Dundonald Links sits on the Ayrshire coast at Gailes, just south of Irvine and about 24 miles from Glasgow, with Western Gailes across the railway from its 13th hole and Barassie beside its 12th. It is one of the newest links on this coast and one of the few you can sleep beside: lodges and hotel rooms sit on the property, the clubhouse has its own restaurant and gym, and visitors book tee times online. The R&A uses it for Final Qualifying for The Open, and the Women’s Scottish Open has been played here since 2022.
Dundonald Links green fees and tee times.
Visitor tee times are sold through the club’s online booking system, which confirms the time instantly. Groups smaller than four may be paired with other golfers, and the club warns that times can be moved at short notice. If your group mixes rate categories, such as lodge guests and non-residents, book by phone or email instead of online. To book more than a year ahead, contact the reservations team on reservations@dundonaldlinks.com. A cheaper second round is offered within five days of the first, at £55 to £145 depending on the season. Permanent residents of Scotland get a limited number of Monday–Thursday times at a lower rate, booked online only, no more than 14 days ahead, and checked against photo ID and a utility bill or bank statement on the day. The club publishes no handicap limit, so ask when you book if you need one confirmed.
INDICATIVE GREEN FEE · CHECKED NOVEMBER 2026From £105
Non-resident rate, 1 November–31 December 2026 and January–February 2027; second round within five days £55. Summer 2027 (8 May–10 October) is £255 Monday–Thursday and £275 Friday–Sunday. Accommodation guests pay less.
Nov–Dec 2026, non-resident
£105
Nov–Dec 2026, staying on site
£70
Mar 2027, non-resident
£125
1 Apr–7 May & 11–31 Oct 2027, non-resident
£160
8 May–10 Oct 2027, Mon–Thu, non-resident
£255
8 May–10 Oct 2027, Fri–Sun, non-resident
£275
8 May–10 Oct 2027, Fri–Sun, staying on site
£195
Scottish resident, Mon–Thu, 1 Nov–24 Dec 2026
£85
Prices change by season and booking route, so confirm the current rate with the operator. Official rates ↗
The round, in perspective.
Willie Fernie, the 1883 Open champion, laid out the first course here, which opened on 23 March 1911 and was later known as Southern Gailes. James Braid redrew the bunkering in 1922. In 1940 the army took the land, ran amphibious tanks over it and kept it as a camp into the 1960s. Loch Lomond Golf Club bought the site in 2003 and hired Kyle Phillips, fresh from Kingsbarns, to build a new links. The result is a par 72 with generous fairways, deep rough, plenty of gorse and, unusually for a links, stretches framed by pine trees. There are four par fives. The 7th green is 27 yards deep with a bowl at the front, the 11th is the shortest hole, the 12th is a short par four with views over the Firth of Clyde, and the 16th, into the prevailing wind, is rated the hardest hole.
Know before you go.
Booking
Online with instant confirmation; groups under four may be paired
Caddie
£70 plus tip, paid to the caddie in cash
Buggies
Club Car buggies with GPS; pre-book
Trolleys
Motocaddy electric and push trolleys for hire
Club hire
TaylorMade men’s and women’s sets
Make the trip work.
Darwin Escapes bought Dundonald in 2019 and spent £25 million on the clubhouse, rooms and lodges, which opened in 2021. The clubhouse has a wraparound veranda facing Arran, the Canny Crow restaurant on the first floor, a whisky room, a gym, and changing rooms with sauna and steam. Practice is unusually good for an Ayrshire links: a range, a short-game area and practice greens are open to everyone. Pre-book buggies, trolleys, rental clubs and caddies by phone on +44 (0)1294 314000 or by email, because supplies are limited.
Glasgow Prestwick Airport is the closest airport, a short drive south along the A78 coast road. Glasgow Airport is under an hour away by the M8 and M77. Edinburgh Airport is roughly a two-hour drive. The entrance is on Ayr Road at Gailes, on the southern edge of Irvine; Barassie and Irvine stations are each a short taxi ride away on the Glasgow–Ayr line.
You can sleep on the course. The lodges are custom-built, vary in size, and several are clustered around three practice putting greens, with a separate room for golf clubs and full kitchens. The hotel rooms are suites with a double bed that unzips into two singles, an en suite and a private terrace. Lodge and room guests pay the lower resident green fee. If you would rather be in a town, Troon is about ten minutes south with hotels and restaurants by the harbour, and Irvine, just to the north, has further hotels.
Make a trip of it.
The club itself points out that Royal Troon and Prestwick are about twelve minutes away and Turnberry about forty. Western Gailes is right across the railway, and Kilmarnock (Barassie) is next door to the south, so you can play three links in two days with almost no driving. Away from golf, the Scottish Maritime Museum is in Irvine, and the ferry from Ardrossan to Arran leaves about 20 minutes up the coast.
Find your season.
Dundonald plays all year. The best-value months are November to March, when the non-resident rate falls to £105–£125 and the course is often firm on its sandy base. Final Qualifying for the 2026 Open was set for Tuesday 30 June, with spectators welcome; expect the course to be closed to visitors around that date if the event returns.
Non-residents pay £105 in November and December 2026 and in January–February 2027, £125 in March and November–December 2027, £160 in April, early May and late October, and £255–£275 from 8 May to 10 October 2027. Staying on site cuts each rate, for example to £195 on a peak weekend.
Has Dundonald Links hosted the Scottish Open?
Yes. Rafa Cabrera Bello won the 2017 Scottish Open here after a final-round 64 and a play-off with Callum Shinkwin. The Women’s Scottish Open has been played at Dundonald since 2022, and the club lists the Ladies Scottish Open here in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Who qualified for The Open at Dundonald Links?
Dundonald joined the R&A’s Final Qualifying rota in 2023 on a four-year deal. In 2025 Lee Westwood led the field to return to The Open at Royal Portrush, and in 2024 the Scot Jack McDonald, a Barassie member, was among the four qualifiers for Royal Troon.
Can you stay at Dundonald Links?
Yes. There are custom-built lodges, some around three practice putting greens, and hotel suites with private terraces, all opened in 2021. Book them through the resort’s own booking site, and guests get a lower green fee than non-residents.
Last checked 11 November 2026. This is an independent planning guide, not a first-hand review or a booking service. Check live availability, access, fees and travel details with the operator before booking. Airport suggestions are starting points for route planning.
