Gleneagles Queens Course: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Braid's lyrical little sister to the Kings comes into 2026 freshly restored to its 1919 lines, still open to everyone with no handicap rule. Here is where the Queens stands and how to book.
Photo via Google.
The news: a Braid restoration, open to all
The headline at the Queens going into 2026 is a course quietly returned to its roots. An 18 month restoration took the famous James Braid layout back to his original 1919 design, with the greenkeeping team studying historic photographs in the Gleneagles archive to find where the fairways once ran. They widened the playing lines by around 40 percent, reopening the angles and the strategy Braid intended, and they relined all 89 bunkers with the Capillary Concrete system so the hazards drain and play through the year rather than only in high summer.
The short holes got particular care. New tee boxes were shaped on the par 3 stretch, and native Scottish heather was reintroduced around the 13th and 14th to frame the targets and put the teeth back into the smaller course. None of this changes the way you book. Gleneagles keeps its open door: golfers of all abilities are welcome across the year and no handicap certificate is asked for, which is rare among courses of this stature in Scotland.
Braid's moorland in miniature
The Queens opened in 1919 alongside the Kings as the second of James Braid's two moorland courses at the resort, and it has always been the more intimate of the pair. It plays as a par 68 of roughly 5,965 yards across the same high Perthshire heath, weaving past lochans, silver birch and banks of heather rather than stretching for raw length. It is a thinking golfer's round, full of tempting short par 4s and well guarded greens, and the restoration has only sharpened that character.
It sits beside the Kings and the modern PGA Centenary, which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup, inside one of the great golf resorts in the world. The full facts box, signature holes and our verdict sit on our Gleneagles Queens course page, and our Kings Course 2026 update covers its bigger sibling.
Indicative 2026 green fees and access
Gleneagles prices its championship courses, the Queens among them, on a single seasonal card that swings hard with the calendar, so the time of year you choose matters as much as the course. Treat the guide figures below as indicative and confirm the exact price for your dates when you book.
| When | Course | Indicative 18 holes |
|---|---|---|
| Deep winter | Championship courses | from around 95 pounds |
| January | Championship courses | around 100 pounds |
| Peak summer | Championship courses | up to around 325 pounds |
Indicative 2026 guide rates; no handicap certificate is required and resort guests get priority on tee times. Prices and availability change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Gleneagles sits in the heart of Perthshire, an easy hour from both Edinburgh and Glasgow, which makes it one of the simplest premium golf bases in Scotland to reach. The smart play is to stay on site and pair the Queens with the Kings over a couple of days, with the shoulder months offering the best value.
Our take
Our take is that the Queens has long been underrated next to the Kings, and the restoration is the moment to give it a clean look. Wider fairways and reopened angles bring back the strategy Braid drew in 1919, while the all year bunker work means the course holds up in spring and autumn when the value is strongest. With no handicap rule and the comfort of the resort wrapped around it, the Queens is the rare classic you can simply book and enjoy.
Pair it with the Gleneagles Kings and the Ryder Cup PGA Centenary for a resort week. Set the wider picture with our best golf courses in Scotland ranking and the Perthshire golf hub, see how a week comes together on our Scotland golf holidays page, then use plan my trip to put it together.
Plan your Scotland golf trip
Gleneagles anchors a relaxed Perthshire resort week. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs a trip around the region's courses and hotels, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play the Queens Course at Gleneagles in 2026?
Yes. Gleneagles welcomes golfers of all abilities across the year and asks for no handicap certificate, so the Queens is one of the most accessible great courses in Scotland. Green fees are paid at the time of booking, resort guests get priority on tee times, and summer slots go early, so book well ahead.
How much does the Queens Course cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees on the Gleneagles championship courses run from around 95 pounds in deep winter to around 325 pounds at the height of summer, with a quieter January rate near 100 pounds. These are guide prices that move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking.
What changed on the Queens Course recently?
An 18 month restoration returned the Queens to James Braid's original 1919 lines. The team widened fairways by around 40 percent from archive photographs, relined 89 bunkers with the Capillary Concrete system for all year play, and reworked the short holes including new tee boxes and native heather around the 13th and 14th.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, restoration details, history and indicative fees verified June 2026 from resort, golf course architecture and ratings sources; rates, seasons and access change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.