Scotland Golf Guide: Gleneagles

The hotel

Food:
Apart from the Michelin starred Andrew Fairlie restaurant (Scottish chef of the year) serving the finest and freshest Scottish larder food, the stunning Strathearn restaurant offers great views across the grounds and there are several other bars and eateries. Good quality golfers food will set you back £20 ($35) per head in the most modest restaurant. The Halfway house is half way through the King's and Queen's courses providing sustenance to tired players while the Juice Buggy brings hot drinks and snacks to those on the PGA course.

Rooms:
As befits a luxury hotel, Gleneagles offers the guest everything he could wish for a wonderfully comfortable, relaxing stay. You can choose from a selection of 260 richly furnished but tasteful rooms, all of which are replete with Queen/King size beds, en-suite bath and shower, interactive TV, DVD players and more. Rooms start at £330 (around $500 US) per night and rise to £950 (around $1800) for some suites. Black and white photographs of the hotel and its guests (including Bob Hope, Prince Andrew and Jack Nicholson) on the walls are a lovely touch.

Facilities:
A wonderful art deco dining room and bar, a shopping arcade and beautifully kept gardens are further features of elegance and excellence. The hotel provides a full range of business facilities, two pools, a gym, a squash and a luxury health spa with sauna, sun-bed and massage as well as a host of concessions from top retailers like Harvey Nichols. The Golf Academy provides lessons with in depth analysis of your swing and videos for future reference.

Activities

Outdoor activities include falconry, shooting, horse riding, fishing, cycle riding, off-road driving and family activities which can all be organized from the hotel. Wimbledon champion Virginia Wade gives an annual tennis clinic every July, costing around £1400 ($2500).

Shooting

In the 1950s Gleneagles was an important fixture in the high-society calendar - after the London 'season', it was yachting at Cowes, polo at Deauville followed by golf and grouse shooting at Gleneagles. After a game, make sure you try your shot at one of the world's most prestigious shooting schools. There are twelve target disciplines, on shooting ranges for sporting clays, skeet shooting and more. Included in the cost of a lesson are protective clothing, transport and all sporting clays equipment - including guns.

Costs:
Air rifle shooting is suitable for those aged eight upwards and costs £50 ($80) for an hour lesson, plus £10 ($17) as a supplement for guests.
Clay pigeon shooting is suitable for those aged ten upwards and costs £60 ($100) for one hour with 25 cartridges is included, plus £5 ($8) for each additional box of 25 cartridges.

Off-road driving

The most exhilarating activity you can try out at Gleneagles, off-roading excursions take you across courses designed by some of the country's top specialists. Whether you're an experienced driver or a novice looking for thrills, Gleneagles' instructors will guide you through ridges, gullies, steep gradients, ditches and water splashes through the stunning surrounds of the Scottish countryside. Also worth trying are the 'Scenic Safaris' where you'll be taken up through munros, lochs, lochans and historic landmarks and shown Scotland's diverse wildlife before being treated to a glass of champagne and a gourmet picnic. Bliss!

Costs:
Off roading is suitable for those aged twelve upwards and costs £110 ($190) for an hour for up to two people, rising up to £220 ($300) for a 90 minute lesson for up to four people. Discover Scotland safari tours will cost £600 ($1000) a day for three people, plus £120 ($200) for a guide, with a 30% discount for half a day.

Background to the course

Architect:
James Braid and Major C.K. Hutchison designed two of the courses in 1914 for a fee of 120 ($200) fee. The third course, the PGA Centenary designed by Jack Nicklaus in 1993, cost a substantially higher £6 million ($11 million) to design and build and will host the 2014 Ryder Cup.

Type:
Four parkland and moorland courses

Landscape:
Stunning vistas of breathtaking beauty, covered with heather, gorse and majestic stands of pines, with most holes offering a 180-degree view over the surrounding countryside. Deer in the forest are within sight of the course.

Pro-shop:
A great range of clubs and golf bags are available in the golf academy pro-shop. The clubhouse has good golf clothing and Gleneagles memorabilia prints of the courses.

Course views (click for enlargement)

Score card

Address:
The Gleneagles Hotel, FREEPOST, Auchterarder, Perthshire, Scotland PH3 1BR

Website:
www.gleneagles.com

Phone & fax:
+44 (0) 1764 662231, Fax: +44 (0) 1764 662134

Courses and lengths:
King's Course: 18 holes, 6790 yards, 5220 yards (ladies).
Queen's Course: 18 holes, 5965 yards, 5495 yards (ladies).
PGA Centenary Course: 18 holes, 7088 yards, 5072 yards (ladies).
Wee Course: 9 holes, 1481 yards

Tee times:
Vary according to season.

Handicap:
None required.

Green fees:
Prices range from £30 ($50) to £110 ($200) per round depending on season, time of day and course with 'deals' on tee times booked after 5pm.

Packages:
Golfing holiday and tuition packages are available from the hotel, prices vary seasonally, starting from around £250 ($400) a night for one night and a round of golf.

Other costs:
Buggy hire costs up to £30 ($50), its up to £5 ($8) for trolleys and £50 ($80) for clubs. The PGA Centenary is the only course that allows buggies.

Location:
Only 20 minutes from Perth along the A9 and one hour, fifteen minutes' drive from Edinburgh along the M90 and A9. The nearest airport is Edinburgh (EDI).

More information

Adventure Golf: Scotland