Dundonald Links Review: Scotland's Luxury Golf Resort

Whether your metric is design quality, natural beauty or rich heritage, you’d be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world of golf as consistently bountiful as the Ayrshire coast. 

The game’s oldest tournament was founded here when the first Open Championship was played at Prestwick in 1860, and now the area is home to half a dozen courses frequently cited among the UK’s best.

One such example is Dundonald Links, which has seen a reputational boom in recent years thanks to extensive investment in its course, facilities and accommodation – and is now considered one of Scotland’s must-play venues.

Location

Hugging the west coast, Ayrshire is one of Scotland’s most picturesque counties, famed for panoramic views along the rugged coastline. Dundonald itself is easy to reach via train or taxi – from Glasgow Airport, just a 40-minute drive, or 90 from Edinburgh.

The area is blessed with plenty of non-golf attractions including the Isle of Arran, just a short ferry ride away. History fans can take their pick of the area’s castles, while the seaside town of Largs is home to an award-winning Viking experience.

There has been a golf course at Dundonald since 1911, first laid out by former Open champion Willie Fernie. Just years later, however, the course would be forced to close by WWI and again in the 1940s by WWII. The site was left unrecognisable by military occupancy, and when Kyle Phillips arrived in 2003, it was clear that a complete redesign was called for.

The course

Phillips is something of a links specialist, also counting the likes of Kingsbarns and Verdura Resort among his repertoire, and Dundonald is no different. Expect all the hallmarks of a traditional links experience: undulating fairways, inventive greens and pot bunkers. The most notorious of these is ‘The Cauldron’ on the par-three 11th, a shoulder-height cavern waiting behind the pin to swallow up overhit shots.

Natural dunes along the fairways make every hole feel like an amphitheatre, with other groups rarely visible throughout your round. Like every links course, the wind (or lack of) will have a big impact on your strategy. There are easier tee options for novices, but at its longest this is a stern test not recommended for the faint of heart.

Clubhouse

It was all change at Dundonald Links in 2019 when Darwin Escapes purchased the course, decided it needed facilities to match the quality of Phillips’ layout, and set about building exactly that. Two years later the new clubhouse was opened. Characterised by its distinctive grass roof and walls of Scottish-sourced sandstone, the clubhouse is – quite simply – every amenity a great golf course needs all under one roof.

Alongside the check-in area, the clubhouse is home to a well-stocked pro shop and state-of-the-art changing rooms each complete with sauna and steam room, all just a few steps from the first tee. However, it’s upstairs where the magic really happens.

More than just a serviceable place to eat after your round, the Canny Crow is perhaps one of the best dining options for golfers in Ayrshire full stop. With a menu inspired by traditional Scottish cuisine, the Canny Crow’s vast windows overlook the entire course, making it the perfect place to celebrate (or commiserate) after your round.

Behind the bar is one of Dundonald’s most unique features: a whisky room stuffed with a vast collection of whiskies from around the world. Whisky tasting sessions are available to book, and if you have even a touch of the connoisseur about you, missing out would be a crime.

Accommodation

Building a hotel has been a logical next step for many golf clubs for decades, but Dundonald Links took the idea a step further in 2021 when they opened accommodation designed specifically for golfers. If you’d like to stay on-site, there are two distinct options.

Dundonald’s luxury lodges are built in two, four or six-bedroom varieties, meaning they can sleep up to twelve guests – a godsend for anyone planning a golf trip. The lodges are centred around full-size, communal putting greens so you can play and practice long after the course is closed. Sleekly designed and endlessly cosy, the lodges even come with Sky Sports on the TV and designated golf club storage areas.

For solo guests or couples, the resort also has plenty of innovative rooms that bring everything you could ask for from a premium hotel. The clubhouse – and breakfast in the Canny Crow – is only moments away.

In recent years, Dundonald has established itself as one of the go-to Scottish venues for tournament organisers. Both the Men’s and Women’s Scottish Open have come to Dundonald Links since 2015, with the latter gracing the venue for the sixth time this summer.

From 2023, the course has also played host to Final Qualifying for the Open Championship, the last opportunity for most golfers to grab a spot in the legendary tournament each year.

Despite the UK’s often well-founded reputation for poor weather, Dundonald Links is playable 52 weeks a year and – unlike many of its contemporaries – doesn’t use temporary tees in the colder months. Popular winter packages, which include two rounds of golf and a night’s stay with breakfast, start from just £199pp.

A gateway to Ayrshire golf

Dundonald’s position in the heart of Ayrshire also makes it ideal to discover some of the region’s other incredible courses: the aforementioned Prestwick; this year’s Open host Royal Troon; two famed layouts at Trump Turnberry; and Western Gailes, literally a stone’s throw from Dundonald’s course. It’s hard to imagine a better getaway for true golf purists, and Dundonald Links is perhaps the best place to base yourself while you explore this unparalleled part of the world. 

For more information, please visit the Dundonald Links website.