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By David Brice
Golf International, Inc

Gleneagles PGA Centenary Course will host the 2014 Ryder Cup

It has been estimated that perhaps half a million overseas golfers flock to Scotland each year to experience the game in the country that gave it birth. Add to this already impressive number another half million who come in from England and other parts of the British Isles and it's easy to see how Scotland has become the world's most popular golfing destination.

Sadly, most limit their experience to strictly links courses, those windblown, treeless layouts that border the sea. As wonderful as these tests are, they represent less than a half of Scotland's golfing banquet, fast approaching 600 courses.

Gleneagles Kings Course - ranked # 16 in the British Isles

Venture inland and a whole new treasure chest of magnificent layouts await. No less challenging than the coastal courses with a beauty and character entirely of their own - this is the other side of Scotland's golf. No Scottish golf experience can be complete without at least a sampling of one or two of these distinctive moorland, heathland and highland courses and some of the best can be found in the county of Perthshire, Scotland's heartland.

Conveniently situated midway between the the concentrations of links courses on the west and east coasts and only an hour's drive from either Glasgow or Edinburgh, a couple of days spent in this glorious countryside will reveal golfing delights you may not have even imagined exist.

North Inch boasts 500 years of golf history

This is the gateway to the Scottish Highlands with landscapes of picture postcard good looks. Rolling hills lead to distant mountains with deep valleys, lochs and spectacular glens giving an almost surrealist look of stunning drama. It's in this setting that more than 40 courses lie tucked away.

World-renowned Gleneagles and its three superb championship layouts are Perthshire's pride and joy. Gleneagles' PGA Centenary Course will be hosting The Ryder Cup in 2014 and if that doesn't impress, consider the fact that Gleneagles two other courses, The Kings and The Queens, are both positioned higher on The Top 100 Courses of the British Isles rankings. And this is still only the tip of the iceberg -- there are plenty more.

Scone Palace where more than 40 Scottish Kings were crowned

The names may not be as recognizable, but the quality of golf is consistently high. After Gleneagles, the three courses at Blairgowrie may be the best known, with James Braid's design of Blairgowrie Rosemount, ranked among the top ten such layouts in Britain.

Nearby is the city of Perth, well worth visiting for any with even a passing interest in the history of golf. Here you will find two municipal courses that were among golf's very first, North Inch and King James VI Golf Clubs. Situated in the heart of the city, this pair was being played by Royalty as early as the 15th century, a time when commoners were being chastised for allowing golf to take away from time at archery practice.

Stirling Golf Club sits in the shadow of Stirling Castle, one of Scotland's most magnificent

While in Perth, take the opportunity to visit one of Britain's most popular monuments, Scone Palace, site of the coronations of over 40 Scottish Kings during the past thousand years.

A little further west is a magnificent championship layout at Crieff, another Perthshire course ranked among Britain's top 30 -- and this is still only the beginning. A short drive from Perth is Murrayshall Hotel and Golf Club and a delightful woodland layout, well worth playing. Take in a little more history and stop by Stirling, ancient capital of Scotland with one of the most impressive castles in the land towering above the town. Stirling Golf Club is a charmer sitting in the castle's shadow.

Pitlochry's stunning mountainscape

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For a few ideas on how to include some inland golfing pleasures into your Scottish vacation, click  here. Or Call Golf International at 800.328.9898.

Pitlochry, a highland layout that climbs, swoops and falls through amazing terrain, must take first prize in the good-looks department. It may seem more suited to mountain goats than humans, but for those in good shape, Pitlochry is a wonderfully exhilarating experience. Taymouth Castle and Callander are another two courses offering the rare scenic beauty seldom found outside of these parts and virtually unknown to any but the locals.

Throughout this handsome county is an array of inland courses, guaranteed to take your breath away, but they need to be experienced to be believed. Every bit as much a part of Scottish golf as the links courses, they are less known and consequently much less used by the million or so visiting golfers who invade Scotland each year. Less crowded courses usually means less frantic, more pleasurable golf with the luxury of time to savor the golf experience to the fullest.

Callander Golf Club offers golf among the clouds

Don't miss playing those famous links courses you have been dreaming of, just add a little spice and variety with a sampling of intriguing inland layouts. It's the only way to gain an appreciation for not only the wealth, but also the depth of Scottish golf.

For ideas on adding some inland golfing pleasures to your Scottish trip, click here.

© 2007 David Brice / Golf International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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