Aberdeenshire links · Which to play
Cruden Bay Golf Club vs Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie Links)
The two great Aberdeenshire links north of the city — quirky dunes classic or championship test?
| Cruden Bay Golf Club | Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie Links) | |
|---|---|---|
| Green fee (2026) | £110–£220 | £175–£265 |
| Location | Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire | Aberdeen |
| Region | Aberdeenshire | Aberdeenshire |
| Type | Links | Links |
| Holes / par | 18 · par 70 | 18 · par 71 |
| Designer | Old Tom Morris and Archie Simpson, 1899; Tom Simpson & Herbert Fowler redesign 1926 | Robert Simpson 1888; Archie Simpson and Tom Simpson revisions |
The verdict
Which should you play?
Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie) is the sixth-oldest golf club in the world and a stern, classical championship links — a superb front nine out along the dunes, a tougher walk back into the wind, and the pedigree to match. Cruden Bay, half an hour further north, is the cult favourite: wild, tumbling, blind-shot dunesland with a couple of holes modern architecture would never dare build, and all the better for it.
Royal Aberdeen is the more 'serious' and more convenient round, closest to the city and the airport. Cruden Bay is the more fun, more memorable, more photographed one. On a two-round Aberdeenshire trip you play both — but if it's only one, most visitors leave Cruden Bay grinning wider.
Pick this one if…
Cruden Bay Golf Club
You want charm, drama and dunes golf that breaks the rules — the round you'll rave about.
Pick this one if…
Royal Aberdeen (Balgownie Links)
You want the classical championship test and centuries of pedigree closer to the city.
Green fees are the clubs' published 2026 visitor rates, shown as a range from the cheapest to the dearest tee time. They change; always confirm on the course profile before you book. We don't take a cut of your green fee — the verdict above is ours, not the pro shop's.
More: which should you play?