All plans start and end in Girvan. Fees are summer 2026 non-resident rates from the course pages; 'council' means a Golf South Ayrshire band, typically £25–45.
Two days — the Turnberry break
| Day | Course | Drive | Fee | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pm | Girvan | walk | c. £30 | days |
| 2 am | Turnberry Ailsa or Bruce | 12 min | £1,000 / c. £250 | 3–6 months (summer) |
Dinner at Wildings, Maidens. Swap the Ailsa for the Bruce to save £750.
Three days — the Braid trail
| Day | Course | Drive | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Girvan (Braid revisions) | walk | c. £30 |
| 2 | Belleisle (Braid 1927) | 35 min | council |
| 3 | Stranraer (Braid's last, 1950) | 45 min | £50 |
Golf South Ayrshire sells Girvan + Belleisle as the Braid Trail package (May–September). Under £130 in fees.
Five days — the Ayrshire coast
| Day | Course | Drive | Fee | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Girvan + Bruce | 12 min | £30 + c. £250 | 1–3 months |
| 2 | Ailsa | 12 min | £1,000 (£475 guest) | 3–6 months |
| 3 | Prestwick | 40 min | £340–380 | 3–4 months |
| 4 | Royal Troon day ticket (Mon/Tue/Thu) | 45 min | £420 (2025) | 6–9 months |
| 5 | Western Gailes with lunch | 55 min | £310 | 3 months |
About £2,400 in summer; roughly £1,000 in April/October. Rest-day alternative: the Ailsa Craig boat.
Seven days — the full circuit
Add Dundonald Links (£245–260, day 6, stay in the lodges) and Barassie or Gailes Links (day 7), or drop south for Wigtownshire County and Portpatrick with a night in Portpatrick.
The Galloway alternative (four days, under £250)
Girvan → Stranraer £50 → Portpatrick c. £45 (stay in the village) → Wigtownshire County £60 → home via Newton Stewart. Empty tee sheets, sea views, real clubhouses.
Booking lead times, summarised
Royal Troon 6–9 months · Turnberry Ailsa 3–6 (summer) · Prestwick 3–4 · Western Gailes 3 · Dundonald and Bruce 1–3 · Barassie/Gailes Links/St Nicholas 2–4 weeks · council and Galloway courses days to a week.
Tips
- Keep one weather day: Culzean, the Burns museum or Wigtown's bookshops.
- Girvan station links to Ayr, Prestwick, Troon and Stranraer for car-free rounds.
- Non-golfers: beach, harbour, Galloway Forest Park, the coast road south.
