Golf in Angus
Angus is Carnoustie country, home of the most demanding links on the Open rota, but the county's claim runs far deeper. Golf has been played at Montrose since at least 1562, Ben Hogan sharpened his 1953 Open win at Panmure, and a string of honest, historic links runs the whole coast from Monifieth to Montrose. This is championship golf without the crowds of St Andrews, twenty minutes across the Tay.
Photograph: Carnoustie Golf Links, Angus, via Google
Why golf here
Carnoustie has hosted the Open eight times, from Tommy Armour in 1931 to Francesco Molinari in 2018, by way of Hogan in 1953 and the unforgettable finishes of 1999 and 2007, and players have long rated it the sternest examination of the rota. The closing stretch along the Barry Burn, the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth, is as hard a finish as exists in championship golf. Yet this is public links, owned by the community, and anyone with a handicap of 28 or better can book a time and take it on. The same ticket reaches the Burnside, an Open qualifying course of real quality, and the rebuilt Buddon.
The supporting cast would headline most counties. Panmure at Barry, founded in 1845, is a classic of crumpled linksland where Hogan practised for weeks before the 1953 Open, and the bunker he suggested at the sixth still bears his name. Monifieth Medal has hosted Open qualifying for decades, and Montrose, where golf is recorded since 1562, plays over some of the oldest golfing ground on earth. Inland, Edzell offers James Braid golf in the Grampian foothills and Forfar an Old Tom Morris heathland from 1871. It adds up to one of the great underpriced golf coasts, with St Andrews and Fife an easy day trip across the Tay.
- Best months
- May to Sep
- Style
- Championship links
- Courses nearby
- Around 10
- Fly into
- Edinburgh or Aberdeen
- Trip length
- 3 to 5 nights
- From / head
- about $3,000 in 2026
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified at publication. How we research and review.
The Angus courses to build around
From the hardest links on the Open rota to ground that has been played since the sixteenth century, these are the rounds that make an Angus trip, strung along one short stretch of coast between Dundee and Montrose.
Carnoustie, Championship
The most demanding course on the Open rota, shaped by Allan Robertson, Old Tom Morris and James Braid, and around 6,998 yards from the white tees with the championship card stretching past 7,400. The Barry Burn finish broke Jean van de Velde in 1999 and made Padraig Harrington and Francesco Molinari. Public, bookable and unmissable for the serious golfer.
Panmure
A club since 1845 and at Barry Links since 1899, Panmure is a connoisseur's course of heaving fairways and small, cunning greens among the pines and dunes. Ben Hogan based himself here before winning the 1953 Open up the road, and the bunker added at his suggestion on the sixth still carries his name. Quietly one of Scotland's best second day courses.
Montrose, 1562 Course
Golf has been recorded on the Montrose links since at least 1562, which by most reckonings makes this the fifth oldest playing ground in the world. The 1562 Course is a proper, natural championship links along the dunes, ranked among Scotland's top fifty, and the sense of playing across five centuries of golf is worth the trip on its own.
Monifieth, Medal
Ten minutes from Carnoustie, the Medal Course at Monifieth is a classic east coast links that has hosted Open final qualifying and remains a favourite warm up for the Championship. Honest, well bunkered golf along the railway line, with the shorter Ashludie alongside for an easier second loop.
Carnoustie, Burnside and Buddon
The two companion courses on the Carnoustie links are far more than warm up golf. The Burnside, a long time Open qualifying course, crosses the same burns and dunes as its famous neighbour, while the Buddon, originally by Peter Alliss and Dave Thomas and rebuilt by Mackenzie and Ebert in 2014, is a sharp modern links of 6,088 yards. Both stay open through winter on mats when the Championship rests.
Edzell, Forfar and Arbroath
The county's depth shows away from the championship tees. Edzell is a James Braid revised beauty in the Grampian foothills, Forfar an Old Tom Morris design of 1871 over rippling heathland that the club bills as the world's first eighteen holes built as eighteen, and Arbroath a seaside links shaped by Morris, Willie Fernie and Braid. All three cost a fraction of the marquee fees.
Course facts and designers verified June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Carnoustie is public links with handicap limits of 28 for men and 36 for ladies. Always confirm access and fees directly before booking.
