Archerfield (Fidra) - Lothians - Scotland

I had visited this courses (Dirleton too and also next door Renaissance) with my good friend Andy back in 2012 but we were not able to play due to a busy schedule which included Gullane No.1, Muirfield and North Berwick but it was time to play here and it was sort of funny how it happened.

Back from the Masters in April at Atlanta Airport I met a Member called Kenny and when I told him about my trip he offered to invite me to play there so on May 26th after a long flight from Buenos Aires I went directly to the Club and as like many times in my last trips arrived to the course just 20mins before the tee time! A quick shower and to the tee to play a nice match with Kenny, His brother and good friend John in a very friendly Scotland-Argentina atmosphere.

The day couldn't have been better, 25C sun and almost no wind, which was called to be the hotest day of the year in Scotland! I really enjoyed the course and the walk, a very nice mix of links concept (fast hard fairways and greens), Rivet edge bunkers and the smell of the ocean always there though you see water only from far away in a couple of holes. Some tough tree lined tee shots appear to be the bigest challenge, as well as holding the approach shots to very creative greens.

There were many very nice holes, specially par 4 3rd, very nice par 3 8th with spectacle false bunker before the green, par 4 10th and the 3 finishing holes.

As a private course with not as much play as the famous ones, shape was perfect and pace of play like a ready golf round.

After the game a nice pint at the elevated club house ended a fantastic golf afternoon with scottish friends, to a place that I will for sure visit again.

Lovely mixture of tree lined (first 3 holes) and links golf. Course opens up with the lovely par 3, 4th hole. Holes 5 and 6 have a more links feel before holes 7 to 11 are back to tree lined. The best stretch for me is 12 and home where apart from a line of trees to the right of 17 and 18, it is great links terrain. Holes 14 and 15 are outstanding holes, the best on the course. I notice that Fidra is on the cusp of Top 100 GB&I. That is a fair assessment

Played in the afternoon following my morning hit around the Dirleton. Great course. Sneaks into rare 6 ball territory. Similar but slightly better than Formby.

A number of holes at the beginning of both nines played amongst the trees on firm links quality fairways. A taste of the dune laden links holes is offered during the front nine and then the last 7 or 8 holes are played through excellent dunes.

All holes are played in isolation of others and a combination of both back nines would be one of the best courses in the world.

It’s hard to lose your ball on the tree lined holes as there is no undergrowth and the trees have been thinned to the point you will find your ball but not necessarily hit it in the direction you want. I found sandy conditions a couple of times in the trees that made good contact difficult.

Unsure if the greenkeeper would be 100% happy with greens. I’m no expert but there seemed to be a mix of grasses throughout most of them. The 8th green was the exception as it was one grass and one beautiful green. The others played well though and I’m sure as summer approaches they will play faster.

The whole day was excellent. Pricey yes, but two superb courses, well priced menus, great practice facilities and I’m glad they have opened up the course to the public as it deserves to be acknowledged as a great course.

Luckily I saved the best till last as the Fidra heads up the 12 courses I played over late April/early May.

It’s easy to understand why so many people love to visit and play at the semi-exclusive Archerfield Links when the opportunity arises.

The very fact it is set in the heart of established real estate for golf, on Scotland’s Golf Coast in East Lothian, and has proven to be so popular, since it was created in its modern day form just after the turn of the millennium, is testament to the quality of the venue.

The Fidra course plays through mature pine trees for the first two thirds of the round before venturing out onto linksier land for the remainder. The woodland holes have a lovely enclosed feel to them whilst the “links” section of the course enjoys a more open vista, particularly compared to the gorse-riddled Dirleton course, but more on that later.

I put the word links in quotation marks above because I’m not 100% convinced it is true links golf although the course is particularly fast running and the ground game can be utilised around the greens. It’s certainly not classic links golf in its purest form; an almost faux-links style would perhaps be the best way to describe it. And although you are close to the coast you don’t ever really get the feeling that you are playing seaside golf.

A stray drive on the first 11 holes of the Fidra is likely to find Augusta-esque pine straw where you will easily find your ball and be able to advance it but not always in the direction you would like to. Hit an errant tee-shot on the closing seven holes and you will be playing from well below or above your feet on the side of a dune ridge!

I enjoyed playing into a number of the green complexes which are generous but not easy to hold as many are domed and fall away at the sides; the 11th and 16th were particularly memorable.

Ed is the founder of Golf Empire – click the link to read his full review.

We played yesterday in very strong winds, but fortunately the holes were either into or with the wind so we only lost a few balls between four of us.

Quality setup with good warm up areas and nice lunch afterwards.

