GOLF ESCAPES

RefReshingly Relaxed
Dumfries & Galloway
Top 100-quality courses plotted on a variety of landscapes make this Southern region
of Scotland one of the best in Britain for a low-cost, high-class golf break.
Welcoming clubs, beautifullymaintained
courses and tee
times that suit you – golf in
Dumfries & Galloway is
refreshingly accessible yet consistently
satisfying. It offers a wide variety of golf
experiences, from championship to fun, and
from parkland to links. The common
denominator is the picturesque countryside,
the inspiring views and the amazing value.
Indeed, there is perhaps no other part of
Scotland that contains such a diverse range
of landscapes, with Dumfries & Galloway
boasting more than 200 miles of sweeping
sandy coastline, lush rolling hillsides,
stunning clifftops, and mature woodland.
These various landscapes have been used to
great effect by some of the great designers.
So, there are courses to suit all tastes and
all standards. Beginners and families will
discover fun Par-3 courses as well as nineholers
that don’t daunt, so they can develop
their game in a relaxed environment.
Incorporating a round or two as part of a
short break or family holiday is an excellent
way to add challenge and fun to your stay.
For more experienced golfers, D&G has
courses of the standard of world-class
Southerness (pictured) to build a break
around. This fabulous links is a fixture in
Golf World’s Great Britain & Ireland Top
100 Courses ranking. It is joined in Golf
World’s Scottish Top 100 Courses list by
nearby Powfoot – another terrific links – as
well as clifftop classics Portpatrick and
Stranraer in the west of the region.
The region’s capital, Dumfries, also has
two parkland courses in the ‘Next 50’ of
the Scottish Top 100, Dumfries & County
and Dumfries & Galloway.
These established highlights of D&G’s
golf are backed up by a number of other
fine courses, mostly immaculate, mature
parklands but also quirky seaside courses
such as Scotland’s most southerly golf club,
St Medan. It’s one of Golf World’s
favourites, along with Colvend, a charming
‘holiday’ course whose beauty disguises a
need to play well to score well.
Another is Brighouse Bay, which neatly
sums up the reason you need to visit
To sTarT
planning your
golf break To
DUMFRIES &
GALLOWAY
www.visitscotland.com/
dumfriesgalloway-golf
History, mountain biking & ice cream... enjoy them all in the region
Dumfries & Galloway has an
abundance of attractions besides
golf – if you want to spend some
time away from the fairways.
History and heritage are found
in the imposing form of
Caerlaverock Castle, a medieval
fortress surrounded by a moat that
was the scene of some famous
sieges. Meanwhile Threave Castle
is an impressive 14th century tower
on an island, while Sweetheart
Abbey is a striking ruin with a very
romantic back story.
The Solway Firth is dotted with
picturesque fishing villages – and a
lovely way to spend a summer’s
evening is to make the coastal
walk between Rockclife and
Kippford then enjoy a meal in one
of the inviting pubs. Kirkcudbright
is another coastal spot, an artist’s
haven with studios and galleries.
For the especially active, there is
world-class mountain biking – the
7stanes mountain biking centres –
as well as ideal opportunities for
hillwalking, angling and wildlife
watching. The stunning Galloway
Forest Park is the largest forest
park in Britain and is the UK’s only
designated Dark Sky Park.
Foodies will relish local produce,
from Buccleuch beef – raised on
the Drumlanrig Castle estate near
Thornhill – to Galloway lamb, and
Galloway Smokehouse salmon. Try
ice cream from Cream o’ Galloway
or take a tour of Bladnoch
Distillery while playing St Medan.
Photography: Dumfries & Galloway Golf Partnership and VisitScotland/Scottish Viewpoint.