Indicative green fees and the season
Angus plays April to October, with May to September the peak. Carnoustie publishes its fees seasons ahead, and 2027 already shows a steep rise, so 2026 is the year to go. The Championship course closes to visitors from November to March, when the Burnside and Buddon carry winter play on mats. Montrose prices dynamically, so midweek and shoulder dates can land well under the peak figure.
| Course | Type | Indicative 2026 green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Carnoustie, Championship | Open rota links | £360 high season (£249 April) |
| Panmure | Classic links | Around £195 (May to Sept) |
| Monifieth, Medal | Links | Around £160 (May to Oct) |
| Montrose, 1562 Course | Ancient links | Around £130 to £200 (dynamic, peak) |
| Carnoustie, Burnside or Buddon | Links | Around £135 each |
| Edzell and Arbroath | Heathland and links | Around £85 to £95 |
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees verified June 2026 from the clubs' published rates; April, October and winter run lower, and Montrose prices move with demand. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Booking individual rounds? Compare live tee times through our partner: [TEE_TIME_AFFILIATE_LINK]. Hotels near the courses: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK].
Four nights in Carnoustie country
A compact trip that builds to the Championship round, with the Carnoustie Golf Hotel above the eighteenth green or Dundee's waterfront as the base. Carnoustie, Monifieth and Panmure sit within ten minutes of one another; Montrose is half an hour up the coast.
Arrive, then Monifieth
In from Edinburgh or Aberdeen by early afternoon, with the Medal Course at Monifieth the ideal first round to find your links feet along the railway line.
Panmure
The Hogan course at Barry, all rumpled fairways and tiny greens among the pines. Walk the sixth and pay your respects at Hogan's bunker.
Montrose, 1562 Course
Half an hour north to play ground golfers have walked since the reign of Mary, Queen of Scots, with lunch in the clubhouse and an easy evening back in Carnoustie.
Carnoustie, Championship
The main event. Take an extra club into the wind, lay up short of the Spectacles at fourteen, and keep your nerve over the Barry Burn at the last. There is no better hard round in golf.
Plan your Angus golf trip
Carnoustie times, the Panmure and Montrose supporting cast and the right base in Carnoustie or Dundee. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge secures the tee times and lodging and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Golf in Angus: common questions
What are the best golf courses in Angus?
Carnoustie Championship is the headline, an eight time Open venue and by common consent the hardest of the rota links. Panmure at Barry, where Ben Hogan prepared for his 1953 Open win, and the ancient links at Montrose, played since at least 1562, are outstanding companions, with Monifieth Medal, Carnoustie's Burnside and Buddon courses, and inland gems at Edzell and Forfar filling out a superb week.
How do you get a tee time at Carnoustie?
Carnoustie is public links and anyone can book, online or by phone, with both 2026 and 2027 fees already published. Summer Championship times go months ahead, so book early. The club asks for a handicap of 28 or better for men and 36 for ladies, and the Championship course closes to visitors from November to March, when the Burnside and Buddon stay open on mats. Always confirm directly before booking.
How much are green fees in Angus in 2026?
The Carnoustie Championship is 360 pounds in high season 2026, with April at 249 pounds. Panmure runs about 195 pounds in summer, Monifieth Medal about 160, and Montrose moves dynamically between about 130 and 200 pounds in peak months. The Burnside and Buddon at Carnoustie are 135 pounds each, Edzell is about 95 and Arbroath about 85. Always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Angus?
The season runs April to October, and May, June and September are the sweet spot for long daylight, full presentation and slightly calmer tee sheets. The Angus coast sits on Scotland's drier, sunnier east side, though wind is a constant and a sea haar can roll in early in summer. April and October bring real fee savings, while the Championship course itself closes to visitors in winter.
How do you get to Carnoustie and Angus?
Edinburgh airport is about ninety minutes away by road and has the best international connections, with Aberdeen about an hour and a quarter and tiny Dundee airport half an hour from Carnoustie. The train works well too: Carnoustie station sits on the Dundee to Aberdeen line a few minutes from the first tee, and Monifieth, Montrose and Arbroath all have stations on the same line.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Links golf, the booking windows that matter and where to play next. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.