When to Play Golf in Angus
Angus is Carnoustie country, a string of true links along the North Sea north of Dundee, and timing decides everything here: the Open venue itself closes to visitors all winter, April buys the Championship Course for a third less than high summer, and the historic links either side of it play year round for the price of lunch in July. Here is the year, month by month, with the numbers.
Photograph: Montrose Golf Links, by Montrose Golf Links Ltd, via Google
The short answer
April to October is the visitor season, May, June and September are the prize, and April is the value play of the east coast. The single most important date in the county is Carnoustie's: the Championship Course and its Burnside and Buddon siblings close to visiting golfers through the winter, from early November to late March, when the links belong to season ticket holders and resort residents. In 2026 the Championship Course costs 249 pounds in April and 360 pounds from May through October, and the three course ticket, all three links inside three consecutive days, is 349.50 pounds in April against 480 in high season. The April golfer plays the same Open examination as the July golfer and keeps over a hundred pounds.
Around the flagship, the calendar opens up. Montrose's 1562 Course, among the oldest playing grounds in world golf, runs around 100 pounds midweek in high season but has published winter rounds below 40 pounds, and Monifieth's Medal course, a longtime Open qualifying links, moves from about 80 pounds in April to 125 in summer. Panmure, where Ben Hogan sharpened his game before the 1953 Open, takes visitors from April to October at around 105 pounds. All fees are indicative for the 2026 season and always confirm directly before booking; the full rate cards are in our Angus green fees guide.
Angus month by month
| Months | What to expect |
|---|---|
| November to March | Carnoustie is closed to visitors, all three courses, so the Open round waits for spring. Montrose and Monifieth stay open on fast draining links turf at deep winter discounts, Montrose below 40 pounds in recent seasons, and a still, crisp day on this coast is golf worth having. Days are short and the wind is honest |
| April | The smart month. Carnoustie reopens to visitors at 249 pounds, the three course ticket drops to 349.50, Monifieth is about 80 and the turf is already firm. Pack for four seasons in a day and book the Championship slot first, then build around it |
| May and June | Prime time: high season rates arrive, 360 pounds at the Championship, but so do the long evenings, daylight past ten by June, and the gorse in bloom along the dunes. Visitor days at Carnoustie are structured, so groups should be booking six months or more ahead |
| July and August | Warmest and busiest, full price everywhere. The compensation is two rounds a day in comfort and the buzz of Open qualifying history at Monifieth and Panmure. Early and late times are the calm ones; mid mornings belong to the tour groups |
| September | The connoisseur's month: settled weather, firm fairways, tee sheets loosening after the holidays, and high season fees that feel fairest now. If the trip has one flexible week, point it here |
| October | The closing window. Carnoustie's last visitor month before the winter shutdown, shoulder pricing creeps back in around the county, and the light turns gold over the dunes. Plan one round a day and watch the forecast late in the month |
Fees indicative for the 2026 season per club published rates. Check tee times · Browse stays.
Planning the week around Carnoustie
Build the trip backward from the Championship tee time. Carnoustie's visitor days are structured and the course asks for a handicap certificate, 28 for men and 36 for women, so that booking sets the week; the mechanics are in our guide to how to play Carnoustie. Around it, the Burnside and the Buddon arrive nearly free inside the three course ticket, Panmure and Monifieth sit ten minutes either side of the flagship, and Montrose is half an hour north for the day the group wants history under its feet. A shower that closes nothing can still reroute a day, and this coast gives you five alternates within twenty miles.
One timing note that catches groups out: the east coast of Scotland is the dry side, with rainfall well below the west, but the sea wind is a constant companion and April and October ask for every layer in the bag. Caddies, buggies and the etiquette of the county are covered in our Angus buggies and caddies guide, sample weeks with hotels and drive times are in Angus golf holidays, and the full destination picture starts at the Angus hub. If the trip stretches south across the Tay, pair this page with when to play the Kingdom of Fife.
Plan your Angus golf trip
Tell us your group, your month and whether the Championship Course anchors it, and one concierge times the trip to the season, books the tee times and costs it to the head. No obligation.
Angus timing questions
What is the best month for golf in Angus?
May, June and September. The links turf is at its firmest, daylight runs past ten in midsummer, and September brings settled weather with thinner tee sheets. April is the value month: Carnoustie's Championship Course is 249 pounds in April 2026 against 360 from May through October, the same Open venue for roughly a third less.
Can visitors play Carnoustie in winter?
No. Carnoustie Golf Links closes all three courses to visiting golfers through the winter season, November to late March, keeping them for season ticket holders, their guests and residential guests. Plan a Carnoustie round between April and October, and use Montrose or Monifieth for any winter golf on this coast.
Is Angus golf playable year round?
The coast mostly is, even though Carnoustie itself is closed to visitors in winter. Montrose and Monifieth are true sandy links that drain fast and stay open through winter at deep discounts, with Montrose winter rounds published below 40 pounds in recent seasons against summer fees north of 100. Expect short days and a raw North Sea wind.
How far ahead should I book Carnoustie?
For high season, six to twelve months for a group; visitor days on the Championship Course are structured, a handicap certificate is required at 28 for men and 36 for women, and the popular three course ticket, 349.50 pounds in April or 480 in high season 2026, books out early. Single rounds in April and October are easier at shorter notice. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Fee changes, booking windows and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Seasonal rates and the Carnoustie winter visitor policy verified June 2026 against club published information. Last reviewed June 2026.