Carnoustie Golf Links in the Royal Burgh of Carnoustie, Angus, in the east of Scotland. Golf is recorded as having been played here in 1527, earlier than at St Andrews, where the first record of golf dates from 1552. As one of the venues in the Open Championship rotation, it has gathered a reputation as one of the courses with more difficult links and hence the rise of the term ‘Carnoustie effect’.