Short on Length but extra long on Views, Bamburgh Castle GC is a lot of fun to play.

If views were the most important part of a golf course, then Bamburgh Castle would be a 6. You do have one of the best settings for a course, and when on top of it's hills, the scenery is amazing. However, it's a golf course and the golf makes it just a good one. It's only 5600 yards but with only 2 par 5s and 6 par 3s, it is a par 68. This is the type of fun/sporty golf that is pretty much only in the UK. Despite it's location by the sea, this is a hilly course. The hills can add or take away a lot of yardage-and some of the holes are, quite frankly, slogs uphill. It does play firm/fast so there is fun in watching balls run out and having options on where to land approaches (especially downhill).

There is an unusual start of two par 3s and then two par 5s along flatter terrain. The short 4th might be the best of these as the fairway tilts from left to right and trying to stay on that side becomes a challenge. After a few holes that climb, you are rewarded with the first very good hole of the day-the par 3 8th. You play to a green that is surrounded by rock outcroppings. Miss the green and the rocks can send your ball anywhere. You then go downhill on the 9th-this has a green that is shared with the 12th. Despite being 425 yards, the downhill 12th will run forever if you hit the left side of the fairway. Then you get to take part of the double green again (one of the better features here). The 14th is an uphill/blind par 3 to a green that is perched up on a hill. The green is thin-short means you didn't get up the hill-long has a backstop that can feed your ball down (too long is a tee box). The main challenge from the firm/fast is figuring out how to stop your ball downhill. You can be taking at least 2 clubs less on many approaches. Still, this is fun golf so just enjoy.

With twilight rates of around 50 pounds and day ticket rates of 100 pounds, Bamburgh Castle is a great deal. Unless it is sideways rain, you might as well go around twice (as I did back about 8 years ago). There's enough good golf here to merit spending a day and, of course, you have a golf course with some of the best views on the planet.