Don't overlook Carnoustie's Burnside (above) and Buddon courses on your Scotland golf vacation.

While this week's British Open course, the Carnoustie Championship Links, justifiably receives most of the attention, there are actually two other worthwhile courses to play at this town-owned golf complex during your Scotland golf vacation.

As one of our readers, Richard N., discovered on his Scotland golf vacation (and commented on our last Carnoustie tip): "[The Burnside Links and Buddon Links] provide an excellent warm up for the Championship course. The Burnside is situated adjacent to and inside the "C" of the Championship layout. They meet at the snack shack. On several holes, you are adjacent to holes on the Championship course. The best is that it is much less expensive and mostly uncrowded.

He's absolutely right. Five-time British Open champion James Braid designed the Burnside Links, which was the second of Carnoustie's three, 18-hole courses. Par is 68 for this 6,028 jewel, which boasts dunes, gorse, heather, native grasses, streams and bunkers with near vertical "bricklayer" faces. The ground ranges from undulating to hummocky, so bounces can be unpredictable. Two of the holes in particular are great: the 228-yard 14th and the 473-yard, par-four 17th, the latter, like its cousin on the Championship course, haunted by the Barry Burn.

The third of the town's layouts is the Buddon Links, where a recent remodeling by the Links Committee and Carnoustie greenkeeper John Philp has markedly improved the short (5,420 yards, par 66) but enjoyably testing course. Philp introduced heather, water hazards and gorse to dramatically ramp up the challenge.

Neither of these courses should substitute for playing the Championship Links at Carnoustie on your Scotland golf vacation, but now that you know they're there, you may want to schedule a longer stay in this charming beach town of the same name.

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