Kingsbarns Golf Links

Kingsbarns in Scotland is one of the newest courses on our Scottish Golf Tour. The current Kingsbarns golf course opened relatively recently, in 2000. However, golf has been played over this land, just south of St Andrews, since 1793 – which might explain why it feels as though it’s been here for generations.

Since it opened, Kingsbarns Golf Course in Scotland has been embraced by the international golf community, the R&A, and local golfers, vaulting up every prestigious ranking to the Top 100 in the World. It offers players beautiful views over the sea, and can be played as a stop on our spectacular St Andrews Golf Tour.

The Kingsbarns Golfing Society played a 9-hole course from 1815 until it closed in 1850. The next iteration was re-established in 1922 as the Kingsbarns Golf Club, with St Andrews’ famous clubmaker Willie Aucherlonie laying out the design until it closed when land mines were laid across it during WWII.

After the war, the town of Kingsbarns, Scotland was given the choice to restore the links, or the town square and they chose the square for everyone’s benefit. Fast forward to the vision of the late Mark Parsinen, recognizing the then potato farm as the perfect location for a new links course for the benefit of avid golfers coming to St Andrews, ‘The Home of Golf’ as a worthy alternative to the Old Course.

Parsinen enlisted the services of noted golf architect Kyle Phillips to bring his dream to life. What they created is the stuff of legends, immediately being embraced by the international golf community, the R&A and local golfers. Vaulting up every prestigious ranking to the Top 100 in the World.

The course stretches 7,224 yards across 1 ½ miles of pristine coastline on the North Sea. With panoramic views of the sea from almost every hole and a fantastic view from the signature 606-yards, par 5 12^th hole to neighboring Crail Golf Club. The 12^th also features Kingsbarns golf’s largest green and demands an accurate approach if you don’t want a 65-yard putt.

While improbable, a putt that long isn’t impossible. Michael Phelps, of Olympic swimming medal fame, proved that by sinking the longest televised putt in history at 160 feet on Kingsbarns’ 6^th hole during the annual Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. With the largest purse on the DP World Tour, Kingsbarns enjoys a place in the three-course rotation along with the Old Course and Carnoustie each fall as celebrities and professional golfers compete.

Like the courses of the St Andrews Links Trust, Carnoustie and now Dumbarnie; Kingsbarns is a daily fee facility – albeit a very upscale experience – making it available on weekends and a great fit into any Scotland golf trip. Even though it is deservedly one of the most expensive green fees in Scotland the course does sell out so plan accordingly.