A links is golf on the sandy ground between sea and farmland — firm, fast, wind-blown, with fescue turf and bunkers you can disappear into. Everything on this list qualifies; we've left out the clifftop and parkland courses, however scenic, and said where a links is 'half' a links.
| Rank | Course | Why it's a links | 2026 summer fee | From Girvan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turnberry Ailsa | Shore-hugging championship links, lighthouse ninth | £1,000 (£475 guests) | 6 mi |
| 2 | Royal Troon Old | Classic out-and-back through dunes; Postage Stamp | £365 (2025) | 31 mi |
| 3 | Western Gailes | Two holes wide between railway and sea | £310 | 40 mi |
| 4 | Prestwick | The original Open links; blind holes and sleepers | £340–380 | 27 mi |
| 5 | Turnberry King Robert the Bruce | Clifftop and lower links | c. £250 | 6 mi |
| 6 | Dundonald Links | Modern links in the Gailes dunes | £245–260 | 40 mi |
| 7 | Kilmarnock Barassie | Open-qualifying links, Firth on the right | £75–100 | 33 mi |
| 8 | Gailes Links | 6,903-yard traditional links | c. £75–80 | 40 mi |
| 9 | Prestwick St Nicholas | Firm seaside links, Arran from every hole | £90–130 | 27 mi |
| 10 | Troon Lochgreen & Darley | Council links on Royal Troon's dunes | Top council band | 31 mi |
| 11 | Wigtownshire County | Flat true links on Luce Bay, playable all year | £60 | 33 mi |
| 12 | Girvan (holes 1–8) | Eight pure links holes by the beach | c. £30 | 0 mi |
Not links, but coastal: Portpatrick (clifftop heath) and Stranraer (parkland above Loch Ryan) both play firm and look like links on a summer day.
Playing links for the first time
Take one or two more clubs than you think into the wind and one fewer downwind; land approaches short and run them in; putt from off the green; don't flop from tight lies; accept that a 30mph westerly is part of the course, not bad luck. A caddie on the first big links round pays for itself in saved balls.
Three links days from Girvan
- Budget: Girvan's front eight twice (play the loop as a 16), then Wigtownshire County. Under £100 total.
- Mid-range: Prestwick St Nicholas in the morning window, Barassie or Gailes Links in the afternoon. Under £250.
- Bucket list: The Ailsa, Royal Troon, Prestwick and Western Gailes over four days — book six to nine months ahead.
Prices and visitor policies checked August 2026 against the club's own website and cross-checked with independent golf guides. Clubs revise rates every season and restrict visitor times around competitions, so confirm directly before you book.
