run is a genuine examination of nerve and ball striking. This is the quality that earns the course its place on the Open qualifying rota, where players battling for a spot in the championship itself find it every bit as searching as it looks.

What stays with you is how much course you get for the money. The Medal is no soft warm up for Carnoustie; it is a serious, characterful links in its own right, the kind of honest, wind exposed test that golfers cross oceans to play, and it delivers it without the fanfare or the price tag. For anyone building an Angus trip, it is essential rather than optional.

Where to stay nearby

Carnoustie and Dundee provide the natural bases for a Monifieth round, with hotels close to the links and the wider city offering plenty of choice for dinner and an evening out. Staying in Carnoustie keeps you within minutes of three or four championship quality links, which makes the Angus coast one of the most efficient golf trips in Scotland: little driving between rounds and a remarkable density of great courses.

Monifieth is best played as part of an Angus circuit. The obvious headline partner is the fearsome Carnoustie Championship Course next door, while the parkland test at Downfield in Dundee and the traditional links at Forfar round out a varied and high quality few days in the region.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Angus.