Category: Overview1

Customer Review from Illinois

“What a marvelous, magical and memorable seventeen-day golf and sightseeing package Alun Davies and Faraway Fairways put together for us in July 2025! 

Alun set up rounds of golf for me (at North Berwick, Castle Stuart/Cabot Highlands, Royal Dornoch, Carnoustie and Crail) and also created special sightseeing itineraries for the days in-between the rounds (since my wife is a non-golfer), so that we could enjoy castles, gardens, historical sites, hikes, museums, boat-rides and distilleries. 

In addition, he arranged for train tickets (since our preference was to travel by train between Edinburgh, Stirling, Inverness, Pitlochry and St. Andrews), provided Historic Scotland Explorer Passes and Hop On/Hop Off City Bus Tour passes, set up a private guided tour for us in Inverness to see a day’s worth of magnificent sites (such as Loch Ness, Urquhart Castle, Cawdor Castle, Culloden Moor Battlefield and Clava Cairns), scheduled (and pre-paid) taxis for trips to and from golf courses (and airports) and booked a lovely hotel for our stay in Edinburgh (as well as a fabulous castle-hotel for us in Pitlochry!). 

Alun also touched base with us by phone and email a number of times during our trip to see how things were going and to offer advice on how to try to obtain a coveted round for me on the world-famous Old Course in St. Andrews (which after many group and single ballot tries, finally–and thankfully–took place towards the end of our trip!)  

His attention to detail is amazing–I think our travel plan booklet ran to forty-eight pages, with gorgeous descriptions of cities and sights, plus maps showing where to go to catch trains, or walk from trains to hotels, sights and golf courses, etc.  He’s a delightful, insightful, highly knowledgeable gentleman who knows Scotland inside and out and we give him our highest five-star rating (as well as a tip of the travel cap) for planning such a brilliant and exciting trip for us! 

Without a doubt, when traveling in Scotland, England or Ireland in the future, we’ll definitely give Alun a call so he can set up all of the travel details!  Thanks again, Alun!”

Customer Review From Minnesota.

The following was written by the non-golfer in a husband and wife party The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies. Enjoy

Alun from Faraway Fairways put together a dream golf trip for my husband and me. Within days of submitting an inquiry online, Alun has created a detailed proposal, and within a few weeks, all of the tee times, tours, car rental, and hotel reservations were secured.

Alun has a deep knowledge of golf courses throughout Scotland and crafted an itinerary (7 courses in 10 days!) that was not only doable, but incredibly enjoyable for my golfer husband and me who walked along. Alun also planned several non-golfing activities for us, including castle tours, a whisky tasting, and recommendations for other sites along the way.

During the trip itself, Alun checked in to make sure everything was running smoothly, but also gave us the freedom to explore and enjoy on own. When we needed to shift a few things around (due to winning the Old Course ballot!) he helped us and made the changes seamlessly.

We wholeheartedly recommend Alun and Faraway Fairways if you’re looking for a golf trip that is effortless, enjoyable, and truly unforgettable—even for a non-golfer in the mix! My husband and I will be daydreaming about this trip for years to come. 5.5 stars!

Customer Review from Alabama

Group leader of a party of Eight

It has now been a week since we returned from the “trip of a lifetime” golf experience which my brother, (name supplied) coordinated with you and your company. I wanted to thank you and express my appreciation to you and any of your staff who set up the numerous golf courses, travel arrangements, and hotel stays for our trip. I could not have been more pleased with how the trip turned out and I have been sharing numerous stories about it with my golf buddies here in Alabama. Of course, I have also hastened to tell those who said they should plan such a trip that the experience we had with your company and choosing you for assistance would be the best thing they could do if they wish to have a successful trip.

It amazed me how everything always seemed to “fall into place” in order for us to play and enjoy the fantastic golf courses which we were privileged to play. I will cherish the memories for a long time- especially the wonderful times spent on and off the golf course with two of my brothers and brother-in-law. None of the memories and golf would have been possible or enjoyed without your tremendous planning and logistical support.

Once again, I thank you for helping to arrange such a memorable week in my life.

Sincerely, (name supplied). 

Customer Review from Florida/ New York

Group leader of a party of four

We contacted Alun in July of 2023 about a trip to Scotland for a small group of friends.  Some of us were planning to celebrate milestone birthdays and others were focused on the “bucket list” of golf in Scotland.  The goal was to play some of the Open Championship courses, including the Old Course. We had contacted other operators but, after one call with Alun, we knew we had the right fit! 

