Where was the best golf destination in 2022?

World Golf Awards is part of World Travel Awards which was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. 

In its ninth year of the World Golf Awards, the home of golf, Scotland, has finally been crowned the World’s Best Golf Destination, beating nominations from Argentina, Australia, Canada, Dubai, Jamaica, Morocco, Portugal and Vietnam to the title.

Full voting rules can be found here

For the previous 6 years, Portugal had been credited the winner of the World’s Best Golf Destination, however, that crown has just gone to Scotland for 2022.

It is widely accepted that the game of golf originated in Scotland in the late middle ages, hence the phrase often mentioned when speaking about golf in Scotland - ‘The Home of Golf’. 

Fast forward to 2022, there are around 580 courses in the country. Perhaps the most iconic course is the world famous St Andrews’ Old Course which has recently held the 150th Open Championship.

In addition to St Andrews, six other courses in Scotland have all held the prestigious Open Championship: Prestwick, Musselburgh Links, Muirfield, Royal Troon, Carnoustie and Trump Turnberry.

As Leading Courses continues its growth across UK&I, there are now 9 clubs which are bookable through our platform.

1. Montrose Golf Links - 8.4
2. Moray Golf Club - 8.6 
3. Trump International Scotland - 9.4
4. Peterhead Golf Club - 8.3
5. Gullane Golf Club - 8.3
6. Inverness Golf Club 7.8
7. Fortrose & Rosemarkie Golf Club - 8.2
8. Dumbarnie Links - 8.2
9. Carnoustie Links - 9.1

In addition to the legendary golf courses, Scotland is known for its whisky distilleries. There are over 130 active distilleries which are split into five producing regions - Campbelltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside.

The rich culture and landscapes also make Scotland a hugely popular destination. For historians, there were once over 3,000 castles in the country. 

TheScottish Highlands also form part of the spectacular places in the country which is great for road trips, cycling and hiking.

Scotland is also known to be the residence for the Loch Ness Monster with possible sightings dating back to 565 AD. Accessible Loch Ness via boat and decide for yourself whether it's a real animal or a long-running hoax.

Experiencing Scottish music and in particular the Bagpipes which is widely known as a national symbol of the country. Bagpipes are played as street music, in pubs and often provide the soundtrack for events and festivals.