Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club – Balgownie Links
One of the oldest golf clubs in the world, Royal Aberdeen's Balgownie Links is a classic championship links of great distinction — a course of natural beauty, genuine difficulty, and deep historical significance.
About the Course
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club – Balgownie Links
Royal Aberdeen Golf Club was founded in 1780, making it one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. The Balgownie Links course runs along the North Sea coast north of Aberdeen, through natural dune formations and along the shoreline, creating a round of classic links golf in a setting of genuine natural beauty. The course has been refined over the centuries but retains the natural, flowing character of the great traditional links.
The Balgownie Links is a course of real quality and genuine difficulty. The outward nine runs north along the coast, with the North Sea to the right and natural dune formations to the left. The inward nine returns south, with the wind typically coming from a different direction and the course playing to its full length. The combination of natural terrain, coastal exposure, and classic links architecture makes it one of the finest courses in the north of Scotland.
Royal Aberdeen has hosted the Scottish Open and the Senior Open Championship, confirming its status as a course of genuine championship quality. It is a private members' club of considerable distinction, and access is by membership or through approved golf travel operators.
By the Numbers
Course Statistics
Based on course length, terrain & layout
Handicap index suggested for full enjoyment
The Course
Why It Stands Out
One of the Oldest Golf Clubs in the World
Royal Aberdeen was founded in 1780, making it one of the oldest golf clubs in the world. Playing Balgownie Links is an encounter with the deep history of Scottish golf — a course that has been played for nearly two and a half centuries.
Classic Links Architecture
The Balgownie Links has the natural, flowing character of the great traditional links. The routing runs along the North Sea coast through natural dune formations, with a variety of hole shapes and angles that reward creativity and course management.
Championship Pedigree
Royal Aberdeen has hosted the Scottish Open and the Senior Open Championship, confirming its status as a course of genuine championship quality. It is a course that serious golfers and course architects consistently rank among the finest in Scotland.
The North Sea Setting
The North Sea is a constant presence throughout the round at Royal Aberdeen, with the coastline visible from many holes and the wind off the water shaping every decision. The natural beauty of the Aberdeenshire coast gives the course a setting of genuine distinction.
The Course
Course Views
Extend Your Itinerary
Pair It with Other Aberdeenshire Links
Royal Aberdeen sits within the Aberdeenshire links corridor, within easy reach of Trump International Golf Links and Cruden Bay. The north-east coast of Scotland offers a compelling and distinctive golf experience.
Golf Travel
How It Is Included
Royal Aberdeen is a natural part of any Aberdeenshire itinerary — a course that provides historical depth and classic links quality alongside the dramatic dune scale of Trump International Golf Links and the wild beauty of Cruden Bay. We build Royal Aberdeen into north-east Scotland programmes for clients who want to experience the full range of what Aberdeenshire links golf offers.
To explore how Royal Aberdeen fits into a wider route, visit our Home of Golf Collection page or our Scotland golf tours page.
Begin Your Journey
Play Royal Aberdeen Golf Club
Speak with our team to arrange tee times at Royal Aberdeen and build a private itinerary across the Aberdeenshire coast.