Alun suggested hotels, vehicle rental companies and devised a plan that would work with flights to/from the NYC area.  Once we identified the basic plan, Alun worked with us to arrange North Berwick, Muirfield, Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie as our “rota” for the trip.  We were hopeful to secure a 4 ball at St. Andrews while avoiding the massive expense other operators had quoted.  He was very clear about the plan for achieving a tee time at the Old Course through the ballot, including detailed instruction on how it could be done, and what our odds were.  He suggested mid- to late April as the best chance of success and advised that this is also the least rainy part of the year.  We took his advice and trusted the process.  Well, he was right on all counts!  The weather was unbelievable and he was successful in securing a “ballot” for us at the Old Course!  He worked daily to get us into the ballot and, once secured, then had to revise the remaining dates of our itinerary.  We could not have had a better outcome!

The weather was brisk at North Berwick, with a bit of rain, just enough for a true seaside links experience, but the sun shone through, and we had an absolute blast!  One of us drove the green on 18 and converted the birdie putt, delighting our caddies and celebrated with a beer in the club house, which was provided as a part of the “member for the day” treatment.  North Berwick is not to be missed!  Muirfield was next.  We were treated incredibly well by the staff there and let very welcomed.  We had a sunny day, with more wind than the prior day, but the caddies were brilliant and truly helped make our day more special.  Then Carnoustie!  The wind was fierce, cold and biting to begin with a 9am tee time.  But, the sun broke out again and soon we were removing layers and marveling at the opportunity to play on this historic course!  Imagine hitting a little fade down “Hogan’s Alley” and smashing a wedge over the famous burn fronting the 18th green (Jean van de Velde’s demise in ‘99)?  We did it!  Amazing day, especially since we knew that Alun had secured our 4 ball at the Old Course the next day! 

St. Andrews is an amazing place.  From the 1st tee in front of a large gallery, to the massive double greens, Hell Bunker, the famous tee shot over the Old Course Hotel, the Road Hole bunker, and of course the Swilcan Bridge were all better than expected!  We have literally hundreds of photos and terrific stories.  Two of our group smashed tee balls on 18, leaving short irons to the green which, upon hitting, met with applause from the patrons at Rusacks and those watching from the surrounding sidewalks and 1st tee.  No birdies, but solid pars which were still celebrated more there as well as at the pub later.  FYI – Don’t miss a chance to have a drink or lunch at the Jigger Inn adjacent to the Old Course Hotel or hit the pub at Dunvegan which is just up the road! We also recommend the Hotel du Vin, which is an easy walk from the Old Course. Great staff, restaurant and pub!  Alun made it all happen!  Plus, the next 2 days at Kingsbarns and Dumbarnie.  Kingsbarns is a gem.  We can’t wait to watch the pros play it during the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship this coming October. 

We played all 3 courses and truly can’t decide if there’s a favorite, they’re all incredible and very different.  That morning, Kingsbarns met us with a 3-club wind.  All day!  Was it hard?  Yes, but it was dry and the caddies again managed to get us around with great skill and a few very funny comments.  A small wager on the longest tee shot and closest approach shot netted me a few “quid” which was shared with my caddy!   Pro tip: the view from the lounge upstairs is incredible!

Our final round was played at Dumbarnie.  While this is a newer course, it is impressive and visually stunning.  We asked every caddy over the preceding days whether they knew of the course and had played it.  To a man, they said they had and that they loved it.  It is a magnificent and super fun layout. 

OK, I may be biased since as a 10 handicap, I shot my lowest 9 hole score ever, breaking par on the front side, and followed that with a 3 over back nine.  Career round!  The caddies made the day so much fun and the starter sent us off with a “relaxed” feeling due mostly to the shot of Loch Lomond whisky to start the day.  We had lunch there as well and everything about the place was top shelf. 

We all agree that when we return, hopefully soon, we will use Alun to organize it.  Ireland may be next!  Slainte Mhath!

Customer Review from Kentucky

Group leader of a party of four

We just got back from the trip of a lifetime, golfing in Scotland. Faraway Fairways delivered a phenomenal package, that included multiple world top 100 courses. The organization and service provided were both top notch. Can’t say enough about Alun and his team!!

Eight person party from Ohio

Played Ireland and Scotland, in May 2024

Hi Alun, I just wanted to thank you again for all your hard work in putting together such a memorable trip itinerary.  Your total attention to detail just amazed me.  We loved all of the places you reserved for us to stay as well as the best of the best golf courses.  It was simply a delightful experience for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

You are a true professional in every way.

At about the same time as above we received emails from two members of the same party

Hi Alun, I just wanted to thank you for everything, everything ran very smoothly. From the transport drivers to the hotel people and all the golf course staff everyone treated us with first class. I remember when I first inquired about doing this trip you told me you would make it work and you did. I heard nothing but great things about you from the hotels and drivers. You told me our trip had a world class itinerary, it sure was, golf courses were amazing. Thanks again Alun, Cheers to you.

