Get down to business at the first tee

Sleepy St Andrews might not trip off the tongue of the business traveller, but it makes a unique destination for client outings, with fine dining, luxury hotels and vivid reminders of Scotland's medieval past.

And who can say no to a round of golf at the world's first golf course?

Donald Trump, the American billionaire, may have tried to rival St Andrews with a 5 square kilometre "golf resort" near Aberdeen, but the Scots will never tire of the town where the game of golf as we know it first began - and doubtless, nor will its visitors.

That makes St Andrews a perfect site for entertaining a client during the summer months, although its charm remains all year round.

The town is also home to Scotland's oldest university, which houses a world-class research department and business school.

Between September and June, the town becomes filled with university students, recognisable in some cases by their distinctive red gowns, in others by their tired and emotional state.

Prince William may have long since graduated, but the canny networker may still find the odd baronet or European princeling bustling about.

And such is the Old Course's reputation that it is not uncommon to find Hollywood celebrities or chief executives teeing off throughout the year.

St Andrews is small enough that you can walk across most of the town in about 10 minutes, although the golf course and some hotels, such as the Fairmont, are farther afield.

Its secluded location also allows travellers to enjoy a scenic tour of the kingdom of Fife, the ancestral home of the Scottish monarchs.

Types of accommodation range from scores of homely bed and breakfasts, to the Old Course Hotel, one of Scotland's most prestigious resorts, where rooms cost from £170 (Dh986) a night to more than £1,000.

The Quote: I fell in love with it the first day I played it. There’s just no other golf course that is even remotely close. - Jack Nicklaus, on St Andrews

ghunter@thenational.ae