The 2015 Open tees off in St Andrews on 16 July, with the championship including all of the world's best players, Rory McIlroy excepted.

As anyone with even a passing interest in the game knows, St Andrews is the home of golf. In addition to the Old Course, where the Open is played, the town has six other public courses, and a dozen more just a short drive away.The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the most prestigious in the world.

Naturally, there is more to this attractive Scottish coastal town than golf: St Andrews university is one of the oldest in Britain and attracts students from all over the world. There is good state schooling at Madras College and private schooling at St. Leonards, while Dundee High School is within easy reach. The town has a good range of shops, hotels, restaurants and supermarkets, plus a cinema and the recently revamped Byre Theatre.

Transport links are excellent: Leuchars railway station, four miles from St Andrews, is on the main Aberdeen to London line, with regular services to Dundee and Edinburgh; Edinburgh Airport is 50 miles away. Just south of St Andrews lies the East Neuk of Fife, its spectacular coastline studded with picturesque harbours and sandy unspoilt beaches

But there's no denying that what makes St Andrews so attractive to buyers is its golf. Property sells quickly here and prices are among the highest in Scotland.