Gleneagles Golf Resort Queen's Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info
The Queen's Course is a gorgeous layout on the higher ground of the Gleneagles estate whose test and challenge confound its modest yardage
Gleneagles Queen's Course Key Information
Row 0 - Cell 0 | Row 0 - Cell 1 |
Address | Auchterarder, Perthshire, PH3 1NF. |
Phone Number | +44 (0)1764 290 030 |
Website | gleneagles.com |
playground.planners@gleneagles.com | |
Green Fees | £275 a round high season; from £80-£200 at other times of year |
Visitor Times | No stated restrictions |
Par | 68 |
Slope Rating | 121 (White), 118 (Yellow), 132 (Women's Red) |
Opened | 1919 |
Designed by | James Braid |
Golf Monthly Verdict
Stunning, throughout. It’s hard to discern what has been created, shaped or manicured by man and machine and what has been done by nature
It may be a relatively short track by modern standards, but the Queen’s delivers a complete test of golf. It’s long been a favourite at Gleneagles and recent works have greatly enhanced what was already a tremendous course in terms of both aesthetics and playability. Set on the high ground of the Gleneagles Estate, the views are phenomenal.
The Queen’s is worthy of a trip to Gleneagles on its own.
REASONS TO PLAY GLENEAGLES QUEEN'S COURSE
– An excellent example of James Braid's design work
– A small but perfectly formed inland track
– Wonderful views of the Perthshire countryside
RANKINGS
UK & Ireland Top 100 Golf Courses 2023/24 - 50
The three courses at Gleneagles are all very different, and although the King’s and Queen’s share the same designer in James Braid and a similarly rich heritage, the Queen’s has the distinction of enjoying perhaps the best views of all on this glorious Perthshire playground.
It's also the only course in our Top 100 where total yardage off the tips starts with a ‘5’ rather than a ‘6’ or ‘7’.
The views out over the Perthshire Straths, to Ben Vorlich, the Ochil Hills and the Grampian Mountains are both serene and majestic.
And despite only stretching to 5,965 yards, the course plays over often narrow, rolling fairways to relatively small greens, guaranteeing a test that belies its length, especially when you factor in a solitary par 5 on the 7th, where the views are perhaps at their very finest.
Indeed, there is no shortage of excellent, and indeed tough, holes, with the 5th and 6th before that really shining - first a longish par 3 to a green beautifully framed by pines, then the longest of the par 4s playing up to a raised green.
The 9th is a Braid risk-reward masterpiece, a 90˚ dogleg right, where taking on the corner represents a real risk if you’re not long enough. Get it right, and you’ll be left with a mere short iron in; get it wrong, or bail out too far left, and it will be almost everything you’ve got.
The recent new teeing options on the memorable back-to-back par-3 duo around a small loch at 13 and 14 have added a new dimension to those two holes. The latter will test your putting to the limit if you find the wrong part of its steeply tiered green.
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Much like Swinley Forest in Berkshire, the real beauty of the Queen’s course is that, despite its modest length, most handicap golfers will still need full mastery of their longer clubs to score well.
What The Top 100 Panel Said
This is the shortest of the courses at Gleneagles and it can be rewarding if you know the lines. There are a lot of short par 5s on the way out and they can be reached in two. It’s quite enclosed so you don’t feel that exposed to the elements. There are a few holes around the turn that could ruin a good scorecard.
As you drive up to the Dormy clubhouse there is an immediate sense of occasion. The course is pretty to look at and the view towards/down Gleneagles glen, is moody and very cool. Off-course facilities are exceptional. This is a quality modern-looking course, providing a test for golfers of all abilities who can afford the green fees
Gleneagles Queen's Course Location
Gleneagles Queen's Course Green Fees
April 2023 - round / day | £120 / £180 |
May 2023 - round / day | £170 / £255 |
June 2023 - round / day | £220 / £330 |
July to September 2023 - round / day | £275 / £450 |
October 2023 - round / day | £170 / £255 |
November 2023 - round | £100 |
December 2023 - round | £80 |
Book online via the resort's website
Gleneagles Queen's Course Scorecard
Best Courses Near Gleneagles Queen's Course
The Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup course has matured and been worked on extensively. The dramatic Ochil Hills and Ben Vorlich, provide a stunning backdrop. It’s a fabulous, stadium-style layout with a moorland feel. It’s been a test for the best professionals but is also highly enjoyable for the average golfer. - A modern, inland design with nods to the great traditions of Gleneagles
James Braid’s long-revered Perthshire masterpiece enjoys quite simply one of the most majestic settings for golf in the UK&I. The King’s course, which opened in 1919, carves through the pine trees, rising and falling over the springy moorland turf. It may not be the longest, but with blind shots, humps, hollows and sloping greens, it definitely rewards precise and considered play.
For more of the best Scottish courses, check out our guide to the best golf courses in Scotland.
Best Places to Stay Near Gleneagles Queen's Course
Gleneagles - Book now at Booking.com
The world-famous five-star resort is set in 850 glorious acres and embraces the best of old-world French chateau-style class and 21st century standards. The beautiful grounds were inspired by Capability Brown, while dining options range from the Strathearn, The Birnam and Andrew Fairlie’s restaurant, to the informality of Auchterarder 70 in the clubhouse (Gleneagles' first telephone number!). It is simply a superb place to stay.
Cairn Lodge - Book now at Booking.com
Located in Auchterarder, the closest town to Gleneagles, Cairn Lodge is a charming Victorian hunting lodge with free WiFi and free parking. It offers luxurious accommodation and a restaurant specialising in seasonal dishes. Spacious and elegant, with a flat-screen TV, each room benefits from a modern en-suite bathroom.
Gleneagles Queen's Course Gallery
Gleneagles Queen's Course Historical Top 100 Ranking UK&I
- 2023/24 - 50
- 2021/22 - 58
- 2019/20 - 55
- 2017/18 - 62
- 2015/16 - 63
- 2013/14 - 62
- 2011/12 - 61
- 2009/10 - 51
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best course at Gleneagles?
It splits opinion - Some people believe the Queen's is the more enjoyable layout to play. General consensus though is that the King's is the Number 1 track at Gleneagles. It certainly has the highest placing in our top 100 ranking.
Who designed the Queen's Course at Gleneagles?
It was the prolific designer James Braid, together with C.K. Hutchison
Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Srixon ZX, EvenFlow Riptide 6.0 S 50g shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3- to 8-iron: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Irons 9-iron and PW: Honma TWorld TW747Vx, Nippon NS Pro regular shaft
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Kramski HPP 325
Ball: Any premium ball I can find in a charity shop or similar (or out on the course!)
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