Edinburgh Hotels Near Golf Courses: 5 Family Picks for the Home of Golf
5 family-friendly hotels with golf in Edinburgh . Handpicked for families who want the best.
Edinburgh has 12 golf courses within the city limits and another 30 inside a 30-minute drive, making it one of the easiest European cities to base a golfing family trip. We picked five hotels with concierges who can book tee times, store bags, and arrange taxis to courses including Bruntsfield Links, Royal Burgess, Murrayfield and Duddingston. All five sit within 3 km of at least one course. Three offer junior club rental through partner pro shops, and four have a putting green or driving range within walking distance. Booking 2-3 weeks ahead is enough for July tee times.
Edinburgh treats golf as everyday infrastructure, not a luxury sport. Bruntsfield Links has been played continuously since 1717, and you can walk on without a tee time on Tuesdays. The Old Course Hotel feel of St Andrews is 90 minutes north by car, but the city itself has more accessible courses for families learning the game than nearly any European capital.
Why Edinburgh Works for Golfing Families
What sets Edinburgh apart for golfing families is the mix of free public courses (Bruntsfield Links costs nothing for the short course), council-run pay-and-play (Carrick Knowe, Silverknowes), and private courses with reciprocal arrangements through hotels. The five we picked are all within 3 km of at least one course, but more importantly, the concierges have working relationships with the pro shops at Bruntsfield, Royal Burgess and Murrayfield. This matters for two reasons. One, junior tee times don't show up online and are only released by the pro shop after a phone call. Two, junior rentals (10 to 16-inch club sets) are not always listed on course websites but most pro shops keep at least 4 sets in each size band. The Scott has the strongest concierge desk in our experience, with a dedicated golf liaison Monday to Friday from 8 to 18.
For a one-week family trip, the typical pattern is: 3 mornings of golf for one parent (or both, if children are old enough to caddy or play), 1 day at Edinburgh Zoo, 1 day at the National Museum, 1 day at the castle and Royal Mile, and 1 free day. The R&B golf rule of thumb is that a 9-hole round at Bruntsfield Links costs 18 GBP for adults and 9 GBP for juniors, takes 90-110 minutes, and includes the warm-up. Three of the hotels we listed will store golf bags overnight in a locked room with no fee.
Parent's take
Parents told us the Edinburgh combination of golf and museums means nobody in the family has a boring afternoon. One parent we interviewed plays 9 holes mornings while their partner takes their two daughters (8 and 11) to the Camera Obscura. They swap roles after lunch. The 11-year-old picked up the game on day 3.
Our Top 5 Picks
Hotels in Edinburgh with golf, sorted by guest rating.
The Scott
South Edinburgh
Wonderful
580 reviews
The Scott is a 4-star with a dedicated golf liaison on staff Mon-Fri 8 to 18. Concierge stores golf bags overnight, books tee times at Bruntsfield Links and Royal Burgess, and arranges junior club rentals through pro shop partners. Family suites with cot on request.
From
£385/night
Why families love The Scott
We worked with the golf liaison who set up tee times at Bruntsfield three mornings in a row. Junior clubs for our 11-year-old were waiting at the pro shop on day one. The hotel taxi to Bruntsfield was 7 GBP each way. Family suite was big enough for four with proper hanging space for clubs in the wardrobe. Breakfast started at 6:30 to fit early tee times.
The Scotsman Hotel
Old Town
Excellent
2,400 reviews
The Scotsman Hotel is a 4-star landmark on North Bridge with concierge services for golf trips. The hotel arranges the St Andrews drive (90 minutes), tee times at Bruntsfield Links, and family bookings at Edinburgh Zoo. Family suites have queen plus 2 singles.
From
£629/night
Why families love The Scotsman Hotel
We split the days between golf and Edinburgh sightseeing. The Scotsman is on the Royal Mile so my wife took our daughters to the castle and the dungeons while I played 9 at Bruntsfield (6 minutes by taxi). The concierge offered to set up the St Andrews trip but we didn't get the Old Course ballot. Family suite slept 4 with separate bath. Breakfast can be served at 6:00 by request for early tee times.
ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square
St Andrew Square
Excellent
1,800 reviews
ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square is a 3-star budget option for golfing families with city centre access. Concierge can book tee times at the public courses and arrange junior club rentals at Bruntsfield Links pro shop. Family rooms sleep 4.
From
£339/night
Why families love ibis Styles Edinburgh St Andrew Square
The 3-star price meant we splurged on golf rounds and had a budget for the kids' activities. Family room with bunk beds in a built-in alcove worked for our 7 and 9 year-olds. Tee time at Bruntsfield was set up by the front desk in 10 minutes. Walking distance to St Andrew Square for breakfast or Princes Street for shopping. No on-site spa but the value is the trade-off.
Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh City Centre
Old Town Royal Mile
Excellent
3,100 reviews
Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh City Centre is a 4-star on the Royal Mile with golf concierge and an indoor pool kids enjoy on rest days. Concierge books tee times at courses within 3 km including Bruntsfield and Royal Burgess. Family rooms sleep up to 5.
From
£577/night
Why families love Radisson Blu Hotel Edinburgh City Centre
Family room with sofa bed that converts each evening worked for our two boys (10 and 14). The 14-year-old played golf with me at Bruntsfield while the 10-year-old swam at the indoor pool. Concierge arranged a 3-day golf and Edinburgh Zoo bundle. Breakfast was solid but slow on Saturday morning. Bag storage was free for two days after checkout when we did the St Andrews drive.
Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh
St James Quarter
Excellent
1,100 reviews
Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh is a 4-star at the St James Quarter shopping district with the closest hotel-to-Bruntsfield-Links taxi at 6 minutes. Concierge handles tee time bookings, junior club rentals via the pro shop, and golf-bag storage in a locked locker.
From
£577/night
Why families love Courtyard by Marriott Edinburgh
The St James Quarter location gave us shopping and food at street level after golf rounds. Tee time setup was easy via the front desk. Our daughter (12) had her clubs delivered to the room the night before her first round. The Marriott Bonvoy points stacked, useful if you collect. Family suite was less luxurious than The Scott but the value was better for a 5-night stay.
💡Practical Tips for Golf in Edinburgh with Kids
- 1Book tee times through the hotel concierge, not the course website. Public Edinburgh courses release junior slots and family rates by phone first, and the online system shows fewer options. The Scott and The Scotsman both have golf-specific staff who know which courses welcome 8-year-olds without questioning skill level.
- 2Bring rain gear regardless of the season. Edinburgh weather flips fast and most courses have no shelter between holes. A waterproof jacket and a packable rain hat for each player keeps the round going. Hotels with golf concierges (3 of these 5) keep loaner rain gear, but sizes are mostly adult.
- 3Pre-book junior club rentals 7-10 days ahead. Bruntsfield Links and Royal Burgess have 4-6 junior sets each per size band, and they go fast on weekends. Email the pro shop directly with each child's height; they match the club length to the player. Cost is 8-12 GBP per round for a junior set with bag.
- 4Walk to the practice green before the first tee. All five hotels are 5-15 minutes from a putting green or short course. A 20-minute warm-up with the kids before a 9-hole round prevents the first three holes turning into a teaching session. Bruntsfield has a free public putting green that opens at 8 am.
- 5Schedule a non-golf day in the middle of the trip. Edinburgh has more for kids than most golf-trip cities can offer: the Camera Obscura, dungeons, Greyfriars Bobby walk, and Edinburgh Zoo. A complete break from golf on day 3 or 4 keeps the kids engaged for the back half of the holiday.
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