Scotland recognized as world’s best golf destination

It remains to be seen whether football will come home for England at the World Cup in Qatar next month, but for neighboring Scotland, golf has officially – and finally – returned to its motherland.

Having hosted the game for almost six centuries, “the home of golf” – as Scotland is known – was recognized as the World’s Best Golf Destination for the very first time at the ninth edition of the annual World Golf Awards in Abu Dhabi this week.

Despite the dominance of its legendary St. Andrews Old Course in the World’s Best Golf Course category – with five successive wins after the award’s inception – Scotland had never been recognized as the sport’s best destination.

The 18th green of the St Andrews Old Course during the 150th Open Championship in July.

Portugal had held an iron grip on the title for the award’s first five years, before a victory for Australia was sandwiched between wins for Vietnam in 2019 and 2021.

Yet after a landmark year, which saw Scottish links courses play host to two historic majors – the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews and the first ever Women’s Open at Muirfield – the country finally scooped the prize, as well as the award for Best Golf Destination in Europe.

The sole European contender for the World award, Scotland trumped rival nominees Argentina, Australia, Canada, Dubai, Jamaica, Morocco, and last year’s winner Vietnam.

Adam Sandler: Who else could begin a list of celebrity golfers? As the star of one of the sport's most memorable movies, Sandler has continued the "Happy Gilmore" legacy with a host of Pro-Am appearances. Even the film's antagonist Shooter McGavin, played by Christopher McDonald, is still a regular face on the fairways.

Michael Jordan: Any sports fan who has watched "The Last Dance" will know MJ's passion for golf is well-documented. As a college junior, the future NBA legend became hooked after playing a round with fellow University of North Carolina alumni -- and future PGA Championship winner -- Davis Love III. In 2019, Jordan opened his very own course in Florida, The Grove XXIII -- the roman numerals a nod to his iconic No. 23 jersey.

Justin Timberlake: The singer and actor has been bringing "SexyBack" to golf for decades. Pictures of JT strutting his stuff at tournaments date back to 2002, and he is a common face at the PGA Tour's Pebble Beach Pro-Am events.

Catherine Zeta-Jones: The academy-award winning Welsh actress has competed at Pro-Am's across the globe alongside fellow acting -- and golfing -- husband, Michael Douglas. Reportedly playing off a 22-handicap, the Chicago star told one British talk show host in 2016 that if Douglas fails to clear the ladies tee with his drives, he has to take his pants off as a forfeit.

Tom Brady: One of many NFL players known to enjoy swapping the gridiron for the four-iron, the seven-time Super Bowl champion is a keen golfer. After two defeats, Brady finally registered his first "The Match" victory in June after pairing with Aaron Rodgers to defeat Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes in the all-quarterback, sixth edition of the event [pictured].

Macklemore: Taking his audacious style from the Thrift Shop to the fairways, the Grammy-award winning rapper is a keen player with his very own golf clothing line, Bogey Boys. Last year, he spoke with CNN about his "scary addiction" to the game.

Jessica Alba: The Hollywood actress is a known golf enthusiast, and in 2014 went searching for an Alba-tross at the Mission Hills Celebrity golf Pro-Am on the Southern Chinese island of Hainan [pictured].

Niall Horan: There's only One Direction the ball is going when the Irish singer-songwriter is at the tee. A regular presence at DP World Tour events, the former boy band star is the founder of the Modest! Golf Management agency.

Tom Holland: Part-time web-slinger, full-time golf swinger -- the "Spider-Man" lead is a self-confessed golf addict. The English actor has made no secret of his love for the game as a stress release from Hollywood life, and surprised onlookers with some booming drives at the BMW PGA Championship Pro-Am in 2021 [pictured].

Stephen Curry: The three-point king of the NBA is also a highly-proficient par-three shooter. An avid golfer and regular Pro-Am competitor, in April the Golden State Warriors icon launched an all-expenses paid golf tour for underrepresented young players.

Celine Dion: Her iconic theme for a film about a sinking ship is known worldwide, but her penchant for sinking putts is one of the less well-known aspects of the Canadian singer's glittering life. Alongside late husband René Angélil, Dion owned Le Mirage Golf Club in Terrebonne, Quebec, for 23 years before announcing its sale in 2020.

Miles Teller: The "Whiplash" star won plaudits for his charismatic performance as Rooster in 2022's "Top Gun: Maverick," and the actor looked to have channeled that same energy into a compelling showing at the American Century Championship at Tahoe in July [pictured].

Alice Cooper: Widely regarded as one of the most talented celebrity golfers, the former rock star is as menacing a sight for competitors as he was on stage. Cooper has authored multiple books on the game, including "Golf Monster: How a Wild Rock'n'roll Life Led to a Serious Golf Addiction," in which he claims he is on the course 300 days a year.

Kathryn Newton: She shot to fame with roles in "Big Little Lies" and "Paranormal Activity," but the American actress almost shot her way to the LPGA Tour as a highly-talented young player. Growing up on a course in Florida, Newton broke several high-school golfing records and had planned to attempt qualification for the 2012 US Open, before pulling out due to acting commitments.

Meat Loaf: Flying down the fairway Like a Bat Out of Hell, the rock front-man has played several celebrity golf events, including the televised, Ryder Cup-style All Star Cup at Celtic Manor, Wales in 2006, where his American side suffered defeat to Team Europe [pictured].

The celebrities with a love for golf

Prev Next

Scotland’s golf industry is worth upwards of $1.3 billion (￡1.1 billion), with an annual golf tourism market bringing in $339 million (￡286 million) and supporting over 4,000 jobs, according to Visit Scotland.

“These awards are a fitting end to an extra special year for golf in Scotland and fantastic recognition for all the people who work so hard to grow and enhance our reputation as The Home of Golf,” said Visit Scotland Chief Executive Malcolm Roughead.

“Golf tourism is a significant boost for the economy and raises Scotland’s profile on the international stage.”

In October, the fabled Alfred Dunhill Links Championship saw professionals and celebrities alike rotate around St. Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns – three of Scotland’s flagship links courses which help attract almost 220,000 annual golf visitors to the country, according to Visit Scotland.

In August, Muirfield staged the Women's Open for first time after hosting 16 editions of the men's tournament.

“Scottish golf tourism is thriving, and Scotland is a bucket list destination for most golfers around the World,” added Dermot Synnott, Director of Global Partnership for the World Golf Awards.

Pádraig Harrington hands money to a fan to buy beers at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday.

Related article Golfer gives fans $100 to buy beers for moving out of shadows

“It offers a vast range of parkland and links options across all its regions, so the travelling golfer really is spoilt for choice.”

Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island, New York, was crowned the World’s Best Golf Course, continuing a strong American run after back-to-back wins for Augusta National.

Meanwhile, JA The Resort Golf Course in Dubai won Best Nine Hole Golf Course and Costa Navarino in Greece was recognized as the World’s Best Emerging Golf Destination.