The town’s name is so synonymous with the game that the mere utterance of its name, even to the uninitiated, draws the natural comparison. In 1754, the Society of St. Andrews Golfers, predecessor to the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (conferred by William III 80 years later), was established to commemorate the commitment to the game’s development. Today, the quaint university town extends to the border of the famed Old Course, but new designs in town offer fine “guest houses” to the home of golf. At the top of the list is the St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa, conceived by the founders of Chateau Élan Hotels & Resorts on a windswept cliff-top location on the fringes of the town. With a fabulous piece of property that rolled true to the accepted ideas of what a golfing landscape should be, the modus operandi of the new development was to create a golf destination that appeared as though it had laid there since the game existed. The 520 acres of distinctive Scottish terrain offer just that, as well as stunning panoramic views of the North Sea, the River Tay estuary, and the stony, medieval skyline of St. Andrews. Two championship golf courses, the Devlin and Torrance, puts St. Andrews Bay in the upper echelon of resorts in the United Kingdom.

While the game’s imprint in central Scotland offered an easy map to follow, the hotel’s design is attuned both to the heritage of the Scottish Highlands and the importance of modern amenities. Sitting atop a crest in the landscape, the hotel’s exterior is reminiscent of the country’s great estates, featuring vaulted roofs and a central courtyard. Within the confines of those towering stone walls, though, everything opens into plush, modern rooms, with clean lines and elegant accents. Each of the hotel’s 209 rooms are stylish, bright, and functional, with broad windows, lavish fabrics, linens, and furnishings, and the modern conveniences that the discerning traveller demands. High-speed Internet connectivity, US/UK-compatible ports, and CD and DVD players within the room provide guests with all the comforts of home in a luxurious countrified setting. For larger groups, that booking a Manor Home can revive sense of home, private estates located adjacent to the fourth fairway on the Torrance Course. Like having one’s own private farmhouse in the highlands, Manor Homes feature a four-bedroom, five-bathroom open-concept layout with the same technologies offered in the main hotel. Enjoying all the amenities of the hotel with the privacy of a guest house, St. Andrews Bay visitors staying in Manor Homes have the option of preparing their own Scottish-inspired feast, or to trudge across the pocked land to enjoy the culinary prowess of the hotel’s great chefs.

The menus in each of St. Andrews Bay’s four restaurants are authentically Scottish. Finnan haddock, lobster plucked from the frigid waters of East Neuk of Fife, rabbit loin, and sweet potato and roasted shallot ravioli are just a few of the entrée selections that pay homage to the produce and proteins found in the area. Regional ingredients are king in the kitchens of St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa, and the marriage of freshness and flavour meet on the palate in exciting and curious ways. Halibut gets a new take at The Squire, marinated in a robust red wine and set alongside herbed gnocchi, while Scottish staples oxtail and tournedos of beef meet in a familiar place with parsnip puree and rosemary potato. To open, oak-smoked salmon and pumpkin soup with cumin flatbread are standouts, and the commitment to keeping the menu attuned to local ingredients filters down to the smaller kitchens. In Kittock’s Den, the scotch beef pattie on focaccia stands out on a menu full of classic pub fare done with elegance. In the open-air Atrium and The Clubhouse, conventional classics like the club sandwich and local favourites like beer-battered cod and pork and leek sausage with butter mash are served up with grace and style in a casual atmosphere. The derogatory undertones of “grub” are transformed here, as simple, classic dishes find a new and elegant place in the culinary tradition.

For the food and the golf, the merits of St. Andrews Bay Golf Resort and Spa are alluring enough, but in the Chateau Élan practice, conventional luxury is a standard to be triumphed. The original in the Élan portfolio, a 3,500-acre winery and resort in the lush foothills north of Atlanta, Georgia, set that initial bar, and the spa at St. Andrews Bay aspires to elevate it. The facilities are extravagant, the setting tranquil, and the atmosphere as serene as watching the dusk set on a long Scottish summer day. With six private treatment rooms offering a variety of facial treatments, full-body massages, aromatherapy, exotic body wraps, manicures and pedicures, guests can get the pampering they fully deserve. Along with the fully equipped fitness center and the exhilarating Scottish landscape, perfect for hiking or biking, this tiny oasis outside the old town of St. Andrews offers a great vacation to the home of golf with the privacy and luxury of a fully serviced resort.