New links courses in Scotland are few and far between, although Trump International Scotland and Cabot Highlands both unveiled their second layouts to the golfing world in summer 2025.
Prior to them, the most recent addition was the Clive Clark creation at Dumbarnie Golf Links on the Firth of Forth on the south Fife coast, which recently celebrated its fifth birthday.
Despite a slightly difficult birth during Covid, the links has quickly garnered a big reputation for being both a visually stirring golf course and for providing a professional but suitably informal off-course experience under the guidance of highly experienced general manager, David Scott.
What this links does particularly well is to set both your pulse racing and your brain whirring, the former via clever use of the terrain, with several eye-catching holes playing down towards the Firth, including the all-important 1st and memorable par-3 8th.
That’s not to say other holes playing in different directions aren’t also blessed with strong visuals, for example, the uphill par-5 2nd.
As for the brain whirring, you face more risk-reward options here than on just about any course. Several holes demand decisions based on ability, form, choice of tee and wind direction, among them the 3rd, 5th, 11th, 15th and 17th.
The dogleg-right 17th, crossed by a dry stone wall, is particularly interesting, as even the safe route doesn’t appear overly easy.
Further tweaks often take place early on, and in Dumbarnie’s case that has meant filling in a burn crossing the 10th fairway at around driving distance downwind on perhaps the toughest par 4.
In addition, the new halfway hut – The Wee Barn – is both excellent and very well appointed by the 9th tee, another hole that plays dramatically down towards the Firth.
● Stats: par 72, 6,421 yards
● Green fees: £335 (replay rate within seven days: £168)
(correct at time of publication in September 2025)
