Dundonald Links was built on an old wartime airfield. RAF Dundonald was used for fighter training during the Second World War; after the war the land was released and eventually acquired for golf development. Kyle Phillips — the American architect who also designed Kingsbarns — was commissioned to build a championship-standard links on what was essentially flat, reclaimed ground adjacent to the Firth of Clyde. The course opened in 2003 and spent its first decade building a reputation for conditioning and accessibility that its older Ayrshire neighbours can't match.
Where Royal Troon and Western Gailes are private, historically-rooted, and cautious about visitor access, Dundonald has always been visitor-first. The site is larger; the greens are bigger; the rough is manageable rather than penal; and the practice facility — a full driving range, short-game area, and putting green — reflects modern golf resort thinking rather than Victorian club culture. Tour professionals who play it in pro-am conditions before the Scottish Open regularly remark that the fairways and greens compare favourably with any links course on the circuit.
The Scottish Open connections are the headline. The 2017 Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open, won by Rafa Cabrera-Bello in a finish that came down to the 72nd hole, put Dundonald on television across Europe. The 2020 ASI Scottish Open followed. Women's professional events have also been held here. Each time the course has been set up to tournament standard it has generated genuinely interesting scoring, which is the test of whether a new course's architecture has integrity.
For visitors on the Ayrshire coast, Dundonald sits between the extreme formality of Troon and Turnberry and the more modest municipal options. Green fee is £135–£185 depending on season. Lodge accommodation on site. Buggies permitted. Club hire available. Train to Barassie station and a short taxi to the course; the club can arrange pickup. Pairs naturally with Prestwick St Nicholas or Western Gailes for a two-round Ayrshire day without the premium of the Open Championship venues.