Pay and Play Golf Scotland: Every Public Course You Can Walk On

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, Aberdeen Sports Village, Fife Golf Trust | | Ballot, day before | Old Course St Andrews only |

Fee bands: £ = under £25 · ££ = £25–£50 · £££ = £50–£150 · ££££ = £150+

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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 the city munis. Booking via the Glasgow Life website.

| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking | |---|---|---|---| | Knightswood | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online | | Linn Park | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online | | Lethamhill | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online (verify open) | | King's Park | 9 | £ | Glasgow Life online | | Littlehill | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online | | Deaconsbank | 18 | £ | Glasgow Life online | | Ruchill | 9 (par 3) | £ | Glasgow Life online |

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

Aberdeen Sports Village runs the city munis.

| Course | Holes | Fee | Booking | |---|---|---|---| | King's Links | 18 | £ | ASV online | | Hazlehead No. 1 | 18 | £ | ASV online | | Hazlehead No. 2 | 18 | £ | ASV online | | Hazlehead No. 3 (par 3) | 9 | £ | ASV online | | Balnagask | 18 | £ | ASV online | | Auchmill | 18 | £ | ASV online |

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 — Lethamhill in Glasgow, Princes at the Braids, and a few others have had funding wobbles. Check the council's site before driving.

If you spot a course missing or a fee that's gone up, tell us and we'll update this page.