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PORTRUSH, County Antrim, Northern Ireland - This will be the most controversial piece of golf travel advice I've ever shared:
If you're planning a golf vacation to Scotland or Northern Ireland, don't decide where to go by the links you want to play. Use a few prominent hotels as a guide instead.
Say what?
Once you hear my logic, you'll know I'm right. Marine & Lawn Hotels, a subsidiary of Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, is changing the way links golfers experience the United Kingdom. Ever since the brand launched in 2021 and went on a buying and capital-improvement spending spree, almost every major bucket-list links - St. Andrews, Royal Dornoch, Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Royal Troon, North Berwick and Muirfield - now boasts a Marine & Lawn hotel nearby. The portfolio is a who's-where of links golf hotels:
* Rusacks St Andrews, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Dornoch Station, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Portrush Adelphi, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Slieve Donard, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Marine North Berwick, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Marine Troon, a Marine & Lawn Hotel
* Greywalls Hotel
The acquisition of Greywalls, a family-owned estate beside Muirfield's 10th tee, was just announced this week. Marine & Lawn will lead a thoughtful restoration of its interiors, food and beverage program and overall guest experience similar to what's happened at their other properties.
Since August 2024, I've stayed at five of Marine & Lawn's seven overseas hotels, coming away impressed every time. It's further proof that links golf travel is getting more sophisticated, and luxurious, every year. Marine & Lawn is leading the charge. Each of its hotels are one-of-a-kind with amenities that tie them together as a brand - things like snooker tables, new outdoor putting greens and cryptic messaging above every bar that I dare not reveal (See if you can decipher this: IITYWIMWYBMAD)
The experience of staying in these elegant, historic hotels finally matches the wonderful walks on some of the world's premier links courses. The synergy between the two is long overdue. These old hotels always had charm. Unfortunately, overused carpet, outdated furniture and decor, plus a lack of modern amenities, often left well-heeled golf travelers feeling like they weren't getting their money's worth during prior stays.
For the first time in a long time, each hotel's interior is as inspiring as the course outside. As any traveler knows, the details and service from the staff are what make one hotel stand out from another. Here's what's special about each Marine & Lawn property I've seen:
Sipping and savoring at the Rusacks St Andrews
Where do I start when extolling the virtues of staying at the Rusacks St Andrews? Waking up to a view overlooking the 18th hole on the Old Course at St. Andrews is as close to an earthly heaven as a golfer gets.
A major renovation and expansion from 2019 to 2021 totally redesigned the guest experience, adding 44 rooms, a private whiskey room and '18' - a stunning 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar/restaurant with views past the links to the West Sands beach out to St. Andrews Bay.
The most perfect day in golf could look like this: playing the Old Course in the morning, enjoying a private Room 116 whisky experience and dinner at '18'. My own near-perfect day followed this schedule with a slight twist, a round at Dumbarnie Links instead. It's a fun modern links 30 minutes away that's well worth it if you don't have a tee time in St. Andrews.
Room 116 tastings are held in partnership with The Glendronach – Highland Single Malt Whisky. Our guide, dressed in a kilt, regaled our group with stories of local golf lore, while we sipped on a sun-splashed terrace hovering over the most famous green in golf.
The party continued upstairs at '18', where the baked St Andrews cheddar souffle and massive Tomahawk steaks to share taste as good as they look. In between cocktails, I ran out to the balcony to get sunset snapshots over the historic links. Days don't end any better than this.
Scottish delicacies at the Marine North Berwick
The Scots get a bad rap for their culinary tastes; every golfer should sample two local delicacies before they leave - sticky toffee pudding and haggis. I've eaten haggis (made of sheep's heart, liver, and lungs, minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, and spices) in all forms. None are as tasty as the haggis bonbons at the Marine North Berwick in East Lothian. I ordered the bonbons and the sticky toffee pudding, a warm sweet cake topped with a carmel-like sauce and ice cream, the two nights I stayed. Both are available at the main restaurant, The Lawn, and the Bass Rock Bar. These treats alone are worth the long flight.
Throw in my favorite links in Scotland - North Berwick - plus a wonderful spa and pool facility that's complimentary for every guest, for a memorable stay.
A pampering at the Slieve Donard
The exterior of the "Slieve" has always been blessed with wow-factor: Victorian architecture, red facade and the towering steeple, all complemented by the Mountains of Mourne and a beautiful Northern Ireland coastline. But the interior could never quite compete until the upgrades during a renovation completed in 2023.
When guests enter the lobby, it's a feeling of sensory overload. Your eyes are immediately drawn to the grand fireplace and then up to the chandelier. All of the other interior spaces are unique, like the all-glass Lighthouse Lounge and the Wolf Bar's comfy seating for social gatherings. The Slieve's leisure and spa amenities, including an indoor pool, fitness room and more, reign as the brand's best place to exercise or unwind. The 'Slieve' has it all, providing a resort vibe more than just a hotel.
Falling in love with the Highlands at Dornoch Station
St. Andrews is the first choice for many Americans going to Scotland, but for golfers in the know, the Scottish Highlands three hours to the north are equally special.
Dornoch Station's restoration, completed in 2023, was timed perfectly with the news that Royal Dornoch is revamping the Struie links and building a new links, plus a short course. The hotel is just a short walk from the new clubhouse that will debut next year, the downtown's historic main street and a beautiful beach that abuts the links.
My favorite spot in the hotel is the Bar Ross, named after Donald Ross, who was born in Dornoch. The bar is well stocked, considering there are more than 50 distilleries spread throughout the Highlands. You can drive and tour them, or better yet, have them come to you at Dornoch Station. One afternoon, we sampled local whisky during a special tasting experience that any golf group can organize by request.
With the August 2025 opening of Old Petty, the new Tom Doak course at Cabot Highlands, interest in this underappreciated region of Scotland is about to explode.
In the middle of the action at Portrush Adelphi
Although it is the only Marine & Lawn hotel not directly overlooking a world-class links, the Portrush Adelphi's downtown location in Northern Ireland couldn't be any better. It's just a short walk to restaurants, a beach and best of all, the Harbour Bar, one of golf's premier pubs. I may or may not have stopped by every night I was in town.
The hotel's 34 guestrooms feature rich navy walls, sky-blue ceilings and custom shell lamps inspired by the sea. Dishes at the new Italian-inspired Red Sail Room restaurant marry Irish ingredients with Mediterranean flavors and techniques. Portrush Adelphi has blossomed into the perfect home base to play both Royal Portrush's Dunluce links, host of next week's Open Championship, and Portstewart's Strand Course, which hosted the 2017 Irish Open.
Coming to America
Marine & Lawn also announced this week that the brand is going global, acquiring the Mid Pines Inn and Pine Needles Lodge, two 1920s-era sister properties on the outskirts of Pinehurst in the North Carolina Sandhills. Adjacent to already-restored Ross courses, the hotels will undergo a comprehensive restoration to refresh the guestrooms and public spaces, along with new dining concepts and curated golf packages. These upgrades should transform the golf scene in Pinehurst - America's self-proclaimed "Home of Golf" - much like the Rusacks St Andrews has elevated the game at the "Home of Golf" in Scotland.
Which Marine & Lawn property do you wish to visit? Let us know in the comments below.
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