Elie - Fife - Scotland

Having heard so many wonderful comments about The Golf House, I was eager to include Elie in my Fife itinerary which proved to be a huge success. The opening two holes take you out and back before the elevated tee box on the splendid downhill par 3 3rd hole gives you a superb panoramic view of the town of Elie and what’s ahead of you out on the course as you migrate towards the sea. A string of medium length par 4s have challenging angles and bumps bring you down towards the end of the property before the drivable 7th turns you back around.

The stretch of 9 through 12 hug the dramatic coastline and present the beautiful backdrop of the famous Elie cliffs. The rugged nature of those holes is a sight to behold including the epic downhill approach into the 9th with the water in the background. I really enjoyed the short par 3 10th and the heroic 11th which requires a tee shot over the water from the medal tee. The 12th hole is arguably the most scenic hole on the inward half with the high cliffs within arm’s reach just behind the green-site. The closing 6 holes have a brilliant routing that traverse nicely across hills and are hugely impacted by the wind direction.

Elie is hugely enjoyable to play as you have plenty of birdie opportunities and really must study to land to determine where to land your ball among the humps and bumps. Great value for money, wonderful golf, commendable topography and without the hassle of St. Andrews makes Elie a must-play when you play your holiday to Fife. It’s a refreshing golf course that will certainly be a highlight.

#ElieGolfClub is exciting, with spectacular views and lots of character. Home town of James Braid....but surely he can’t have spent much time here considering how many courses he was involved in!

Located by the twin fishing villages of Elie and Earlsferry, if you’re searching for golf with charm and character when visiting Fife, then look no further than Golf House Club Elie. Routed surprisingly close to rows of seaside cottages before heading out to a breath-taking stretch along the coast, Elie is one of the most eccentric courses that I’ve played.

Starting bizarrely with the famous periscope located by the first tee and featuring double flag greens at both 9 and 18, Elie is nothing if not quirky. But there’s more to Elie than just its oddities. It’s a course that combines architectural diversity with, at times, outstanding beauty. Of the opening holes, the 2nd would be my personal pick where this modest length par four is played uphill to a raised green that marks the most elevated point of the course. After passing by, or preferably via the pub adjacent to the 4th tee, the 5th is the next most memorable hole amongst the front nine, notable mainly for how you’ll be challenged with bulges and lumps when approaching that green. Otherwise, whilst the residential surroundings make for an intriguing setting, my observations regarding the opening nine are that it can get a little fieldy in places, and the rough can be somewhat clumpy making it easy to lose your ball if you have a tendency to be a little wayward from the tee.

Elie’s qualities really begin to shine when playing the second shot into the 9th, a half blind approach shot into a sunken green that provides a taster of the world-class series of holes that’s to come between holes 10 through 13. The 10th is a big dipper of a hole that rises to a high summit before crashing back down to the rocky beach at the shoreline. A sweet little par three follows, where the tee is set back against the coastline before a curving, yet demanding par four guides you along the grassy bank beside the seafront at the 12th. The beautifully photogenic 13th must be regarded as Elie’s signature hole where a shelf-top green hangs under the cliffs of Kincraig Point at the far corner of the property. 14 and 15 then play parallel to one another before the course returns back to the clubhouse via the closing three solid, albeit less dramatic holes.

My honest assessment is that Elie is probably a little inconsistent to be labelled amongst Scotland’s great courses, but beyond the quirk and the handful of spectacular holes mid-round, there’s also a sense of wistfulness and melancholy about a round at Elie that I’ve never experienced before on a golf course, something that borders on the eerie, and it’s for this combination of factors why Elie must be included on any golfing itinerary to the region.

Another course worthy of a visit. The only time I have used a periscope !

A pleasantly strange feeling of playing through a village at certain points on the course but really enjoyed the visit.

Stating the obvious, there are a lot of great courses in Fife and East Lothian. When my buddy who arranged the rounds for this day of the trip (Leven and Elie) I said "Elie, never heard of it" and questioned the quality of a course with 16 par 4's and 2 par 3's. Boy was I wrong. This place is SPECIAL. It is the quintessential links which has not been ruined by trying to keep up with modern technology. Just because it's short on the card doesn't mean it's easy- the home stretch from 12-18 is relentless, especially when it's back into the wind. There are so many world class holes on this golf course- and most of all, it captures the soul of the game: golf is supposed to be FUN and this place is that in spades. Trying shots off backboards, sideboards, you name it. The ultimate hidden gem and close to top 100 in the world.

