Elie - Fife - Scotland

The Golf House Club, Elie (or Elie in short) is a special course in a special region of a special country. It's about a 30 minute drive from St Andrews and coming here is highly recommended. It's truly a test of links golf with some quirks (and things you wouldn't see in a modern course) but overall Elie has a great routing that just flows. Nothing feels artificial or contrived. Your tee shot on number 1 is totally blind (the fairway ahead of me reminded me of a cresting wave) but you should rather be left than right. 2 & 3 serve as appetisers before 4 takes you out to the links land beyond and towards the sea. There are blind and semi-blind shots so if you're not a fan of those, things might be tricky. I think they're just an integral part of this (and other) course and form a partnership with the holes. 10 is such an example where you hit up the hill, not knowing what's behind but I ended up on the green with my tee shot (and four putted). Standing on the 11th tee box you feel incredible as you can hear the waves crashing behind you. 12 & 13 are (the) real show stoppers, running alongside the bay and the green complex of 13 is incredible (and very hard). Elie is not a long course so you can hit a hybrid or even a long iron of the tees and still enjoy a short second shot in. You also don't need a full set of clubs, take 7 or 8 and let your imagination run free. You can score well here but perhaps it's not about that and just enjoying the historic links and the wonderful nature. I'm not sure whether one is allowed to call such a historic course a 'hidden gem', but it is for sure a gem and I shall be back soon.

Played here yesterday and what a special place. It wasn't till I was teeing off on 17 I thought, I can't remember ever playing so many par 4's. Ha. The course has 16 of them. And a few are just spectacular. Love that the blind shot is still part of this course. The green complexes are excellent. I had been warned of the hill on 1 but candidly that is not that large but the contours of the entire course are excellent. I'd place Elie a tad higher than it's current standing.

A total gem of a course not to be missed.

Its just golf as it should be, fantastic greens, quirky shots at times, some blind shots but not too many.

The first few holes are not as good as the middle and latter part of the course in my opinion , but I have to say that holes 10 to 14 are as beautiful and awe inspiring as any stretch of holes i have played on.

The 12th hole you have to hit over the sea off the medal tees and the 13th Hole i think is maybe my favourite hole I have ever played, a wonderful long par 4 into a long narrow green with a backstop against a magnificent cliff face to make it fun fun fun.

Its likely to be windy when you go so it can be tough, but this is a place you cannot miss.

Without a doubt one of my favourite courses ever! We played in the most horrendous of conditions with wind at storm level. We had the hole course to ourselves and I shot a ridiculous score but I loved every second. Hitting 7 irons 75 yards at par 3s was just hilarious and the views are 2nd to none. I will make a special journey just to come and play this course again in better conditions as it deserves it. condition 10 out of 10. Location and views 20 out of 10 this is an absolute must for anyone who likes there golf and links courses but also loves the scenery of a stunning location. One thing that was really Coll is there is a periscope in the starters office which the very chatty pro let us look through. Really warm greeting from the staff and some of the members who all thought we were mad for going out.

My son and I have just finished a 7 day tour of Angus, Fife and Lothian. The courses we played in order were: Old Course St. Andrews, Elie, Carnoustie, Dumbarnie, Kingsbarns, North Berwick and Muirfield.

I'll use the same preface and tour summary within each respective course review. Hopefully, our informal ranking(s) might provide some comparative context and help in deciding where to play.

So to Elie and, to be honest, a bit of a "filler" because we'd entered the ballot for the Old Course and were not sure whether we'd make it - so were looking for somewhere fun to play. A quick look on top 100 rankings in Fife and we were pleased to be able to book a tee time online for Elie.

A great welcome from the starter with his periscope and obvious enthusiasm for golf and the course. We made a point of telling him how much we'd enjoyed the course after our round and he seemed genuinely pleased.

The greens and fairways were firm and in good condition despite some fairly persistent rain - and the course lay out was playable with nice routing.

Both my son and I thought it really good fun with some great/extreme siting of greens (I even managed to get my son to abandon his lob wedge and use his putters on some of the surroundings of greens).

