Dumbarnie Links: Is this Scotland’s best golf experience?

As a golfer in Scotland, it’s easy to become accustomed to stunning venues.

We’re often greeted with expansive fairways, views that span the horizon and hospitality that won’t be beaten anywhere on the planet.

Rarely, however, is that served up in such healthy quantities than at Dumbarnie Links.

The Fife course, which opened its doors just over five years ago, sits off one of the many roads leading to St Andrews. If you were unaware, you could drive past the gates, unaware that there is even a golf course hidden away there.

For the past five years, that is essentially what me, along with my colleague James Tait, have done. While I had heard great things about Dumbarnie, I had never been until recently, to celebrate its fifth anniversary.

Your day at Dumbarnie gets going long before you walk to the first tee. We arrived hours in advance of our 2pm tee time and I was thankful for that. A quick look around the pro shop preceded one of the best golf club lunches you’ll have anywhere. The fish and chips and cajun chicken burger are highly recommended.

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After that, it’s time to get ready for your round and with the warm-up facilities here, you have no excuse for not being raring to face the first hole. The grass driving range is less than a lob wedge from the first tee and so is the wonderful putting and chipping green. Even if that doesn’t get you good to go, the ‘wee dram’ on the first tee will relax even the most uptight golfers.

The opening hole at Dumbarnie is more of a gentle handshake than an arm wrestle. A fairway that is wider than it appears can be hit with something less than a driver, before a vast green will accept most balls hit in its direction.

What struck me and James the most was the fact that so much of Dumbarnie’s dunes are manmade. They frame each fairway so well and if you had told us they had been there for 500 years rather than five, we would have believed you.

As you’ll quickly find out, this course, designed by Clive Clark, is not designed to intimidate, but to inspire and to entertain. That’s apparent from the get-go, with the third hole a brilliant example of some of the risk and reward decisions you’ll need to make.

From the blue tees, which measure around 6,400 yards for the full round, the downhill par-4 is just a shade over 300 yards. Confident golfers can take their tee shot over the corner that is made up of rough and bunkers, while those more pragmatic can play it safe to the right.

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James and I took different approaches but ultimately ended up with the same score on the hole, a common theme throughout the day. The course offers you the chance to make birdies but if you don’t quite execute, you can still salvage a par or bogey.

Perhaps the best view at Dumbarnie comes on the ninth tee and that spectacle is aided by what you can pick up at the Wee Barn. Pies, sausage rolls and even Tennent’s Lager and Guinness on draft is a big step-up from your usual halfway house fare. It brightens your outlook and can even erase memories of missed putts in the previous eight holes.

A stunning day at @dumbarniegolf. My first time here and what an amazing course. Some huge fairways which really makes strategy fun from every tee. And Tennent’s on tap at halfway. What more could you want? pic.twitter.com/prgPepgLoG

— Lewis Fraser (@lewisfras98) May 20, 2025

The next highlight – and there are many highlights – comes at the 11th, another short par-4. If the third hole was out of your reach, then this, measuring just under 270 yards from the blue tees, could be more attainable. Even for me, buoyed by my halfway beer, it was in range, resulting in the easiest of tap-in birdies.

It would also be wrong to ignore the par-3s at Dumbarnie. All four of these are excellent fun and in my opinion, they saved the best until last at the 16th. The lengthy yardage on the card doesn’t take into account the fact this hole plays downhill by around two clubs. From that tee, your view across the Firth of Forth is stunning and a reminder of the joy you’ve had to get to this point.

The challenge isn’t over yet though. The 17th hole is another memorable short par-4 where plenty of bunkers await to gobble up your ball should you stay off the straight and narrow.

The closing hole is a belter, too. A dog-leg to the right leads golfers back to where they started, but not before they need to navigate a green with a devilish false front. A solid score could easily come undone here (as was the case in our group).

Regardless of score, however, I’ve no doubt that you’ll come off the 18th green at Dumbarnie with a grin on your face, just like I did.

All that remains after that is to grab a seat outside the clubhouse, order your favourite drink and reflect on your round at one of Scotland’s best golf experiences.

For more information on Dumbarnie Links, head to dumbarnielinks.com.

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Lewis Fraser As bunkered’s Performance Editor, Lewis oversees the content that’s designed to make you a better player. From the latest gear to tuition, nutrition, strategy and more, he’s the man. A graduate of the University of Stirling, Lewis joined bunkered in 2021. Formerly a caddie at Castle Stuart Golf Links, he is a member of Bathgate Golf Club where he plays off four.

Performance Editor