Hi Alun, This is (name supplied).  I was part of the 8 person XXXX Golf Group (name supplied) that visited Ireland-Scotland over the course of 9 days and played 8 rounds of golf.

I was skeptical pre-trip of pulling this off since we made this trip more difficult for you by requesting transport everywhere. I must say this trip was a pleasure to go on.  Aside from the wonderful golf courses, there was the stunning scenery and almost flawless logistics (including the trip briefing document).  I can’t thank you enough for the hard work that you and your team put in to make this trip come to fruition and come off as well as it did.

On a side note, since I was skeptical, this could have been construed as a knock against Faraway Fairways.  I must apologize for that and will now recommend Faraway Fairways to other interested golf travelers.

Best Regards,

Faraway Fairways Note – “almost flawless logistics” probably refers to a flight delay between Edinburgh and Belfast which squeezed things up a little bit (but we still made our Portrush tee-time)

Customer Review From Colorado.

The following Faraway Fairways Customer Review, April 2024 was written by a groups organiser of a party of eight. The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies. Enjoy

Alun and Faraway Fairways created possibly the most memorable golf trip we have ever experienced.  EPIC is the only word that comes to mind.  Alun’s communication skills are impeccable which lends itself to a wonderful customer service experience not seen much these days.  Being able to create this kind of trip and tailor it to our specific objectives while keeping the fees as reasonable as possible is one of Alun’s fortes.  We will definitely return to Alun’s stewardship should we get to plan another hop across the pond and recommend him highly.

Additional comment from member of the same party

So I had huge expectations for this trip – and they were exceeded in every way! Absolutely a trip of a lifetime! Thank you so much for all your hard work and incredible planning. I couldn’t be more grateful.

Customer Review From Maryland.

castle stuart customer review faraway fairways

The following Faraway Fairways Customer Review, September 2022 was written by a joint organiser of a ten-person party. The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies. Enjoy

I would like to thank Alun and Faraway Fairways for a wonderful trip to Scotland and London. 

We were planning a trip for 10 guys to celebrate some big birthday milestones, and initially thought about planning the trip to Scotland ourselves. We realized it was going to get complicated so we reached out to some tour companies for help. About 8 companies responded to us, and we decided to proceed with Faraway Fairways due to the obvious attention to detail from Alun, as well as very competitive price. Our requirements were to play a little bit of golf (including at St. Andrews), do some hiking, hit some distilleries, and do some site seeing (like visiting castles). Alun gave us a preliminary itinerary that included all of the items on our list, with costs which seemed very reasonable. Eventually, we complicated things by requesting to also include a trip to Silverstone on our way back to London, so we could drive some race cars. It turned out that Silverstone was unavailable, but we ended up doing the Porsche driving experience which was right next to Silverstone. The trip turned out to have everything we needed.

The trip was extraordinarily well planned, and we had A LOT of complications, most of which Alun warned us about upfront. Some of these complications included potential train strikes, distilleries and tours which were limiting people due to COVID-19 (Alun accommodated us by scheduling 2 separate groups which went to different distilleries), some people only wanted to play golf once (again Alun accommodated us by scheduling alternate activities with a driver) and to top it off we ended up travelling right when the Queen passed, and was in Edinburgh and London during the same time we were there, so Edinburgh castle was closed.

Alun obviously spends a lot of time planning out the trip, and it was apparent in the EXTREMELY detailed itinerary. He even provides little history lessons to help explain the sites that you are seeing. Faraway Fairways estimates the time it takes to each destination to ensure that you stay on schedule, and lets you know the latest time you should leave your destination to arrive at the next one.

The accommodations were quite good (The Scotsman in particular was excellent). The Clachaig Inn was a bit rugged, but it had some nice charm and the views can’t be beat.

The morning breakfasts that were included were good. Various transport companies were used to get us around the country, and all were on time and vehicles were clean, comfortable and in good condition. The drivers were all friendly and very accommodating.

We played golf at the St. Andrews Eden course, which was adjacent to the Old Course.  The Eden course was quite nice and reasonably priced.  We were there on Sunday so we got to walk the Old Course while it was closed which was an amazing experience. 

Alun also chose Castle Stuart as our 2nd course, and it was spectacular.  I’ve played a lot of courses in the United States, and for me, it was definitely in the top 3 of all time.  Club rentals were arranged at both courses and were waiting for us when we arrived, and the clubs were of nice quality (Scotty Cameron putters at Castle Stuart!).

