Top golfers, including Rory McIlroy, pick their favourite hole in Scotland

But that’s exactly what a number of the game’s top players have done for an exclusive video series for The Scotsman.

During the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, one of the DP World Tour’s Rolex Series events, at Emirates Golf Club, we canvassed the opinion of some of the players in the field.

They included career grand slam winner Rory McIlroy, fellow Open champions Francesco Molinari and Shane Lowry, as well as record three-time Alfred Dunhill Links champion Tyrrell Hatton and seven-time PGA Tour winner Viktor Hovland.

All five were happy to share the hole that sticks out for them in Scotland, where Molinari, of course, won The Open at Carnoustie in 2018 while McIlroy landed the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in 2023.

We also spoke to Scottish trio Grant Forrest, Scott Jamieson and Richie Ramsay, while Ryan Fox. another former Dunhill Links winner, and Tom McKibbin, one of the game’s rising stars, delivered their verdicts as well.

They offered a diverse opinion, with some picking out holes that are iconic in golf while others selected holes that are lesser known.

In some cases, they remembered holes from when they first played them as amateurs and still love the challenge of those holes.

It’s a fascinating listen and watch out for more similar golf video features from The Scotsman during the 2026 season.