Note, check the tee markers since we played 10 and 11 as 1 and 2 in the absence of a starter or clear instructions ! We corrected it on the back nine to the slight confusion of the following group who didn't observe the mandatory ten minute stop at the halfway house. More full them, the tasty leek and potato soup was buckshee !

Pretty tree lined front nine with predominantly Ross style raised greens rejecting all but the truest approaches.

Back nine more linksy, still tough but fun.

Greens were true and in good condition for the time of year, and with the course being quiet we got round in good time.

Will definitely return for the Dirleton.

The first 11 holes of this links course wind through lovely tree lined fairways whilst the final seven are more in the open and provide views of Bass Rock and Fidra Island. It is believed that Robert Louis Stevenson used Fidra for his inspiration when he wrote ‘Treasure Island’.

The first hole gives you a good idea what to expect, for the next 10 holes at least. The fairways are excellent, fast running, and are lined with magnificent stands of trees. The fact that this has been a forest for so long meant that man’s agricultural habits have not spoilt the sandy nature of the soil. Bunkers on this course are more of the pot bunker style and, if anything, are understated.

The course emerges from the trees after the 11th, a lovely par 5 which also features a number of revetted bunkers along the fairway.

The standout hole is probably the 12th, a par 4 of 384 yards that flows beautifully through mounds and grass plantations an dthe dog-legs right about 50 yards before the slightly raised green.

This is a well presented course with two distinct feels as you go from treed to more open fairways. In parts of the back nine you are actually only a few hundred yards from the sea… A partly tree linked links is not a unique phenomenon or a contradiction in terms as anyone who has played Formby will know.

This review is an edited extract from Another Journey through the Links, which has been reproduced with David Worley’s kind permission. The author has exclusively rated for us every Scottish course featured in his book. Another Journey through the Links is available for Australian buyers via www.golfbooks.com.au and through Amazon for buyers from other countries.

This is a golfing experience not to be missed. You would not believe the course is just about 10 years old. I have played it for most of these years and it is getting more linksy every year. It is built on sand so that shoud happen. Holes 1,2,3,7,8,9,10 and 11 are in the pine trees but the turf is firm and not at all lush. It is a good course to play in the wind as there is a degree of protection but in the prevailing wind holes.14, 15,17 and 18 (all long pars) are a real test. The course is always in immaculate condition A great golfing experience.

I played the fidra in august (along with north berwick & goswick). course was in great condition..greens very true...very american hospitality. i would struggle to call it a links though...the back 9 has some links `style` holes (front 9 is woodland). An enjoyable round, just a shame you dont get any views of the sea. rather you get a sense of being near the sea on a few holes...i prefer the dirleton (though was fortunate to play when all the gorse was in bloom - stunning!)..archerfield is definately worth a visit on an east lothian tour (but dont play it thinking its a links).

It is hard to believe that a boy who learned his trade on a municipal track in Clydebank has sneaked under the Archerfield radar for a fourth time, I can only assume that the radar must be broken and the guard dogs on annual leave. My recent visit to play the Fidra now means that I have played each of the courses twice and such is the quality of the place every visit has been a glorious treat. In my review of 2 years ago I commented heavily on the Archerfield experience and I am glad to report nothing has changed on that front. The welcome is still first class, the surroundings palatial, and the courses are wonderful. I always enjoy going to a club that treats you like a member for that day and nowhere does that better than Archerfield At the risk of being repetitive, I concur with most of what has been said in the reviews below this one. Holes 1, 2, 7 and 9 wouldn’t look out of place on any of the major Surrey or Berkshire courses, I also love holes 4 and 8, two short, but very tricky par 3’s, and hole 6, which plays to green nestled behind trees and guarded by a large waste bunker. The back 9 is different in style to the front and more in keeping with the Direlton next door but although there is a slight change in style there is no drop in quality. Best being the stretch of holes from 11-13, and the 18th which is a very strong finishing hole. So now that I have played each course at Archerfield twice I feel that it is my duty to pick the splinters from my backside, and get off the fence to pick which is the better course of the two. It has taken a two year deliberation to decide this period, difficult decisions like this take time don’t you know, and I have plumped for the Fidra, but there is almost nothing between them. Archerfield now gives tee times, albeit at a price, for golfing plebs like me so more golfers will have to chance to make that decision for themselves. MPPJ

The Fidra is just a delight to play. Its largely tree-lined front nine holes contrast beautifully with the more open back nine, affording the layout a feel that’s pretty much unique to any other course in Scotland. And even though it’s maturing nicely, that still hasn’t stopped the club from adding subtle little touches like installing gorse-topped banks to screen teeing areas from the green site of holes just played. And speaking of greens, they are enormous - allowing plenty of devilish pin placements if the need arises. I can see why the recent Ladies Scottish Open was held here as this course has quality stamped on each and every hole from start to finish.