A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Aberdeen Coast
Aberdeen
Plate I — Links course — coastal exposure, firm running turf
Pay-and-play links on the Aberdeen beachfront. Astonishing value.
King's Links is the hidden value play of Aberdeen golf — a pay-and-play 18-hole municipal links on the beachfront, ten minutes from Union Street, with green fees of £25–£35 and no membership requirement. The course has been there since 1888 in some form, run today by Aberdeen City Council, and shares the same coastal dune system as Royal Aberdeen and Murcar a few miles north.
The course will not pretend to be anything other than a municipal — fairways are mown wider than at the premium clubs, the greens are honest rather than pristine, and the routing is practical rather than poetic. But the terrain underneath is genuine links land, the fescue is real, and the Aberdeen wind is exactly the same wind that visitors pay £225 to play at Royal Aberdeen ten minutes up the road.
Tee times can be booked online or paid at the small clubhouse on the day. No handicap certificate; no dress code beyond common sense; clubs available to hire. For visitors based in Aberdeen for business or for the Royal Aberdeen / Murcar circuit, King's Links is the round to fit in on a half-day when the wallet has done enough work elsewhere. Granite-faced honest golf at sane prices.
The Full Scorecard
Fields marked “Contact club” aren’t public-facing in a way we’ve been able to verify. Call the club directly for these — we’ll update the entry when we have it from source.
Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Aberdeen · AB24 5QBOpen in OpenStreetMap →
While They Golf
Aberdeen Coast isn't only for the golfers. Walks, drives, distilleries, castles, a long lunch — five picks within thirty minutes of the first tee.
The Aberdeen Coast companion guide →★ Pair This Round ★
Three things within an hour of the first tee. Each open to visitors; each chosen for what suits a golfer's pace, not a tour bus's.
Museum · 5 min south
Shiprow, Aberdeen · Provost Ross's House, 1593
Free museum five minutes from the course on the maritime heritage of the Granite City — clipper trade, deep-sea trawling, North Sea oil. The 1593 Provost Ross's House is itself one of the city's oldest buildings.
Museum · 5 min south
Schoolhill, Aberdeen · Founded 1885, redeveloped 2019
Reopened in 2019 after a major renovation — Scottish Colourists, Joan Eardley's Catterline cottage paintings, the McBey portraits and a quietly excellent contemporary collection. Free.
Distillery · 25 min north-west
Oldmeldrum · Founded 1797
The closest working distillery to the course. Highland malt, lighter character than the peated names; the visitor centre tasting bar handles small groups well.
Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Aberdeen (ABZ) is 30 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for links rounds on the Scottish coast.
Outerwear
Wind off the firth changes club selection two irons. A breathable, fully-waterproof shell that's light enough not to swing in is the single biggest upgrade for Scottish links golf.
Layer
Scottish-made merino — the locals' choice for shoulder-season rounds. Warm enough for a 7am tee time in October, light enough for the back nine when the sun comes out.
Tech
Handles blind tee shots and exposed-coastal yardage cleanly. Battery lasts a 36-hole day; the wind-direction overlay justifies the price on its own.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Aberdeen. Tap any property to check rates.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Frequently Asked
Nearby courses
Aberdeen & Moray golf hub
Browse all Aberdeen & Moray courses →
Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay, Trump International — the underrated east-coast links circuit. Plus the Moray clubs at Lossiemouth and Cullen that locals would rather you didn't write about.
While they golf — Aberdeen
For the non-golfer in Aberdeen →
Dunnottar Castle — a cliff-top fortified settlement — is 15 miles south. Aberdeen Art Gallery's Rossetti and Millais collection, city centre, is free.
Getting there by train
On TripSCOTAbout 10 minutes by bus or taxi from King's Links. Edinburgh Waverley in 2hr 30; Glasgow in 2hr 40 by ScotRail.
Read more about Aberdeenshire
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