Golf has been played in Scotland for over 500 years, but it wasn't until the late 1700s that a few clubs were formally established. Designed golf courses started to become a feature of the landscape after the mid-19th century. Created for private or public use, they are located around urban fringes, along sandy coastlines, or in the grounds of large country house hotels. Courses can be very extensive, with their tees and greens, bunkers and water hazards, tree plantings, woodland and rough ground.
Some golf courses have been abandoned, while others have been redeveloped for alternative land uses, including housing.
This photograph of the King James VI Golf Course on Moncreiffe Island in Perth shows the fairways picked out by plantings of trees. Courses like this are recorded on historical and recent OS maps and can be confirmed using aerial photographs, while more recent developments can be identified through various websites.
HES DP103414
