The Gleneagles Hotel (Queen's Course)

Braid's Shorter Gleneagles Test

The Queen's Course at The Gleneagles Hotel began as a nine-hole layout designed by James Braid and officially opened in 1919. It was extended to 18 holes by 1925, giving the estate a second full course during the hotel's earliest years.

Its routing threads through the northern and western ridges of Gleneagles, moving between heathland, woodland, and small lochans. The compact par-68 card places less value on sheer distance than on position, shaped shots, and confident approaches.

Several holes carry distinctive Scots names, including Trystin' Tree, Needle E'e, Gushet Rig, and Water Kelpie, each tied to the landscape or local language.

A major restoration was completed in 2017. Eighty-nine bunkers were rebuilt, fairway lines were returned closer to Braid's original plan, and drainage work was carried out on the natural bowl-shaped 16th green. Fairways were widened after earlier alterations had narrowed them, while Scottish heather was reintroduced around the playing corridors.