Highland Golf Links

What Highland Golf Links does

Highland Golf Links (HGL) is a privately operated partnership based in Inverness, Scotland, that acts as a curated booking intermediary for golf tourism in the Scottish Highlands. The company bundles tee times at three partner courses — Royal Dornoch, Nairn Golf Club, and Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart and Old Petty) — with accommodation at three partner hotels — Links House at Royal Dornoch, Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, and Culloden House. It sells these as fixed play-and-stay packages named The Inverness, The Firths, The Links, and The Ultimate Highland Experience, priced from £620 to £1,130+ per person across two narrow seasonal windows (March-April and October) for 2026 and 2027. It also hosts an annual Pro-Am tournament (with a new women's edition added for 2027) and runs a "Highland Experiences" ancillary offer.

HGL's underlying technology is a basic Squarespace-hosted website with enquiry forms and a small human coordination team. There is no proprietary platform, no app, no API, and no software-led differentiation; the moat is the curated access to world-class physical assets rather than technology. The business model is a package tour operator: HGL takes direct bookings from customers via its website, then liaises with partner courses and hotels to confirm tee times and accommodation, presenting a single point of contact and combined pricing. Products are non-refundable but dates can be moved within designated seasonal windows. Additional nights and single occupancy are offered at incremental cost.

HGL functions as a marketing and aggregation layer rather than an asset owner. It does not own any of the golf courses or hotels; it earns its position through partnerships with the venues and through cross-promotion from partner websites. The customer base is a mix of affluent international individual golfers and small groups seeking bucket-list Scottish links experiences, plus corporate and Pro-Am teams participating in the tournament. All distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website — no third-party resellers, no OTAs, no channel intermediaries. The principal scaling constraint is tee-time inventory at the partner clubs, not software or marketing reach.

Name

Highland Golf Links

Legal name

Highland Golf Links

Website

https://highlandgolflinks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Highland Golf Links is a Scottish Highlands-based golf tourism partnership that bundles tee times at three partner courses (Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cabot Highlands) with three partner hotels into curated play-and-stay packages for affluent international golfers and small groups selling direct via its website.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Golf Tourism and Travel Packages

NAICS

Tour Operators (561520), Golf Courses and Country Clubs (713910)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Golf Tours & Professional Circuits (MPAKAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Golf Courses & Golf Facilities (MPAKAEAD), Golf Clubs & Tournament-Host Clubs (Professional/Elite Golf Clubs) (MPAKABAE), Luxury Golf Resorts (THAGACAH)

Keywords

• Golf tourism
• Links golf packages
• Play and stay
• Scottish highlands golf
• Pro-am tournament

Headquarters

HQ city

Inverness

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Golf and Hotel Package Sales: Highland Golf Links acts as a direct seller of bundled play-and-stay golf packages combining tee times at partner courses (Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cabot Highlands/Castle Stuart) with accommodation at partner hotels (Links House, Kingsmills Hotel, Culloden House). Customers pay a per-person package rate that covers multiple nights' accommodation and multiple rounds of golf. Pricing varies by season, package tier (Inverness, Firths, Links, Ultimate), and date window. Additional nights and single occupancy are available at incremental cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Highland Golf Links sells curated multi-course, multi-night play-and-stay golf packages in the Scottish Highlands, bundling tee times at three partner links courses (Royal Dornoch, Nairn, Cabot Highlands/Castle Stuart) with accommodation at three partner hotels (Links House, Kingsmills Hotel, Culloden House). Packages are priced per person across tiers (Inverness, Firth, Links, Ultimate Highland Experience) for seasonal windows in 2026 and 2027. The company also operates the annual HGL Pro-Am tournament, an amateur-plus-PGA Professional team event held across its partner courses.

