The MacKenzie Championship Course at Hazlehead has been named Best Municipal or Community-Owned Golf Course in Scotland, at this year’s Scottish Golf Tourism Awards 2026.
The 13th annual awards were held last night (Thursday March 12th) in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh and brought together leaders from golf, tourism, hospitality and the wider business community. The awards recognise excellence, innovation and community impact across Scotland’s golf tourism sector.
The MacKenzie Championship Course, owned and operated by Sport Aberdeen, is set within the historic Hazlehead Park and is the only public championship course in the North-east. Designed by renowned architect Dr Alister MacKenzie, the course is widely regarded as one of the finest municipal layouts in the country and is celebrated for combining championship-quality golf with accessibility, affordability and strong community value.
This year marks the inaugural award recognising the Best Municipal Golf Course with bunkered magazine Head of Content and Head Judge of the 2026 panel, Michael McEwan, having specially created the category. In a recent speech announcing the news, Mr McEwan said the new category would “shine a spotlight on these essential parts of the golf ecosystem and position our much-loved munis right where they deserve to be: shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the industry.”
Commenting on last night’s award win, Graeme Dale, Interim CEO, Sport Aberdeen, said: “To win the award for Best Municipal or Community-Owned Golf Course in Scotland is an incredible achievement, particularly when we were up against nationally and internationally recognised courses.
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Sport Aberdeen was also named as a finalist in the Best Golf Marketing/Social Media Campaign for its highly successful ‘Tee Up with Mates’ 2025 campaign. Designed to reposition golf as affordable, social and accessible, the campaign successfully engaged younger golfers with more than 25% growth in under-16 memberships and a 38% year-on-year increase in golf memberships.
Sport Aberdeen manages five municipal golf courses, offering a unique multi-course membership model that breaks down barriers to participation. All profits generated through the organisation’s golf facilities are reinvested back into the local community, supporting participation, coaching pathways and inclusive access to sport across the city.
For more information about golf memberships visit www.sportaberdeen.co.uk/activities/golf
