About the course
The PGA Centenary is the newest and longest of the Gleneagles courses, stretching to almost 7,300 yards from the championship tees. It sits on more open ground than the two Braid courses, with wide views of the surrounding Perthshire hills, and it is the only course in Scotland designed by Jack Nicklaus.
It opened in 1993 under the name Monarch’s and was later renamed the PGA Centenary. The course became a regular stop on the European Tour as host of the Johnnie Walker Championship from 2005 to 2013. Before the 2014 Ryder Cup, Nicklaus returned to make extensive changes: the 18th was rebuilt with cross bunkers and spectator mounds, the 12th was converted from a par 5 to a par 4 with a new green, and fairways, bunkers and greens were revised throughout.
The design combines American target golf with features suited to Scottish conditions, so many greens can be approached with a running shot as well as a high one. Holes were shaped with match play in mind, and the par 5 9th and 18th give real chances of birdies and eagles, which means a lead can disappear quickly. The layout was also built to hold very large crowds.
Distances between some greens and the next tees are long, which is why many players choose to use a buggy here.
Why we recommend it
The PGA Centenary is the course for golfers who want to follow the 2014 Ryder Cup, and it also hosted the 2019 Solheim Cup. It is a modern, American-style championship layout with generous fairways, large greens and water in play, very different in feel from the older Braid courses next door. From the back tees it is long and demanding, but several sets of tees keep it playable for mid handicappers. Gleneagles is about an hour’s drive from both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Photo gallery
| World ranking | – |
| Architect | Jack Nicklaus |
| Year of foundation | 1993 |
| Par Course | 72 |
| Number of holes | 18 |