Arbroath Golf Links: A Championship Course Designed by Three Open Winners

The Scottish links course boasts a remarkable design legacy: three Open Champions shaped its layout over five decades.

Arbroath Golf Links stands as one of Scotland’s most historically significant golf courses, distinguished by an exceptional design pedigree that few courses in the world can match. The links was shaped by three different Open Championship winners across more than half a century, each leaving their architectural mark on the landscape.

A Legacy Built by Champions

The course’s unique selling point lies in its creation by three legendary golf course designers who collectively won eleven Open Championships as players. This extraordinary convergence of championship-winning talent and course architecture makes Arbroath Golf Links a true monument to Scottish golf history.

Old Tom Morris began the story in 1877, laying out the original design. Morris, one of golf’s greatest pioneers, would go on to become the first of many golfing legends to shape the course. His work established the fundamental character of the links.

Nearly three decades later, Willie Fernie took over the design responsibilities in 1907, bringing his own championship expertise to refine and develop the course. Fernie’s contributions helped evolve the layout to meet the changing demands of professional golf in the early 20th century.

The final architect in this trio, James Braid, completed the design evolution in 1931. Braid, a five-time Open Champion, brought his extensive knowledge of championship golf to create a course worthy of the legacy already established by his predecessors.

Championship Credentials

What sets Arbroath Golf Links apart is not merely the involvement of three major designers, but their collective pedigree. The combined eleven Open Championship victories represent an unmatched concentration of championship golf excellence. This heritage is prominently featured by the club as evidence of the course’s championship caliber and historical importance within Scottish and international golf.

For members and visitors alike, Arbroath Golf Links represents more than a place to play golf—it is a living connection to the golden age of Scottish golf course architecture and the era when the greatest players in the sport also shaped the courses where golf was played.