But nothing prepared us for what followed a walk up the hill of the slightly quirky blind 10th hole. We were rewarded with a stunning stretch of golf encompassing a par 3 and par 4's along the coast to the green on the 13th hole.

The drive over the beach on the 12th, and the approach shot to 13 are memorable moments - not just from this course, but any I've played.

This stretch alone is worth the green fee.

A solid and really enjoyable 4 and a half.

I'd enthusiastically recommend Elie to any golfer who loves true links courses. A must if you are in the area.

I said I'd provide a ranking from our 7 day tour as a comparison guide. My son and I had a lot of fun talking about various criteria for what "best" was.

In the end, I have settled on 2 rankings: "most fun & visually inspiring" and "most keen to make a score on". These probably equate to those who are playing the game as a game and want to take time to smell the roses, and those who take it a bit more seriously where it's the satisfaction of attaining a score on a quality course.

My "most fun & visually inspiring" ranking from our little 7 day tour was:

1. North Berwick (1st, 2nd, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th ...you get the idea)

2. Elie (10th, 11th, 12th, 13th)

3. Dumbarnie (stunning panaromic views across the course and to the shore)

4. St. Andrews Old Course (just the atmosphere and the courses hsitory and locale within the town)

5. Carnoustie (6th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 17th, 18th)

6. Muirfield (solid golf hole after golf hole)

7. Kingsbarns (hampered by atrocious weather)

The courses I'd "most like to make a score on" ranking was:

1. Carnoustie

2. Muirfield

3. North Berwick

4. Old course, St Andrews

5. Kingsbarns

6. Dumbarnie

7. Elie

If I had just one course to play - North Berwick - it's just a great walk.

If I had just 3 courses to play - North Berwick, Carnoustie, St. Andrews (looks, quality, history)

I hope my totally subjective reviews give others some insight.

It was a memorable tour, and the list of quality courses in the area we didn't play (Leven, Lundin, Crail, Scottscraig, Castle, New, Jubilee, Panmure, Montrose, Gullane etc etc) serve to show what a fantastic region of Scotland this is to play golf.

Enjoy.

Ellie has been described to me as a “hidden gem” in Scotland. I had been eager to play it for over five years and today I had my opportunity. We had a day of limited sun with clouds and a slight chill. The wind was calm to low.

The course plays “longer” than it’s length of 6273 yards as there are no par 5’s and only two par 3’s of which one is short at 131 yards.

The course feels nearly as quirky as North Berwick West due to a high number of blind shots requiring guide poles as well as terrain changes near the greens that sometimes disguise the entry points and particularly the slopes of the greens. Many will admire and enjoy the characteristics of the course while others might find too many of the holes to be gimmicky, even if natural.

One thing I found interesting is that the first twelve holes can feel cramped, yet there is a significant amount of unused land within the middle of the course. The course was worked on and adjusted for hundreds of years but likely not much since Old Tom Morris reworked it. I felt as if the routing could be changed to improve the course.

As to the course we found the course in excellent condition even if the greens were slow, ranking among the slowest I have played. I very much admired the green surrounds as well as many of the surfaces of the greens with small shelves and slants. The greens are of various sizes appropriate to the length of the hole.

The bunkering is okay although the bunkers appeared a bit deeper on the inward nine.

The fairways are wide with the exception of the finishing hole. One really should not miss many fairways here.

There is a lot of land movement on the first three holes and then the tenth up a steep hill fallowed by a falloff to the sea.

It begins with a sharp uphill that should be easily carried to a large green where coming in from the left side is preferred.

The second is a short par 4 uphill to a green placed on the same dune that you have to carry on the tee shot of the first.

The third is a long par 3 of 214 yards but playing downhill to a terrific green with a lot of inner movement.

The fourth plays uphill and is one of. the lesser holes on the course.

The fifth has perhaps the most interesting series of rises and falls in the land beginning about 90 yards before the green. The final dip is about ten feet deep fronting the green creating a false front.

