England vs Scotland for a Golf Holiday
Two neighbours, two very different golf trips. Scotland is the Home of Golf, with more elite links than anywhere on earth and the weight of four centuries underfoot. England answers with the greatest heathland golf in the world around London and a coast of Open Championship links from Lancashire to Kent. Here is the honest head to head, with our verdict up front.
Photograph: England Golf, kevin heggie, via Google
The verdict
For a first proper golf pilgrimage, Scotland wins, and not narrowly. No other country lets you string together the Old Course at St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch and North Berwick inside a week, and none carries the same history. If links golf is the dream, you start in Scotland.
England is the answer once you widen the lens beyond links. Its heathland belt across Surrey and Berkshire, Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath and St George's Hill, is the finest inland golf on the planet, and its Open coast at Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham, Royal Liverpool and Royal St George's stands with anything in Scotland. England is also far easier to reach and move around from London. Pick Scotland for links and heritage. Pick England for heathland, variety and convenience. Most serious golfers will, in time, want both.
Head to head
| Scotland | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Signature courses | Old Course at St Andrews, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch, Turnberry Ailsa, North Berwick, Kingsbarns | Sunningdale, Wentworth, Walton Heath, Royal Birkdale, Royal Lytham and St Annes, Royal Liverpool, Royal St George's |
| Signature strength | The deepest links golf in the world, across Fife, the Lothians, Ayrshire and the Highlands | The world's best heathland belt near London, plus a coast of Open Championship links |
| Green fees, flagship | Indicative 2026 high season: Old Course around 355 pounds, Kingsbarns around 486 pounds, Muirfield around 395 pounds, Turnberry to around 1,000 pounds | Indicative 2026 high season: Royal Birkdale around 495 pounds, Sunningdale Old above 400 pounds, many fine heathland rounds well below that |
| Best season | May, June and September for firm turf and long days; playable April to October | Late spring to autumn; heathland is glorious in May, June and September, links any time from April |
| Getting around | Hubs at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness; some long Highland transfers between clusters | London hubs and fast trains; the Surrey heathland is an easy day, the Open links a short hop north |
| The vibe | Reverent, historic, traditional; the spiritual home of the game | Polished, varied, club centred; pine and heather inland, classic seaside links on the coast |
| Who it suits | First time links pilgrims, history lovers, those wanting maximum links variety in one trip | Heathland devotees, golfers basing near London, groups who want golf plus a city at one end |
Course facts and indicative fee ranges verified June 2026; fees move with season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Scotland if
This is your first links trip, or you want to walk the Swilcan Bridge and play the courses you have watched at Opens your whole life. You want the widest possible choice of links in one journey, you value history above all, and you are happy to drive between the great clusters of Fife, the Lothians, Ayrshire and the Highlands to get the very best of it.
Pick England if
You love heathland golf, or you want a trip that pairs world class courses with London at one end. You prefer short transfers and fast trains, you are drawn to the pine and heather of Sunningdale and Walton Heath, and you like the idea of a links day at Birkdale or Sandwich without committing a whole week to the road.
Plan your British golf trip
Scotland, England or a combined tour across both. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge builds the tee times, transfers and base, and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
England vs Scotland questions
Is England or Scotland better for a golf trip?
Scotland wins for a links pilgrimage. It has the deepest concentration of elite links on earth, the Old Course at St Andrews and four centuries of history, so it is the trip every golfer should take once. England is the connoisseur's counter, home to the world's finest heathland belt around Surrey and Berkshire and a coast of Open Championship links in Lancashire and Kent. Choose Scotland for links and heritage, England for heathland variety and easier access from London.
Is golf cheaper in England or Scotland?
They are broadly comparable at the very top, with marquee 2026 green fees in both running into the hundreds in high season. Scotland's Old Course is around 355 pounds and Kingsbarns around 486 pounds, while England's Royal Birkdale tops 495 pounds and Sunningdale Old sits above 400 pounds. Both countries also have outstanding courses for a fraction of those prices. Shoulder season cuts fees sharply. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
When is the best time for a golf trip to England or Scotland?
May, June and September are the sweet spot for both, with the longest daylight and the firmest turf in early summer. England's heathland is at its best from late spring into autumn, and Scotland's links peak from May to September. Both can be played from April to October; pack for wind and rain in any month.
Can you combine England and Scotland on one golf trip?
Yes. A short flight or the east coast train links London and the Surrey heathland with Edinburgh and Fife, so a tour can pair Sunningdale and Wentworth with St Andrews and the Lothians. We build combined itineraries around the tee times and the travel days.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.