Buggies, Caddies and Etiquette in Perthshire
Perthshire sits between two golfing cultures: walking moorland clubs that guard their turf like the coast guards its links, and a five star resort at Gleneagles where a buggy is a phone call away, on the right course. Here is exactly where you can ride, what a caddie costs, and the habits that keep a visiting four ball welcome.
Photograph: The Blairgowrie Golf Club, by Ron Acree, via Google
How riding works here
The rule of thumb: the flatter and newer the course, the easier the buggy. Gleneagles' PGA Centenary, built by Jack Nicklaus for modern resort play and the 2014 Ryder Cup, hires buggies freely at around 55 pounds, self driven, the closest thing Scotland offers to an American cart experience. Step across to the resort's two James Braid courses and the rules tighten with the terrain: on the King's and Queen's a buggy must be driven by a caddie, roughly 62.50 pounds for the driver on top of the hire, unless you carry a medical certificate. The moorland humps and blind shoulders that make the Braid courses great are exactly what makes them unsafe to drive blind.
At the member clubs, assume walking. Blairgowrie has buggies to book but asks you to reconfirm availability a few days out and to bring a medical certificate if you cannot play without one, because wet weather can pull the fleet off the course at short notice. The parkland clubs around Perth, Crieff and the Tay are trolley country: a few pounds for a pull trolley, electric trolleys for hire at the bigger pro shops, and fairways that walk easily. If anyone in your group has a mobility need, say so at booking time everywhere; Perthshire clubs are accommodating when asked early and inflexible when surprised on the tee.
Buggy and caddie policy, venue by venue
| Venue | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Gleneagles, PGA Centenary | Buggies freely available at around 55 pounds, self drive, paths and signage built for them. The easy riding day of a Perthshire week, and the course to give the group's tired legs |
| Gleneagles, King's and Queen's | Buggies only with a caddie driving, about 62.50 pounds for the driver on top of hire, waived with a medical certificate. The Braid moorland is blind, humped and best understood with a local on the tiller anyway |
| Gleneagles caddie team | The county's real caddie yard: individual caddies and a group forecaddie at around 122 pounds per four ball in 2026, booked through the golf team when you reserve. Cash gratuity on top for a good day's work |
| Blairgowrie, Rosemount and Lansdowne | Buggies bookable but weather dependent: reconfirm a few days ahead, and bring a medical certificate on the day if a buggy is essential to your round. Trolleys standard; caddies occasionally arrangeable with advance notice |
| Crieff, Perth and the Tay clubs | Walking clubs with pull and electric trolleys for hire and green fees that encourage 36 hole days. No caddie culture; a friendly pro shop and an honest pace expectation instead |
Rates indicative for the 2026 season per resort and club published information. Check tee times · Browse stays.
The etiquette that actually matters
Protect the moorland turf
Perthshire's courses play on heath, moss and pine needle litter that recovers slowly. Replace divots and press them in, keep every wheel, trolley or buggy, off the fringes of greens and tees, and respect the heather: a buggy track through a heather line takes years to heal, which is exactly why the King's and Queen's insist a caddie drives. On wet mornings follow the buggy path signs without negotiation; the starter is protecting your afternoon round too.
Book the help when you book the golf
Gleneagles' caddies and forecaddies go out to early bookers in summer, and Blairgowrie's buggy fleet is small enough to sell out on medal days. The week your dates are fixed, request the caddie, the forecaddie or the certificate cleared buggy in the same email as the tee time. Gratuities follow the Scottish convention: cash, at the end, scaled to the weather and the reads; our Scotland and Ireland caddie guide has the full tipping math.
Dress and pace, club by club
Collared shirts and no denim hold at the member clubs, and Gleneagles expects smart golf wear despite the resort gloss. Pace expectation is around four hours everywhere; on the short Queen's, closer to three and a half. Winter visitors should check each club's frost rules before traveling, November to March brings temporary greens, and confirm fees against our Perthshire green fees guide. For everything else, access, booking windows and the courses worth the detour, see how to play golf in Perthshire, the best courses in Perthshire ranking, and the Perthshire destination hub.
Plan your Perthshire golf trip
Tell us your group, your month and who needs wheels, and one concierge books the tee times, arranges the caddies and buggies where they exist and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Perthshire buggy and caddie questions
Can you get a buggy at Gleneagles?
Yes, with rules that differ by course. The PGA Centenary hires buggies freely at around 55 pounds, self driven. On the King's and Queen's the moorland terrain means a caddie must drive, roughly 62.50 pounds for the driver, unless you hold a medical certificate. Book in advance; rates indicative for 2026, always confirm directly before booking.
Are there caddies in Perthshire?
Gleneagles runs the county's real caddie operation, with individual caddies and a group forecaddie at around 122 pounds per four ball in 2026, booked through the golf team. Elsewhere caddies are occasional: Blairgowrie can sometimes arrange one with notice, but most visitors take a trolley. Request a caddie when you book the tee time.
Do you need a medical certificate for a buggy?
On the hillier ground, effectively yes. Gleneagles waives the caddie driver requirement on the King's and Queen's only with a certificate, and Blairgowrie asks golfers who cannot play without a buggy to bring theirs on the day, since wet weather can pull the fleet. Flatter parkland clubs are more relaxed; confirm when booking.
What etiquette matters most in Perthshire?
Treat the moorland turf gently: replace divots, keep wheels away from greens, tees and heather, and obey buggy path signs on wet mornings. Keep pace around four hours, dress to club standard, and check winter rules before November to March rounds, when frost sheets and temporary greens are common.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Policies and rates verified June 2026 against resort and club published information. Last reviewed June 2026.