Budget & Pay-and-Play
Pay and Play Golf Scotland: Every Public Course You Can Walk On
A working directory of Scottish courses you can turn up to and play without membership. Sorted by region, with holes, fee band, and booking method.
What this list covers
A pay-and-play course in Scotland is one that:
- Does not require club membership.
- Does not require a handicap certificate.
- Sells tee times to the public for a single round.
Most pay-and-play courses are municipal: council-owned, council-run, locally subsidised. A growing number of private clubs operate on the same basis for visitors during set windows. Resort courses (Gleneagles, Turnberry, Trump) are excluded — they're a different price conversation.
This list is regional and incomplete by design. Where a council operates a fleet, the fleet is named once. Phone numbers, exact fees, and booking platforms change. Verify on the day.
How booking works in 2026
| Method | Where it still applies |
|---|---|
| Walk up to the starter's hut | A few rural munis. Falling fast. |
| Phone the pro shop, same day | Most non-resort courses |
| Online (BRS Golf, ChronoGolf, in-house) | All Edinburgh Leisure, Glasgow Life, KA Leisure, South Ayrshire, Sport Aberdeen, Fife Golf Trust |
| Ballot, day before | Old Course St Andrews only |
Fee bands: £ = under £25 · ££ = £25–£50 · £££ = £50–£150 · ££££ = £150+
Edinburgh and the Lothians
Edinburgh Leisure runs the city munis. One booking system, one card, one set of rates. Active Edinburgh members get a discount.
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Braid Hills No. 1 | 18 | ££ | EL online |
| Braid Hills No. 2 (Princes) | 18 | £ | EL online |
| Carrick Knowe | 18 | £ | EL online |
| Silverknowes | 18 | £ | EL online |
| Craigentinny | 18 | £ | EL online |
| Portobello | 9 | £ | EL online or walk up |
East Lothian, run by individual clubs:
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Musselburgh Old Links | 9 | £ | Online or phone |
| Royal Musselburgh | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Haddington | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Dunbar | 18 | £££ | Online, days ahead |
| North Berwick West Links | 18 | £££ | Online, months ahead |
| Gullane No. 2 | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Gullane No. 3 | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Craigielaw | 18 | £££ | Online |
Glasgow and Lanarkshire
Glasgow Life runs what's left of the city muni network after the February 2020 closures of Lethamhill, Linn Park, Ruchill and Alexandra Park. Booking via the Glasgow Life website.
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Littlehill | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online |
| Knightswood Park | 9 (short course) | £ | Glasgow Life online |
| Golf It! (R&A, on the old Lethamhill site) | 9 | varies | golf-it.com |
South Lanarkshire Leisure runs a separate fleet via a regional pass.
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strathclyde Park | 9 | £ | SLL online |
| Larkhall | 18 | £ | SLL online |
| Carluke | 18 | £ | SLL online |
| Hollandbush | 18 | £ | SLL online |
| Lanark | 18 | ££ | SLL online |
Ayrshire
KA Leisure (North Ayrshire):
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auchenharvie, Stevenston | 18 | £ | KA Leisure online |
| Ravenspark, Irvine | 18 | £ | KA Leisure online |
| Routenburn, Largs | 9 | £ | KA Leisure online |
| Skelmorlie | 13 | £ | Phone |
South Ayrshire Council:
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belleisle, Ayr | 18 | ££ | SAC online |
| Seafield, Ayr | 18 | £ | SAC online |
| Dalmilling, Ayr | 18 | £ | SAC online |
| Maybole | 9 | £ | SAC online |
| Girvan | 18 | £ | SAC online |
Other Ayrshire visitor-open courses:
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Gailes | 18 | £££ | Phone, weeks ahead |
| Dundonald Links | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Prestwick St Nicholas | 18 | ££ | Phone |
Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire
Sport Aberdeen runs the city munis (Sport Aberdeen is the council's leisure trust; Aberdeen Sports Village is a separate RGU/council facility).