I am making my way through Scotlands Top 100 and took my father down to Elie for a game at the end of the summer in 2018. We had an excellent trip, playing on a quiet mid-week day. The course is a traditional links which provided some great and interesting shot making. As a James Braid fan it was great to see where he learnt the game and it was a scunner to bogey his favourite hole, in all golf, the 13th. Mid-way around the front nine you get clear views of the sea and you go through a great sequence of holes. The course was in good condition, the clubhouse and starter were excellent. We felt like we had stepped back in time, this is meant as a complement, I think too may courses get caught up with length and getting the 'championship' feel, this is not the case at Elie. A great fun course, which proves difficult when the wind blows.

Scotland must be full of these courses but Elie is one of my favourites. The submarine thing on the first is a bit silly but we all loved it so maybe more blind holes should have one!!! Pulled my drive left early on and it even went in someone’s garden bounced back off a window thank god it didn’t break not often you get a chance to do that. Not enough Par 3s can only remember 2? which was the only shame but all the holes are still quite different with various types flat but not too flat and all sorts of directions and it was all very natural and traditional. Wind kept us on our toes! Hardly a soul around wish golf was always like that we whizzed around. The 3 or 4 holes at the water were just perfect who needs cypress beach!!! We didn’t have time to eat there and can’t remember how much we paid but we all agreed it was great value. Cyril.

Elie is a ."Delight" to play. From the walk to the 1st tee with the "Periscope" starting house, to the raised 18th green, Elie offers every facet of Golf.

Elie might be viewed as a little eccentric by some, after all it's not often you play a course with just two par-3's and sixteen par-4's. Any concerns about the lack of variety when first viewing the scorecard are soon dispelled however as there are so many wonderful par-4's scattered throughout the round.

Uphill, downhill, blind, some driveable and others brutally long, all adds up to one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf imaginable. As interesting as the other holes undoubtedly are, I particularly enjoyed the run from 10-13 which are situated along the coastline, the 13th with a raised green angled against play and perched at the bottom of a cliff, possibly being my favourite.

Elie has a feel good factor that is difficult to quantify but the experience of playing away from town to the coast and then back in, like so many other old Scottish classics, creates its own special atmosphere. The clubhouse has had what appears to be a rather expensive refurb both inside and out, thankfully without taking away any of the old school charm. Brian W

There is something about Elie that puts you under a spell. It is a truly magical links that, after just one round, has won a place in my heart and mind forever.

If ever the phrase ‘less is more’ applied to a course it would be here at The Golf House Club, Elie in Fife. It’s a course that goes about its business in an unassuming manner, has many unique features and ultimately succeeds because of its brilliant use of the natural features of the land. The harmony between golf and nature is at its beautiful best here and a joy to experience.

The uniqueness begins before you even tee-off. That is if you are invited by the starter to peek through the submarine periscope in his office that not only ensures the group in front is out of the way, beyond the summit of the blind opening drive, but also a view of virtually the entire course and glimpses of gently undulating linksland.

The gradual falling approach to the 420-yard first is not easy to judge so early on in the round whilst neither is the superb skyline shot to the shorter second. Meanwhile, the third is as exquisite as it is simple; a downhill 200+ yarder that just begs the approach to be shaped and run in from the right.

From here you cross a narrow lane to a section of the course that houses the remainder of the holes save for the 18th which itself is a fitting closing hole to a joyous round of golf on this timeless links.

You will want to reflect on your round here, that is for sure. You will want to savour the delights it has produced, the variety it embodies and the joy its pure, undiluted golf has given. And it may not be until this point that you look at the scorecard and realise that you’ve played 16 par fours, just two par three’s and not a single par five. There is no other course that could pull this off.

The game has been played across this historic links since the 15th Century and given the superb setting it is little wonder the course is so highly regarded. I only wish there were more golf courses like Elie, although maybe the fact this type of course is so rare is what actually makes it so special.

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