We were able to do some hiking, see some castles, do a lot of drinking and still had some time to just walk around and enjoy the sites. The perfect weather certainly helped, but the trip really could not have been any better.

For anyone planning to use Faraway Fairways, I would highly recommend them.  You will get a lot of e-mails, and more information and detail than you probably need, but you can be assured that the details have been worked out, and your trip will go as planned.

Customer Review From Maryland.

The following was written by the guest on a threeball. The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies. Enjoy

This correspondence is very late in getting to you. But, I wanted to reach out and extend a gigantic Thank You for putting together a fantastic trip for J.C. and me.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my daughter, R, who unbeknownst to me, would a part of our itinerary. With your coordination and constant communication with JC, you made my first golf trip to Scotland a forever memorable one. I checked many items off my golf bucket list after this trip. From R showing up unexpectedly at Trump International to us hitting the ballot TWICE for play on the Old Course to having great weather, this was a golf trip for the ages for me.

Admittedly, I was a little worried about the 16.5 rounds in 11 days when I first saw the itinerary. But, my excitement about playing these courses allowed me to forget that I was 71 years old and that I couldn’t do this. With J.C., it seemed that all I had to do was get in the car each morning and go play golf.

I’m beyond blessed to two have two great kids who still enjoy playing golf with their dad. Now, I just have to get my wife over to Scotland to experience what I experienced. Btw, taking caddies was a huge help and just added to our Scottish golf experience. For people playing these courses for the first time, it’s beyond me how they try to navigate these course without the use of a caddy.

I would and will highly recommend your company to anyone looking to plan an unforgettable golf trip. Again, many thanks, Alun.-The day off from golf on Monday was a great chance to allow the bodies to recover a little and was a welcome break…we toured St. Andrews, etc and had a wonderful day

Again, many thanks, Alun.

J

Customer Review From Canada.

Customer review faraway fairways

The following was written by a single golfer from Canada, accompanied on a two-week trip by his wife. The review period covers the death of Queen Elizabeth II which occurred during their stay in Scotland. The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies, or small bits to assist with the flow of the read. We also made a small correction regarding the sequence of events regarding the re-arrangement of Carnoustie. Enjoy

Golf Trip of a Lifetime

As a single golfer, it’s not easy to book rounds of golf in the UK, never mind getting onto bucket list golf courses like the Old Course at St Andrews. Well, I can tell you that Alun Davies, of Faraway Fairways, provided my wife and I with an amazing travel experience to Scotland, featuring the best British Open courses possible. I told Alun the courses I was interested in playing and he prepared a stay and play package with 14 days of outstanding golf, but also tremendous site seeing opportunities for my wife.

The trip began with a 7 hour flight to Glasgow and quick transfer to the car rental agency.  Extremely thorough and detailed notes from Alun, made arrival and car pick up a breeze.  Driving on the opposite side of the road took a little bit to get used to, but having an amazing wife and navigator allowed us to safely navigate the roads. 

Off to Gleneagles, a 5-star hotel and golf sanctuary for our first night stay and round of golf.  Unfortunately, a snag in the trip was my luggage, both clothes and golf clubs did not arrive in Glasgow.  Undeterred, off to the pro-shop I bought some clothing and accessories to play golf. I hired clubs, shoes and a power trolly and golfed the Queens Course at Gleneagles. A phone call from Alun upon our arrival, checking in on us, was welcomed as unfortunately my golf clubs never arrived for my entire trip, but Alun coordinated club rentals throughout. (Faraway Fairways note inserted – we aren’t responsible for the airline!)

After a couple nights we headed off to Inverness and while en-route we attended the Highland Games at the Braemar Gathering. A wonderful event capped off by the arrival of Prince Charles, the honourary Royal guest as the Queen who usually attends was not well.  Little did we know 4 days later the Queen would unfortunately pass away and Charles would be named King. 

Culloden House, a magnificent property full of history, was our next stay.  Golfed at Royal Dornoch and Castle Stuart, amazing courses while my wife took a Castle tour at Dunrobin.

Next we were off to Aberdeen, stopping off to play the Trump international course, a link side beauty. 

Then we headed towards the Town of St Andrews, and here’s where Alun’s persistence paid off.  

As a single golfer he paired me up with another traveller to allow us a chance at the old course ballot system. We had planned on entering 3 days of balloting on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, as I had a pre-planned round at Carnoustie on Friday.  With no luck on the ballot for Wed and Thurs, Alun suggested we try and switch Carnoustie and ballot for Friday.  Being the Old Course, I felt that on a bucket list golf trip like this, the Old Course needed to be played.  While doing a Castle tour at Glamis, another wonderful old property, my phone rings. It’s Alun. We have won the lottery.  A Friday round at the “Old Course” is about to happen.