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| King's Links | 18 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
| Hazlehead MacKenzie Championship | 18 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
| Hazlehead Pines | 18 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
| Hazlehead 9-hole | 9 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
| Balnagask | 18 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
| Auchmill | 18 | £ | sportaberdeen.co.uk |
Visitor-open private clubs:
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Aberdeen | 18 | £££ | Phone |
| Murcar Links | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Cruden Bay | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Newburgh-on-Ythan | 18 | ££ | Online |
Dundee and Tayside
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caird Park | 18 | £ | Dundee City online |
| Camperdown | 18 | £ | Dundee City online |
| Monifieth Medal | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Monifieth Ashludie | 18 | £ | Online |
| Carnoustie Burnside | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Carnoustie Buddon | 18 | £ | Online |
| Carnoustie Championship | 18 | £££ | Online, days ahead |
Fife
St Andrews Links Trust runs seven courses, all open to the public.
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old Course | 18 | ££££ | Ballot day before, or phone |
| New Course | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Jubilee | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Castle Course | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Eden | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Strathtyrum | 18 | £ | Online |
| Balgove | 9 (children) | £ | Online |
Fife Golf Trust runs further county munis. Booking via the Trust website.
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lochore Meadows | 9 | £ | FGT online |
| Cowdenbeath | 9 | £ | FGT online |
| Dunnikier Park, Kirkcaldy | 18 | £ | FGT online |
| Pitreavie, Dunfermline | 18 | £ | FGT online |
| Auchterderran | 9 | £ | FGT online |
| Glenrothes | 18 | £ | FGT online |
Visitor-open private clubs:
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crail Balcomie | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Crail Craighead | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Elie | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Lundin Links | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Leven Links | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Kingsbarns | 18 | ££££ | Online |
Highlands and Moray
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inverness Golf Club | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Torvean, Inverness | 18 | £ | Online (Highland Council) |
| Fortrose & Rosemarkie | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Nairn (The Nairn) | 18 | £££ | Online |
| Nairn Dunbar | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Tain | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Brora | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Golspie | 18 | £ | Online |
| Royal Dornoch Championship | 18 | ££££ | Online, well ahead |
| Royal Dornoch Struie | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Castle Stuart | 18 | ££££ | Online |
| Strathpeffer Spa | 18 | £ | Online (closed in winter) |
Argyll and the Islands
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machrihanish Golf Club | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Machrihanish Dunes | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Dunaverty | 18 | £ | Phone |
| Tobermory, Mull | 9 | £ | Honesty box |
| The Machrie, Islay | 18 | ££££ | Online |
| Shiskine, Arran | 12 | £ | Online |
| Brodick, Arran | 18 | £ | Online |
| Lamlash, Arran | 18 | £ | Phone |
Borders, Dumfries, Stirling, Forth Valley
| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peebles | 18 | £ | Online |
| Selkirk | 9 | £ | Phone |
| Hawick | 18 | £ | Phone |
| Eyemouth | 18 | £ | Phone |
| The Roxburghe, Kelso | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Southerness, Dumfries | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Powfoot | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Dumfries & County | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Stirling Golf Club | 18 | ££ | Online |
| Bridge of Allan | 9 (18 tees) | £ | Phone |
| Polmont | 9 | £ | Phone |
| Falkirk Tryst | 18 | ££ | Online |
What to expect at a Scottish municipal
- A starter's hut, often with a paper sheet. Sometimes with a heater.
- Trolley hire £3–£5. Buggy hire £20–£30 where offered (often not).
- Toilets that close at dusk.
- A ranger who will appear on the 7th if you've held up the group behind.
- A bar that takes coins.
- A dress code that exists on a sign and is observed by very few.
Things this list does not cover
- Driving ranges and pitch-and-putts — separate territory.
- Resort and pure-visitor courses above £150 outside the famous links — Gleneagles, Cameron House, Mar Hall, Trump Aberdeen. These are open to the public but aren't municipal in any meaningful sense.
- Member-only clubs — every Scottish town has one. They exist. They are not the subject of this guide.
- Closed or under-threat courses — Glasgow lost Lethamhill, Linn Park, Ruchill and Alexandra Park in February 2020 (Lethamhill has since reopened as the R&A's Golf It! community course). Always check the council's site before driving — the muni estate is not as static as it looks.
If you spot a course missing or a fee that's gone up, tell us and we'll update this page.
About the author
Gary
Editor and founder of Birdie Brae. Based in Glasgow, 14.5 handicap, playing since 2022. Has played 40+ Scottish courses and started this site because most Scottish golf content is written by people trying to sell you a package holiday.
More about Gary →Courses in this article
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