Five-time Open Champion James Braid was one of Scotland’s greatest-ever golfers, he retired from competitive golf in 1912 and became a renowned golf course architect responsible for designing over 250 golf courses throughout the British Isles.
Often regarded as the "inventor" of the dogleg, although holes of similar design had been known for centuries, Braid's courses range from the prestigious and well known championship layouts, to remote village courses but every one of them will give the golfer a thorough test of his golfing ability.
King's Course at Gleneagles
As the premier attraction at Gleneagles, the King’s Course is without doubt one of Braid’s finest creations. The course demands creative thinking and the layout lends itself to a golfer with versatility and has previously hosted the Scottish Open.
| Location: | Auchterarder, Perthshire |
| Length: | 6,790 yards |
| Par: | 71 |
| Established: | 1919 |
Parkstone Golf Club
Originally opened in 1909, it wasn’t till a few years later that James Braid put his mark on Parkstone Golf Club, turning it into one of the finest heathland courses in the South West. The course, which had Peter Alliss as the head pro for many years, is a must for any golfers on a Bournemouth golf tour.
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| Location: | Bournemouth, Dorset |
| Length: | 6,282 yards |
| Par: | 72 |
| Established: | 1909 |
Thorpeness Golf Club
Braid’s creativity is evident at Thorpeness as the heathland course showcases an essence of links golf with steep bunkers forming many of the holes. The stunning layout is neighboured by birch and pine trees and makes for some seriously dramatic golf.
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| Location: | Aldeburgh , Suffolk |
| Length: | 6,421 yards |
| Par: | 70 |
| Established: | 1923 |
Royal Musselburgh
With royal status and designed by Braid, there is no doubting the prestige of Royal Musselburgh. This quality links course is full of history dating back to 1774 and the traditional layout is still hugely exciting test to this day.
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| Location: | Prestonpans, East Lothian |
| Length: | 6,254 yards |
| Par: | 70 |
| Established: | 1774 |
Goswick Links Golf Club
Goswick Links borders the North East coastline and brilliantly maintains its condition all year round despite the ever-changing climate. As a pure links test, expect all facets of your game to be tested, especially your course management with lots of elevation changes and hilly terrain along the way.
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| Location: | Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Northumberland |
| Length: | 6,803 yards |
| Par: | 69 |
| Established: | 1890 |
St Enodoc (Church course)
Located in the South West, the Church Course at St Enodoch is a beautiful links course which affords golfers beautiful views of the coastline. Playing at just over 6,500 yards the course is typical of Braid’s design, focusing not on the length but the accuracy and skill of the golfer.
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| Location: | Wadebridge, Cornwall |
| Length: | 6,557 yards |
| Par: | 69 |
| Established: | 1907 |
Aberdovey Golf Club
Aberdovey Golf Club is a regular stop on Welsh golf tours and is a traditional links test; nine out and nine back allows golfers to experience the extremes of the coastal links as well as some more protected holes. The club has hosted several amateur tournaments and has built a strong reputation as one of Wales’ best championship courses.
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| Location: | Aberdovey, Gwynedd |
| Length: | 6,535 yards |
| Par: | 71 |
| Established: | 1892 |
Southport & Ainsdale Golf Club
Southport & Ainsdale is another product of excellence from James Braid and has been put on the world stage on two occasions as it hosted the Ryder Cup in 1933 and 1937. As a course, the standout holes are the shorter ones with your round starting with a par-3, however the longer holes are extremely punishing.
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| Location: | Ainsdale, Southport |
| Length: | 6,803 yards |
| Par: | 72 |
| Established: | 1906 |
Powfoot Golf Club
Powfoot Golf Club combines both links and parkland golf, making for a seriously versatile and exciting round of golf. Playing along the coastline, there are many aspects of links golf to consider during your round but on the whole there is a brilliant layout to explore and good scores to be had for the intelligent golfer.
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| Location: | Annan, Dumfriesshire |
| Length: | 6,274 yards |
| Par: | 71 |
| Established: | 1903 |
Brora Golf Club
Established in 1891 and then redesigned in 1923 by James Braid, Brora Golf Club is a course which gradually asks more and more from you as you progress through your round. With a strong links breeze and elevation changes to deal with throughout, you’ll be forced to use most clubs in your bag.
| Location: | Sutherland, Scottish Highlands |
| Length: | 6,211 yards |
| Par: | 70 |
| Established: | 1891 |
Golspie Golf Club
Much like a theme of Braid courses, Golspie Golf Club not only affords awe-inspiring views of Dornoch Firth but also brilliantly executes a heathland, parkland and links mix. Length isn’t the primary test but with a par of 68, there are several other challenges which can get in the way of a low score.
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| Location: | Sutherland, Scottish Highlands |
| Length: | 6,021 yards |
| Par: | 70 |
| Established: | 1889 |
Nairn Golf Club
As a natural links course, Nairn Golf Club is set in the Scottish highlands and while providing dunes and elevation changes as a test, there is also water to deal with on no less than seven holes. The course hosted the 1999 Walker Cup, for which it benefited from major rejuvenation, including the clubhouse.
| Location: | Nairn, Scottish Highlands |
| Length: | 6,774 yards |
| Par: | 72 |
| Established: | 1887 |
Boat of Garton Golf Club
Boat of Garten Golf Club is without doubt one of Braid’s most stunning designs, running through the incredible grounds of Cairngorm National Park. The course features epic shrubbery, a winding River Spey and some seriously challenging holes which require tight golf through all 18 holes.
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| Location: | Boat of Garten, Invernesshire |
| Length: | 5,876 yards |
| Par: | 70 |
| Established: | 1898 |