How to Play the Best Golf in Perthshire
Big Country golf in the heart of Scotland, where heather and pine frame mountain views and the Ryder Cup came to Gleneagles. Most of Perthshire's best courses are genuinely playable, from the resort glamour of Gleneagles to the heathland class of Blairgowrie Rosemount. Here is how to get on each one, what to expect to pay in 2026, and where to focus a trip.
Photograph: Gleneagles, Perthshire, via Google
The short answer
Perthshire is the inland heart of Scottish golf, a county of moor, heather and mountain backdrops that offers a different experience from the famous links of the coast, and the good news is that almost all of its best courses are open to the travelling golfer. The headline is Gleneagles, the five star resort in the Ochil hills with three eighteen hole courses, the James Braid King's and Queen's from 1919 and the modern Jack Nicklaus PGA Centenary that hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup and the 2019 Solheim Cup. Stay at the hotel and all three open up; non residents can also book directly, subject to availability.
Beyond the resort, the value and the variety are excellent. Blairgowrie's Rosemount, with design roots in Alister MacKenzie and James Braid, is one of Britain's finest heathland courses and a fraction of the Gleneagles price, while Crieff, Murrayshall, Pitlochry and Strathmore give you well priced, scenic inland golf with easy access. Build a Perthshire trip around a Gleneagles round or two and fill it out with the heathland and parkland gems nearby, all within an easy drive of Perth, Auchterarder and the southern Highlands.
Perthshire's best courses: how to get on, 2026
| Course | How to get on | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gleneagles, PGA Centenary | Resort guest priority; non residents book direct | About 95 to 325 pounds by season | Jack Nicklaus, 2014 Ryder Cup and 2019 Solheim Cup host |
| Gleneagles, King's Course | Resort guest or visitor, book direct | Resort and visitor rates, confirm directly | James Braid, 1919; the connoisseur's choice of the three |
| Blairgowrie, Rosemount | Visitor tee times, Sunday to Friday | Around 155 pounds single round | MacKenzie and Braid heathland classic; day ticket near 230 pounds |
| Crieff, Ferntower | Visitor friendly, book ahead | Mid range, confirm directly | James Braid hill course with wide Strathearn views |
| Murrayshall, near Perth | Hotel guest or visitor | Mid range, confirm directly | Two parkland courses at a country house hotel |
| Pitlochry | Visitor friendly, book ahead | Value, confirm directly | Scenic upland course above the Highland town |
Access rules and indicative green fees verified June 2026 and change by season and without notice. Some private clubs require member or guest access. Always confirm current rates and tee times directly before booking. Check Perthshire tee time availability.
How access works, course by course
Gleneagles is a resort, so a stay at the hotel is the surest way in, giving priority booking across the PGA Centenary, the King's and the Queen's. The PGA Centenary, the Jack Nicklaus course that staged the 2014 Ryder Cup, carries indicative 2026 green fees from around 95 pounds in the depths of winter to about 325 pounds for a non resident in high summer, and the two James Braid courses from 1919 are also bookable, with many golfers quietly preferring the heaving moorland fairways of the King's to the modern layout. Non residents can book all three directly, but summer dates go early, so plan ahead.
Blairgowrie's Rosemount, the heathland classic with roots in Alister MacKenzie's original layout and James Braid's later work, takes visitors Sunday to Friday at an indicative 155 pounds for a single round, or about 230 pounds for a day ticket across both the Rosemount and the Lansdowne. Crieff's Ferntower, a James Braid hill course with sweeping views over Strathearn, Murrayshall's two parkland courses at a country house hotel near Perth, and the scenic upland golf at Pitlochry are all visitor friendly and keenly priced, asking only that you book ahead for the busier summer weekends.
Where to focus a Perthshire trip
The natural base is Gleneagles itself or the market towns of Auchterarder, Crieff and Perth, all within a short drive of the best golf and well placed for the wider Highlands. Build the trip around one or two Gleneagles rounds for the occasion, then balance the budget with Blairgowrie, Crieff and Pitlochry, which deliver classic inland Scottish golf at a fraction of the resort price. Perthshire also pairs beautifully with a coastal leg: the Fife links around St Andrews are little more than an hour away, so a few days of moorland and heathland golf slots neatly alongside the famous links for a varied week. Play from May to September for the long daylight and firm turf, or take the April and October shoulders for value and quieter tee sheets.
Plan a Perthshire golf trip
Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge holds the Gleneagles and Blairgowrie tee times, sets the base, and routes the heathland and parkland courses into a clean week, with a Fife links leg if you want one. We cost it to the head and reply within one working day, with no obligation.
Perthshire golf access questions
How do you get a tee time at Gleneagles?
Gleneagles is a resort, so the surest route is to stay at the hotel, which gives priority access to all three courses. Non residents can also book tee times directly, subject to availability. The PGA Centenary, the 2014 Ryder Cup course, has indicative 2026 green fees ranging from around 95 pounds in winter to about 325 pounds for a non resident in summer, with the King's and Queen's courses also bookable. Book well ahead for summer dates. Always confirm current rates and booking rules directly before booking.
Can you play the King's Course at Gleneagles as a visitor?
Yes. The King's Course, a James Braid design opened in 1919 and the connoisseur's favourite of the three at Gleneagles, is open to resort guests and to visitors booking directly, subject to availability. Many golfers rate the King's, with its heaving moorland fairways and mountain views, above the modern PGA Centenary. Build the trip around a stay at the hotel for the best access to all three courses. Always confirm tee times and rates before booking.
What is the best value golf in Perthshire?
Blairgowrie's Rosemount, a heathland classic with roots in Alister MacKenzie and James Braid, is superb value next to the resort prices, with an indicative single round around 155 pounds and a day ticket on both courses near 230 pounds, available Sunday to Friday. Crieff, Pitlochry, Murrayshall and Strathmore round out a strong cast of well priced inland courses. Always confirm current rates directly before booking.
When is the best time to play golf in Perthshire?
May to September is the prime season, with the longest daylight, the firmest turf and the warmest weather, though it is also the busiest and dearest. The spring and autumn shoulders, April and October, offer better value and quieter tee sheets, with a real chance of fine days. Winter golf is possible on the lower courses but cold and often wet. Always confirm conditions and rates before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Access rules and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.