North Berwick
North Berwick
On such a famous links it is easy to focus on North Berwick being
the third oldest club in the world… but what matters even more is the
enthralling course you will be playing. This links boasts low stone walls
slipping across holes and in front of greens, bare rock exposed on a
fairway or two, beaches in play and dunes which are low and rhythmic.
And electrifying holes that constantly deliver the unexpected as you
head out and back in a classic links layout beside the sea. The course
offers wonderful views over the Firth of Forth, but its openness means
any wind will influence your strategy and, with the natural – often
quirky – shapes, all of your skills will be tested. At least the rough
is kept low to speed up play. The famous 13th hole makes North
Berwick bucket list stuff… yes, just that one hole.
Craigielaw
Opened in 2001, this low-running course presents some traditional
links characteristics with modern day flourishes. Old stone walls
appear on fairways and in the rough, burns slip across holes and
the rough is wispy and often magnetic. What golfers will probably
remember most, however, is the cavernous, shapely bunkering and
the tricky, slick greens – many of which fall into that upside-down-
saucer shape and can prove so punitive to even well struck shots.
Given their firmness, golfers will need the most delicate of short
games. Accuracy off the tee is essential to optimise your approach
and the gentle 1st makes this abundantly clear. The course backs
on to Kilspindie, in rich golfing territory. It is slightly away from the
sea, on higher ground, offering particularly impressive views over
Aberlady Bay. A modern and luxurious clubhouse awaits.
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Roxburghe
Roxburghe is regarded as a top 10 Scottish inland course. Designed
by Dave Thomas, it is set within a 50,000 acre estate in the heart of
the Scottish Borders, with the River Teviot and deep woods coming
in to play. Golfers will discover a glorious golfing experience, where
the flow of the rolling landscape, the variety of the holes and the
spaciousness of the course mean you rarely see another golfer. But
prepare for some lengthy green-to-tee walks. Opened in 1997, the
course reflects the elegance around it with Thomas’s trademark
large and undulating greens, generous fairways and deep bunkering
constantly in view from the elevated tees. The downhill, dogleg par
four 10th is a striking example. The European Tour Q School was
held here in 2016, and the clubhouse is set in a Jacobean mansion.
Bruntsfield Links
The Bruntsfield Links has completed its £1.2 million course
investment by renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert. The course
already bears the stamp of Willie Park Jnr, Alister Mackenzie, and
James Braid, so the legends of old will combine with the legends of
the future. This Open regional qualifying course has been extensively
re-bunkered to match Mackenzie’s original shapes. The Bruntsfield
Links Golfing Society’s roots date back to 1761 – making it the world’s
4th oldest club – but this idyllic Edinburgh parkland has been the
society’s home since 1898. It sits on spacious, heavily wooded
terrain, three miles from Edinburgh city centre, and is known for its
gentle rolling rhythm, strategic bunkering and deceptive undulating
greens. A new lake has been introduced, some holes reconfigured
and five new greens added, and yet the fabric of this sweet parkland
remains the same. The old clubhouse marries beautifully with the
history of the course and the legacy of the society.