Product overview

Highland Golf Links is a curated golf tourism platform that connects three of Scotland's most celebrated links courses (Royal Dornoch, Nairn Golf Club, and Cabot Highlands/Castle Stuart) with three partner hotels (Links House, Kingsmills Hotel, and Culloden House) through a portfolio of play-and-stay packages. The company operates as a booking intermediary, offering five named golf packages ranging from basic two-night/two-round itineraries to the premium four-round Ultimate Highland Experience, plus a Pro-AM tournament. All bookings are coordinated through a single point of contact, with packages including tee time arrangements, hotel accommodations, and bespoke travel planning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Royal Dornoch (Golf Venue) Internationally renowned links course on the Dornoch Firth featuring the Championship Course (18 holes, designed by Old Tom Morris in 1886) and The Struie (second course ranked in the top 50 links courses across Great Britain & Ireland). Selected as Scotland's best course at the 2020 World Golf Awards. Sold as part of Highland Golf Links play-and-stay packages.
• Cabot Highlands / Castle Stuart Golf Links (Golf Venue) Modern links along the Moray Firth with dramatic scenery and an art-deco clubhouse, home to Castle Stuart Golf Links and the newly-opened Old Petty course (designed by Tom Doak, opened for preview play August 2025). Former Scottish Open host. Sold through Highland Golf Links packages.
• Nairn Golf Club (Golf Venue) Classic shoreline links founded in 1887 and shaped by Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid, and Ben Sayers. Ranked 9th in Scotland and 23rd in Britain & Ireland, and host of the Walker Cup (1999), Curtis Cup (2012), and The Amateur Championship (2021). Sold through Highland Golf Links packages.
• Links House at Royal Dornoch (Hotel) Boutique hotel immediately adjacent to Royal Dornoch's 1st tee in Dornoch town centre with 15 individually designed bedrooms and the MARA restaurant (2 AA Rosette); recently awarded a Michelin Key. Available as part of Highland Golf Links package itineraries.
• Kingsmills Hotel (Hotel) Modern 147-bedroom hotel in Inverness with spa, swimming pool, gym, and four acres of gardens, located one mile from the city centre beside Inverness Golf Club. Includes the historic Adams Room where Robert Burns was hosted in 1787. Available as part of Highland Golf Links package itineraries.
• Culloden House (Hotel) Georgian manor hotel set within 40 acres of private woodland and landscaped grounds near Culloden Battlefield, featuring individually styled bedrooms, locally inspired dining, one of the finest private whisky collections in the Highlands, tennis courts, and lawn croquet. Available as part of Highland Golf Links package itineraries.
• The Inverness Package Two-night, three-round bundled play-and-stay package featuring one round at Nairn Golf Club and two rounds at Cabot Highlands, with accommodation at Culloden House, Kingsmills Hotel, or Cabot Highlands onsite lodgings. From £620 per person (19 Oct–1 Nov 2026).
• The Firth Package Two-night, three-round bundled play-and-stay package featuring one round at Royal Dornoch and two rounds at Cabot Highlands, with accommodation at Links House, Culloden House, Kingsmills Hotel, or Cabot Highlands lodgings. From £640 per person (19 Oct–1 Nov 2026).
• The Links Package Two-night, three-round bundled play-and-stay package featuring one round each at Royal Dornoch, Cabot Highlands, and Nairn Golf Club, with accommodation at Links House, Culloden House, Kingsmills Hotel, or Cabot Highlands lodgings. From £760 per person.
• The Ultimate Highland Experience Package Three-night, four-round premium bundled play-and-stay package featuring one round at Royal Dornoch, one at Nairn Golf Club, and two at Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart and Old Petty), with accommodation at Links House, Culloden House, Kingsmills Hotel, or Cabot Highlands lodgings. From £1,035 per person (2027, 26 Mar–11 Apr 2027).
• HGL Pro-Am Tournament Annual professional-amateur golf tournament where teams of three amateurs plus a PGA Professional compete across three world-class links courses over three days. Open to teams from anywhere in the world; a women's Pro-Am was added for 2027. Teams unable to provide their own Professional are allocated a leading player from the PGA in Scotland Order of Merit.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Royal Dornoch Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Dornoch Golf Club is one of Scotland's most celebrated links courses, founded in 1877 and granted a Royal charter in 1906. Its Championship Course (designed by Old Tom Morris in 1886) is consistently ranked among the world's leading venues and was selected as Scotland's best course at the 2020 World Golf Awards. It is a core venue in all HGL packages. The Struie, its second course, is also regularly ranked in the top 50 links courses across Great Britain & Ireland.
