"There is surely no lovelier view from any golf course" wrote Darwin. Bamburgh Castle Golf Club, whilst not long, is fun with a capital F.
Bamburgh Castle Golf Club
"There is surely no lovelier view from any golf course" wrote Darwin. Bamburgh Castle Golf Club, whilst not long, is fun with a capital F.
5
Some golf courses impress you with immaculate conditioning. Others golf courses amaze you with championship pedigree. And then there are places like Bamburgh Castle Golf Club—courses that stay with you because they feel completely different from anywhere else you’ve played.
Set high above the Northumberland coastline, situated a mile out of the centre of Bamburgh. A small coastal road will lead you to a beachside clubhouse. A building that in some parts has been in place since it's inception since 1904, a personifying old world charm before your round. Views from the clubhouse include Lindisfarne, Farne Islands, Bamburgh Castle and enticing glimpses of the clifftop coastal links golf course that is to come.
Before I dive into the aspects of the golf course. Bamburgh is golf with a view… and then some. From the very first tee, you’re greeted by the towering presence of Bamburgh Castle on one side and endless sea views on the other. It’s the kind of setting that almost distracts you from the golf—almost!
Let’s get one thing out of the way: this isn’t a long course. By modern standards, it’s pretty short, 5604 yards from the longest men's tee set, 5106 from the longest women's tee set. But if you think that means easy, think again. This reason alone may discourage some of the longer hitters in the game, but Bamburgh epitomises risk and reward golf, with strategic tee shots and approaches that are key to building a good score.
The routing is packed with excitement but also unorthodox. From the 1st tee shot to last putt on the 18th green. The first four holes consist of two Par 3's followed by two Par 5's that border The North Sea to the right hand side. Four holes that flow so easily into each other despite the rare concoction of two Par 3's and two Par 5's, dare I say holes that would not look out of place on any English links course. The opening tee shot of your round on 'Dinkie' is 175 yards over The North Sea to a generous green, anything short and right of the green will have you worried. The first flows onto a coastal tee box which introduces 'Picnic Bay' a 210 yard Par 3 with fairly generous green surrounds. The green itself sloped back to front anything short could leave you 40 yards from the front edge. The scenic holes that follow, allow you to make your score especially the two Par 5's but stay sharp.
At Bamburgh you will face blind shots, sloping fairways, awkward lies, and greens that demand a bit of imagination. It’s the sort of place where you won’t always reach for driver—and where thinking your way around is far more important than brute force. One of my favourite things about the round is how unpredictable it feels. You’re constantly adjusting, constantly figuring things out. It keeps you engaged from start to finish.
Having witnesses the most exposed coastal areas of the golf course in the first five holes, when you reach the sixth tee at Bamburgh you begin to discover how this golf course really unwinds. 'Plateau' is a towering Par 3 followed by 'The Rockies' an undulating Par 4 7th, you commence your climb up the Bamburgh Hills clifftop. Two pars here will set you in good stead for scoreable holes to come.
The Par 3 8th 'Island' is a hole that is truly forged into the cliff top and illustrates the unhinged, untouched, raw character of the course. A short Par 3 to a green sheltered by elements of a rocky cliff top. A right pin is hard to see from the tee, anything short could bounce of the rocky cliff face and land ANYWHERE. 'Newtown' the 9th similar to the 7th rewards a long accurate tee shot, beware of the sloping fairways, demanding approaches and gorse in all the right places to test you. The front nine finishes with a double green, neighbouring that of 'Shada Wood 11', because why wouldn't it! The double green encapsulates everything Bamburgh is, a golf architects playground, it has everything. Does it work? who cares it's fun, authentic, rare and exciting.
The start to the back nine is no easy test, a long Par 3 followed by a series of demanding Par 4's that require the very best of you. 11 - 13 are holes you need to play a few times before you begin to master them. Blind tee shots, blind approaches but find the right landing areas and you can be rewarded with another 100 yards of roll. This course design is echoed throughout the remaining Par 4's on the course, risk and reward golf at it's finest.
The closing stretch is the start of your decent from the clifftop back down the to coast side clubhouse at sea level. Do not be fooled by 14, 148 yards, into a basin of a green, back over the cliff top. Named 'Farne Islands' which is ironic given the slim green which will act like a magnet catching any ball in it's bankside. Make a 3 and get out of there. Fifteen, sixteen and seventeen are three holes which can really hurt your score, but so worth the taking the risk...
We begin with a long par 4 which is severely down hill, to a green that slopes away from you protected by two front bunkers. Catch the right part of the fairway and gain an extra 100 yards of roll, allowing a more forgiving yardage for your approach. Moving onto 'Castle Keep 16' a driveable par 4 for most, even given the tight angle. A dog leg left, teases a small channel to the front of the green, anything off line will find gorse. Similar strategy should be adopted on 'Kittling Hill 17', a boundary fence is in your view and mind throughout, but the right tee shot can easily find the green on this forgiving Par 4.
It is rare that I go into so much hole by hole detail in a review, but at Bamburgh they are so many different holes that feature. So many holes that I have to mention due to them all being so unique to one another. Throughout the course, you’re treated to sweeping panoramas of the North Sea, beaches stretching for miles, and the Farne Islands in the distance. And then there’s the castle—always there, always dramatic, shifting in perspective as you move from hole to hole. There were definitely moments where we caught ourselves just standing there, taking it all in, which was just as well given the slow group in front of us!
Bamburgh Castle Golf Club isn’t polished or modern, it's a raw unchanged links and that’s exactly why it works. A links that was not designed for modern technology, a golf course that remains fairly undiscovered and stands the test of time, position is desired over length, and club members are very proud of that. The clubhouse is simple, with none of the fuss you sometimes get at bigger venues. The whole experience feels grounded, authentic, and refreshingly traditional. It’s golf as it used to be: a bit rough around the edges, but full of character.
If you’re looking for immaculate fairways and a championship test, this might not be your place. But if you want a round that’s fun, memorable, completely unique and great value links golf, Bamburgh Castle Golf Club delivers. Strange lies, the unexpected shots, elevation changes, a links experience, Bamburgh is fun and despite this being the 2nd time I have played it, we are already thinking about when we might come back.
Lewis Goodwin
Round Information
Date Played
May 3, 2026
Standout Holes
#1, #9, #16
Rating Breakdown
Strategy
Green Complexes
Variety
Facilities & Amenities
Overall rating
4.5
Overall rating
4.5
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