The Old Course Hotel overlooks the manicured acres of its namesake, and across to the sea beyond.
	Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa Rates, $565 to $1,864 St. Andrews, Scotland +44 01334 474371 oldcoursehotel.co.uk

The historic town of St. Andrews in the Kingdom of Fife, Scotland, is considered by many to be a golf mecca. The game has been played and defined there for the past six centuries and, with ten championship golf courses in the area, St. Andrews continues to draw players of all levels. Although the town is home to several luxury resorts, none has a more enviable location than the Old Course Hotel, adjacent to the world's oldest and most famous golf course, The Old Course. Acquired in 2004 by Kohler Co. of Wisconsin, the 144-room hotel has recently completed a two-year makeover that has brought it to an exceptional level of luxury.

The hotel's classically elegant rooms, many with private balconies offering views of the Old Course, St. Andrews or the North Sea, have been completely refurbished. In addition, 35 suites with chromatherapy baths have been added – 19 by celebrated interior designer Jacques Garcia. The therapeutic benefits of water have been taken to a whole new level since the resort's addition of the 13,616-square-foot Kohler Waters Spa. In addition to 11 treatment rooms, there is a plunge pool, a Japanese salt steam room, a rooftop spa garden with a hot tub, and an indoor pool with a cascading waterfall.

The hotel's Duke Course is considered one of the finest inland championship courses in the British Isles. The par-71, 7,512-yard course was recently redesigned by the American course architect Tim Liddy to include, among other improvements, new forward tees for the less experienced golfer. Tee times are guaranteed to hotel guests. This fall visitors can also watch some of the game's best players in the prestigious Dunhill Links Championship (October 5 – 8), a 72-hole stroke play Pro-Am golf tournament that takes place on three of the area's top golf courses. At the end of an active day, guests enjoy the award-winning Scottish cuisine at the hotel's top-floor Road Hole Grill, or stop at the Road Hole Bar for one of the 174 malt whiskies (one from every Scottish distillery).