• Nairn Golf ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNairn Golf Club is a classic Moray Firth links founded in 1887, shaped by Archie Simpson, Old Tom Morris, James Braid, and Ben Sayers. Ranked 9th in Scotland and 23rd in Britain & Ireland, it has hosted the Walker Cup (1999), Curtis Cup (2012), and The Amateur Championship (2021). Included in The Inverness, Links, and Ultimate Highland packages.
• Cabot Highlands (Castle Stuart Golf Links and Old Petty)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCabot Highlands is home to Castle Stuart Golf Links, a modern links along the Moray Firth designed by Mark Parsinen and Gil Hanse, which hosted the Scottish Open. It also includes Old Petty, an 18-hole Tom Doak-designed course that opened for preview play in August 2025, built around a 400-year-old castle. Featured in all HGL packages as a core venue.
• Links House at Royal DornochcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinks House is a boutique hotel situated immediately adjacent to the 1st tee of Royal Dornoch Golf Club, offering 15 individually designed bedrooms, a 2 AA Rosette restaurant (MARA), and a recently awarded Michelin Key. It serves as the premier hotel partner for golfers playing Royal Dornoch, offering unmatched proximity and Highland hospitality.
• Kingsmills HotelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKingsmills Hotel is a 147-bedroom hotel in the centre of Inverness, located one mile from the city centre and directly beside Inverness Golf Club, and closest to Cabot/Castle Stuart Golf Club. It features four acres of gardens, a spa, swimming pool, gym, free parking including EV charging, and dining options including the historic Adams Room where Robert Burns was hosted in 1787.
• Culloden HousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulloden House is a historic Georgian manor set within 40 acres of private woodland and landscaped grounds near the Culloden Battlefield, just outside Inverness. It offers individually styled bedrooms and suites, fine dining with an extensive private whisky collection, tennis courts, croquet, and scenic walking paths. Minutes from Castle Stuart/Cabot Golf Club.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Leading Courses: European golf booking platform aggregating tee times and packages across thousands of courses. Overlaps with HGL's direct-to-consumer booking model at broader geographic scale.
• Golfbreaks: UK-based golf tour operator that packages tee times and accommodation across multiple courses and destinations. Direct competitor to HGL's bundled play-and-stay model at much greater scale.
• The Experience Golf Co: Boutique UK golf tour operator curating multi-course itineraries and tournaments, including Scottish Highlands experiences. Closely comparable operating model to HGL's curated consortium approach.
• Your Golf Travel: UK and European golf tour operator offering bundled stay-and-play packages similar to HGL, including Scotland itineraries. Closest direct competitor in the curated Scottish golf tourism market.
• Bandon Dunes Golf Resort: Multi-course destination resort in Oregon offering bundled stay-and-play packages at five to six links-style courses. Operates a similar curated multi-course golf destination model at scale in the US.

Broad incumbents

• St Andrews Links Trust: Operates the seven courses at St Andrews, including the Old Course, and sells bundled golf and accommodation packages. Competes with HGL for international golf tourism to Scotland but operates its own venues rather than a curated consortium.
• Pebble Beach Resorts: Iconic luxury golf destination bundling multiple courses, hotels, and amenities. Comparable to HGL in premium positioning and bundled golf-hospitality experiences, though at substantially larger scale.
• Troon Golf: Largest golf management and marketing company operating and packaging premium golf experiences globally. Comparable in bundling multiple courses and resort destinations, though at much larger scale.
• Cabot: Owner-operator of Cabot Highlands (a core HGL partner) and other luxury golf destinations globally. While it competes in bundling, its role as HGL's key partner means its strategy directly affects HGL's economics.

Regional players

• Scotscraig Golf Club: Historic Scottish links course in Fife that competes for inbound package golf tourism. Examples of a regional peer operating single-venue itineraries in the same Scottish golf tourism market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/highgolflinks
• Facebookfacebook.com/HighlandGolfLinks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Highland Golf Links