New Golf Courses Opening in Scotland, 2026
Scotland's headline 2026 opening is Old Petty at Cabot Highlands, a brand new Tom Doak links beside Castle Stuart near Inverness. With Dumbarnie Links reopening after winter changes and tweaks elsewhere, the home of golf has fresh reasons to visit.
Photo via Google.
A new links in the Highlands
Scotland rarely builds new courses, so a genuinely new championship links is a major event. In 2026 the home of golf gets exactly that, with Old Petty opening at Cabot Highlands near Inverness and turning a single course destination into a true two course resort. It is the most significant new Scottish course in years.
Below we round up what is actually new and changed for 2026: the headline opening, the established course reworked over the winter, and the wider refinements worth knowing. Opening dates on new courses can move, so treat any date as a target and confirm before you plan a trip around it.
New Scottish golf, 2026 at a glance
| Project | Where | Status in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Old Petty, Cabot Highlands | Near Inverness, Highlands | New 18 hole Tom Doak links, with opening reported for May 15, 2026 |
| Dumbarnie Links | Fife | Reopens for 2026 after winter upgrades to the 4th, 5th, 12th and 18th holes |
| St Andrews and others | Across Scotland | Ongoing winter upgrades and course improvements at several established venues |
The headliners
Old Petty, Tom Doak at Cabot Highlands
The standout is Old Petty, a new 18 hole links by the acclaimed architect Tom Doak at Cabot Highlands, the Inverness resort built around the Castle Stuart links. Reported to open on May 15, 2026, it gives the resort a genuine second course and the kind of pairing that makes a destination, much as Doak's work has elsewhere. For a Highlands trip, it is the new course to build around in 2026.
Dumbarnie Links reworked over winter
On Fife's south coast, the well regarded Dumbarnie Links reopens for the 2026 season after a set of winter upgrades, with changes reported to four holes, the 4th, 5th, 12th and 18th. It is not a new course, having opened in 2020, but the revisions are worth knowing for anyone planning a return, and they keep a modern favourite sharp.
The wider Scottish picture
Elsewhere the story is refinement rather than new builds, with ongoing winter improvements at established venues including work around St Andrews. Scotland's appeal has never depended on new courses, but Old Petty is the rare addition that genuinely changes the map, and a reason to point a 2026 trip north.
Our take
For the traveling golfer, Old Petty is the headline that matters: it converts Cabot Highlands into a two course resort and strengthens the case for a dedicated Highlands leg rather than a quick detour from the central belt.
Our advice is to build a 2026 Highlands trip around the new Doak links and the existing Castle Stuart, then add the timeless names nearby. Pair Old Petty with Royal Dornoch and Nairn, and keep your dates flexible until the opening is confirmed. Our Scotland destination hub and the best courses in Scotland list are the places to anchor the plan.
Plan a Scotland golf trip
Want a 2026 trip built around the new Old Petty links and the Highland classics nearby? Tell us your dates and group and one concierge will shape the route, tee times and lodging, costed to the head, with no obligation.
New Scottish courses, your questions
What new golf course is opening in Scotland in 2026?
The headline opening is Old Petty at Cabot Highlands near Inverness, a new 18 hole links designed by Tom Doak. It has been reported to open on May 15, 2026, giving the resort a second course alongside Castle Stuart.
Who designed Old Petty?
Old Petty is a Tom Doak design. It sits at Cabot Highlands beside the Castle Stuart links, originally designed by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse, and turns the Inverness resort into a true two course destination.
Is Dumbarnie Links a new course?
No. Dumbarnie Links opened in 2020. For 2026 it reopens after winter upgrades reported to affect four holes, the 4th, 5th, 12th and 18th, so it is a reworked modern course rather than a new one.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Scottish course openings and 2026 status compiled June 2026 from UK golf media and resort announcements; opening dates are targets and can move. Last reviewed June 2026.