The sixth plays up then down and one feels they should land short to allow the ball to run onto the green. Yet the left side has a shelf that extends nearly halfway into the hole. If one stays on the shelf then they will face a speedy putt downhill and then likely up again. It is perhaps the best green on the course. Off to the left of the green are several mounds, bunkers and a trench. There is good fairway bunkering as well.

The seventh is a short par 4 that is drivable although a blind tee shot. It is not a good hole and finishes the quality of the course.

Eight is a slight dogleg left but offers a wide fairway. It is listed as the number one index although there are six holes more difficult.

Nine is a good long par 4 with a huge falloff at the green which for most players will be a blind approach shot.

Ten is a short par 4 climbing up a steep hill. If one does not make it they will have a blind approach shot of perhaps 100 yards playing 15 yards shorter due to the steepness f the hill down to the green. I felt this green should be located in the corner where the artificial turf is for the short eleventh. I did not care for this hole.

The eleventh is a short par 3 of 131 yards that without wind is boring.

The twelfth is a good hole at 466 yards playing as a dogleg left over the elbow of the coastline. It is a good hole.

The thirteenth is one of the best par 4’s I have ever played. The hole is 380 yards but the green is elevated and angled right to left. We had a back left pin and felt as if the hole plated 40 - 50 yards longer. There is a lot of land movement on the left side near the green. It is a remarkable hole.

Fourteen plays from an elevated tee but is a somewhat benign hole.

Fifteen is a short par 4 of 338 yards with another blind approach shot.

Sixteen turns back to the clubhouse and has perhaps the third best fairway bunkering.

Seventeen is a long par 4 with a green that has a more pronounced slope to the right than it appears, much like fourteen.

The eighteenth is short but the back tee offers an interesting angle as a dogleg left. This hole has the best bunkering of any hole, good land movement, and a very large green, although disappointingly flat.

Elie, The Golf House Club, is a course that is fun to play, offering several strong holes but obviously not in the league of the better courses near it. I do hope that more layers will discover it as they make a stop to Dumbarnie or up to the bigger names at St Andrews. I likely will not rush back to play it although I put it in the same category at Crail Balcomie or Brora. In particular I will remember the thirteenth.

Proper links (in comparison wth near neighbours Lundin and Leven, where there is also a parkland/heathland feel). Lots of quirkiness (which 8 love). Holes 11 to 13 are special, particular 13 where there is a magnificent escarpment as a backdrop to the green. One suggestion on what is a otherwise a wonderful golf course is that the excellent par 3, 11th is a better and certainly more scenic hole from Astro turf tee at the far left of the teeing area.

Its always nice to mark a personal centenary by playing a marquee or more recognised golf course, and the attraction to play on the course where James Braid learnt to play for me was good enough to put some extra effort in getting a few more courses in than planned in recent weeks. I am fascinated by the great man and have read many of his references and thoughts to his home course over the years, and how it shaped his own course design.

Formed in 1875, the club is criticised by many I have spoken too for still upholding certain traditions regarding, but personally I respect the values and for one round of golf can't see any problem with the standards expected.

Onto the course and its clear from the get go that Mr Braids love of blind tee shots on his courses had to be influenced by Elie, the theme runs throughout the course with a number of blind approach shots littered throughout.

The fairways have natural contours and roll off areas that demand respect and I can see if we had not played on one of the calmest days possible how impactful they would be. The greens were surprisingly undulating for such an old links course, putted nicely and had good protection from the numerous bunkers surrounding each complex.

The second hole not the longest par 4 is a great hole for me, when the wind is more harsh I could imagine the difficulty in hitting a long iron into a small well protected uphill target, as it was on the day we played it was a flick with a wedge. Hole after hole delivered natural rugged links golf holes, as you get to the turn the wonderful sea views become more abundant and adjacent with the 10th (a short risk reward hole) being a flavour of the next couple of holes. The 11th is a great short par 3 that truly hugs the shoreline, thankfully for me the tide was low and I was able to chip out of the hazard, and again I can see the severity of the hole could be more extreme in a higher wind.