We arrive in St Andrews, staying at the Fairmont Hotel, another 5-star wonder.  Golf on the Jubilee course on Thursday and then news that shocked the world:  the Queen had tragically passed away.  Her passing sends the UK into a tizzy, and thoughts begin to creep in that they will cancel all activities on Friday and beyond, out of respect for the monarchy.  This could have placed our once in a lifetime round at the Old Course in jeopardy.  After a sleepless night on Thursday we awakened to learn that the golf would play on.  

Playing the Old Course at St Andrews is truly a life experience, and all avid golfers should make the attempt. 

My round was fantastically memorable, having great playing partners and a solid local caddie.  My magical moment was driving the 9th green, a downwind 300 yard par 4, and hitting the flagstick.  My ball rolled 20 feet past and a nice two putt netted my first birdie on the Old Course. 

As luck would have it, we were able to rebook my Carnoustie round on Saturday and then drove on to Edinburgh. Fate seemed to follow us with the monarchy.  We stayed in Edinburgh at a hotel along the Royal Mile, the exact route the Queen’s motorcade would follow from Balmoral Castle to her resting in state at Holyroodhouse Palace. We witnessed the procession of the Queen along with thousands of others who lined the streets.  A truly once in a lifetime moment.

Then on to Troon.  Rounds at Troon, Turnberry and Prestwick the place of the first British open were also all spectacular.  

With all travel, some things often go unplanned.  My lost luggage for two days, and my lost golf clubs for the entire trip caused me some grief having to hire clubs each round.  Most of the UK courses do not have power driven golf carts, or Trolleys as they call them, unless you have a medical exemption. On several rounds, I was booked in as a single golfer, so I would definitely recommend booking in groups or calling the course to be paired with others if you enjoy company during the round. 

My overall impressions of Scotland are: it’s a wonderful, historic country to travel to with the best links style golf courses in the world.  There are countless activities to do other than golf, castle tours, whiskey tours, the loch ness monster cruise, shopping and magical historical buildings everywhere.  

I can’t thank Alun enough for putting together a trip that both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed.  A lifetime of memories in two  weeks.  Thanks Alun!.  

B

Customer Review From California.

fourball at Muirfield

The following was written by the group leader of a fourball from California, and covers a three year lead time involving two covid cancellations and re-arrangements. The only edits Faraway Fairways have performed is to protect identities of individuals or specific named companies. Enjoy

L and I have finally arrived home safely and hope G and B have as well. One fantastic trip you organized, and more importantly took ownership of in terms of daily communication and stewardship during our 2+ weeks in Scotland and Ireland. The logistics were spotless…100% of the transports were on time and excellent, the lodging choices spectacular and the golf was off the charts in terms of quality and arrangements made….all the courses knew of us/you and there was not a single hitch anywhere….if we can get the Dublin Airport to hire you as logistics manager the world will be a better place for the Irish

I doubt there is much we would have changed from what you put together for us…the Stena Ferry was excellent so the crossing back and forth between Scotland and Ireland was really rather painless. The transport drivers engaging in conversation and local lore was really wonderful…Tim from Starfish going out of his way to show us Clydesdale farms and local villages was wonderful….I hope we represented you and Faraway Fairways well in terms of your reputation and allowing you to keep doing business with the courses, lodging, and transports you arranged!

Random thoughts:

-The best place we dined during the trip was Little Italy in St. Andrews….we all pretty much agreed it was the best Italian Food we had ever experienced….ended up dining there 3 nights! Highly recommend to anyone in St. Andrews

-The day off from golf on Monday was a great chance to allow the bodies to recover a little and was a welcome break…we toured St. Andrews, etc and had a wonderful day

-Greywalls and Piersland we a real unique experience….would recommend to anyone

-Although a ways from the heart of town the Fairmont St. Andrews was great

-Having breakfast included in all of the accommodations was fantastic and allowed a nice start to everyday

-Kingsbarns is a wonderful golf course that we thoroughly enjoyed playing twice…one of the best…..however the lack of concern about pace of play and rounds taking over 5 hours was very unique to the trip given virtually every other course was 4 hours max and pretty much aggressively enforced by the course as a mandate (Muirfield in particular was a real stickler to the 4 hour round mandate)…We’d play again in a heartbeat at Kingsbarns but people should know it is a lot longer and slow play up front to set expectations at correct level in terms of transports and time slot.

I hope to avail myself of your services again once my partial capital account is slightly restored…..your work with us over the past two years has been a wonderful experience that we all have appreciated.

Let know anything we can do for you!

M