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Ladybank Golf Club

Cupar, Scotland

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The Howe of Fife provides Ladybank Golf Club with a natural shelter in the valley of the River Eden. It’s a Top 100 regular because it is one of Scotland’s best inland courses.

Overall rating

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Course rating full ball
Course rating full ball
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Course rating half ball
4.5
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Ladybank Golf Club

In the tranquil heart of the Kingdom of Fife lies an enchanting, sandy tract of land where the whin, heather and pine smells divine. The Howe of Fife provides Ladybank Golf Club with a natural shelter in the valley of the River Eden between Strathmiglo in the west and Cupar to the east. It’s a Top 100 regular because it is one of Scotland’s best inland courses. Clearly it’s up against some serious competition in Fife, but mix in this peaceful heathland surprise, alongside the more famous links courses in and around the Home of Golf, and we guarantee you will not be disappointed. You’ll certainly be less windswept!

In 1879, Old Tom Morris was charged with laying out a six-hole course. This was extended to nine holes in 1910 and in 1962 the layout was doubled in size to 18 holes by Laurie Auchterlonie Jr., son of the 1893 Open Champion, Willie Auchterlonie. Laurie later became Ladybank's honorary club professional.

Ladybank is regularly used as a Final Open Qualifier and it’s a tough cookie where accuracy and positioning are all important. The smallish greens are always in outstanding condition but your iron play will need to be on song to find the firm and fast putting surfaces. The crisp fairways are relatively flat and even – it is very rare to get an uneven stance. Measuring over 6,800 yards, it’s a challenging course – keeping the ball in play will pay dividends and save you from losing shots and balls. The problem is that Ladybank teases and cajoles you into hitting a long ball – if you’re accurate, you’ll be rewarded handsomely. It’s a tricky call.

We are sure that there is a sprinkling of Worplesdon, a dash of Woking and spot of West Hill at Ladybank. But wait a moment, perhaps it’s the other way round, Ladybank was here first. Anyway, there is no doubt that Ladybank has got its own unique character and you will certainly receive an exceptionally warm welcome from the members.

In December 2019 the club announced an ambitious quarter of a million pounds bunker makeover programme, spearheaded by the KimberGlen firm of architects. More than fifty bunkers were transformed over two winters utilising the “Blinder” bunker lining system.

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Ladybank Golf Club

World Top 100 Golf Courses

The latest ranking of the Top 100 Golf Courses in the World serves as the ultimate global golf bucket list. Most members of our World Top 100 Panel are seasoned golfers, each playing 20-30 of these courses annually while travelling extensively over decades to form their opinions on others. We recognise that opinions vary—even among our panel members. Rankings are subjective, and there are undoubtedly 50 or more courses in the UK and USA alone that could easily fit onto this list. Links Golf Pilgrimages The rankings

  1. Cypress Point Club

    California, United States

  2. Pine Valley Golf Club

    New Jersey, United States

  3. Royal County Down (Championship)

    Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

  4. Shinnecock Hills Golf Club

    New York, United States

  5. National Golf Links of America

    New York, United States

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