Next up 12 and 13 are my favourite holes on the course not only due to the natural beauty of the shoreline but the shape of the fairways and green complexes, 2 strong holes that are a joy to have played. As you come into the home stretch there are not too many opportunities to make birdies, and the importance of distance control becomes apparent with the green complexes being 2-3 club differences in length.

Overall a thoroughly enjoyable course and one great to tread the footsteps of the great Mr Braid.

The last 2 days of the trip where to be in St Andrews with the rounds at Dumbarnie and Balcomie Links confirmed expecting some luck on the Ballot for the Auld Lady but that didn’t happen with the adding that no players were allowed to join as walk ins so we went there 4am for nothing …hearbreaking! Once the started arrived and told us how slim our chances where to play we drove to Dumbarnie and came back after the round for a sandwich at The Old Pavillion expecting the miracle in a no clouds sunny day with little wind … it would have been perfect but it was sad. But life and golf do not always take from you and when they give you it is in big.

We were studying courses which we hadn’t played before in previous trips and Torrance at Fairmont seemed a good one as it was close but my friend came with the Elie idea and we drove straight to it. Why I tell this? Because after the disappointment of missing the Auld Girl I played a fantastic round and made a hole in 1 on 3rd. Life takes things away but always gives you something back!

We teed off 4:20pm in a sunny afternoon to find a stunning course, pure fan with 16 par 4s and just 2 par 3s (one too easy jeje!) and a variety of lengths and angles that made it great. Blind tee shots, blind approaches, views amazing with The Glen clearly white at the back of 10th green for example.

The course plays quite generous off the tee which is good in a place where wind can be a true factor and the biggest challenge comes with the approaches as you need to be sharp to judge where to land the ball, when to go directly to the pin and when to land it 30yds short.

I would highlight many holes, really:

1st with a blind tee shot to a very generous landing area. Off the tee it seems narrower.

2nd short 4 with uphill approach, if short she can come 20yds back.

3rd … a great 3 downhill where you need to land it short and if precise you can even make a hole in 1!

7th a great short par 4 with pot bunkers making you think if worth to hit driver.

10th very good short 4 with a ridge to carry to a downhill landing area.

12th a long 4 dogleg left by the coast, stunning. 13th shorter but with the best green on the course breaking strong to the left.

14th and 17th two demanding long 4s slightly uphill, playing in unusual wind hit 4 iron both times.

18th with a small Valley of Sin short of the green is a nice finishing short 4.

Course was very well maintained, greens in very good speed and have to highlight the bunkers with very well kept borders and very tidy. Some greens had breaks tough to identify which make it a little bit more challenging, but a fair test even for scratch golfers. With no par 5s you need to tackle the short par 4s and number 3 which played very easy that day!

It was not just the Hole in 1, a fantastic old fashion Club House with great food and a very nice terrace with the ocean in the horizon makes this diamond well worth the visit.

This course shows that you can go to Scotland, stay in a nice B&B and play courses like Elie, Leven, Crail Balcomie, Lundin, Ladybank, Panmure and leave yourself some cash to play one or two of the high end ones to be quite affordable. If Climate is going to be be what we had this week Scotland will need to extend their daylight, build hotels and more courses because everybody will head straight to the Thistle!

Elie is one of the hillier links you’ll find, and that helps to keep a course with 16 par 4s incredibly diverse. The only similarities I found between a couple of holes were greens with blind approaches and fun slopes to roll your ball down. These holes are all very different in length. Pitching on to one after a trademark toed iron, it’s very much a case of chip 20 yards, watch your ball roll 25.

The fairways have some of the biggest humps and hollows that you’ll find, with lots of collection areas around greens to enjoy/endure as well. It’s a pretty wild routing, with various swoops down to the sea that peak at the short par 4 10th (pictured). Playing along or even from the beach, the long 13th finishes seaside in front of a big rocky hill that looks like something from Game of Thrones.

Elie is high on the quirk-scale, but there is also an understated class around the land that helps find a fine balance between fun and stern test. I’ve played most of the mid-price links in Fife now (not Crail), and would put this above St Andrews New, Leven and marginally above Lundin.