North Berwick (West) - Lothians - Scotland

I have a funny feeling that after I throw my clubs in the shed for the very final time the golfing memory that will linger with me longest is of my day at North Berwick West Links. Why? Because the course is wondefully natural, challenging (but not cruel) and quirky. The setting is gorgeous. The clubhouse has an air of traditional class without a sniff of pretension. The lunch was great value and the staff (Starter, Clubhouse Manager, Bar and Catering staff) were EXCEPTIONALLY welcoming. If you don't enjoy your day out here seek urgent medical attention. Derek, Edinburgh, March.PS I would pay the green fee to play the 16th 18 times - in the hope of getting at least one par!

one of the favourite courses, cant wait to play it again!

I had waited many years for my chance to play this course and it finally happened on Friday 16th July 2010. The similarities with the Old Course at St Andrews are many. The opening hole being situated close to the town centre, the double fairway of 1 and 18 making it very wide, the path to beach that cuts across the same fairway similar to Granny Clark’s Wynd, the smaller version of the valley of sin in front of the 18th green, the straight out and back routing of the course, all leads to you knowing that this is a special place rammed full of history of the game of golf.

The course was in magnificent condition having recently hosted the Amateur Championship along with Muirfield.

You are welcomed onto the first tee by the starter Sam Fox. No not the ex-page model, but an imposing and friendly man that gives you a briefing about how to play the course and a bit of history before you hit what is an imposing tee shot despite the width of the first fairway. The beach on the right is in your eyes all the time and the shot reminded me of the first at Machrihanish. I managed a four iron down the middle into a VERY strong wind and I was off!

Most of the front nine was played into this gale. This was the day for those that remember that play was suspended at the Open itself due to high winds. No such luxury for our fourball. The first three holes are special with the third being very difficult and playing well over the par of 4. The wall is first encountered here. Having had a lesson recently on how to play the boring low punch into the wind I was glad I had as I managed to go in a respectable number including a birdie on the 8th. 4,5 and 6 are tough holes playing longer than they appear even into the wind and the 7th is a very nice hole the burn catching me out. Back to back par 5’s for 8 and 9. The 8th being a beautifully crafted hole with a risk and reward option on the drive either side of the bunkers. The back 9 was back wind and proved just as hard.

The 10th was way shorter than the card even with the wind. I hit 8 iron and cleared the lot, it should have been a wedge! The 11th yielded another birdie after hitting a lifetime bunker shot from the left hand side greenside bunker that towers above you as can be seen on the photo on the web site. I managed to hole the shot and screams of joy were loud to say the least. The 13th I have to be honest I still don’t know if I like it or not. The wall cuts across immediately in front of the green and no matter how you play the hole the shot into the green is VERY difficult. What makes it doubly hard is that it has to be the smallest narrowest green I have encountered on a top class course. The photo does not give you the full sense of scale. Perfection follows and is a world class hole. Short but perfectly crafted with the sea waiting for anything long. Redan follows and the history does get to you. Yes it is hard to hit the green. My favourite back 9 hole then follows the 16th with the gully in the green. You could have fun setting the pin all year with this one. A tip though. If you have to putt through the valley IT IS A DEAD STARIGHT PUTT!! This is because of the design of the valley making it look like you need to read the putt with great care. It throws the ball one way then the other and it come out on the line you intended. Brilliant! Congratulations to m playing partner Phil who holed a monster from off the green here as well. The closing holes are just as good and the 18th gives a great view especially of the buried pro shop, visit and see what I mean.

In conclusion a great course in superb condition with a friendly welcome and clubhouse. I head a great day and to score under 90 in the conditions with THAT bunker shot will liv with me forever. If you call yourself a golfer simply play it!….AW

I played at North Berwick on the West Links on a crisp, sunny December afternoon and the course was in superb condition as you would expect from such a fabled course. The layout of the town, clubhouse and adjoining 1st and 18th fairways is St Andrews-esque and on the first tee I could tell that I was about to have a round of golf somewhere that is a bit special.

I've heard a few people criticise the opening hole but I quite enjoyed it. Anything right is on the beach and given it is only 328 yards long an iron may be the smart play here, particularly when the fairway is so wide. The green is perched up on a hill from the fairway level and this makes precision vital in the approach shot. The second hole is one of the best on the course and is a great "how much do you dare to bite off" hole with the drive having to cross the beach to land on the fairway. The one saving grace is that if the golfer finds the beach and the tide is out, then they can play the next shot from the shore. No matter how much of the corner is cut off the approach is still quite lengthy, adding to the difficulty of the hole. Number 3 also runs alongside the shore however this time an old wall must be first aimed at from the tee then cleared with the approach to land safely on the green. At 464 yards and the S.I # 1 hole this is another close examination to start off a round on the West Links.

The 4th is a nice par 3 that takes the course back inland and is very well laid out with a number of bunkers protecting the two tier green. The 5th is a mid length par 4 with the greens main protection coming in the form of hollows to the left and back - which my ball unfortunately came to rest in and made the chip back very tough indeed. The 6th hole is a short par three played across a large gulley and is anything short here is likely to roll back into the bunker built into the hillside - this hole is reminiscent of the 14th at Royal Musselburgh although the gulley is a little more severe there than at North Berwick and there is more danger in the form of bunkers on the West Links. The 7th, "Eli Burn" was another one of my favourites here with, as you may expect, a burn running in front of the green where the flag was tucked right at the front, bringing the water into play. At 354 yards a fairly decent drive is required to leave a short iron into the green. The 8th is one of the more straight forward holes at North Berwick and as a par 5 of under 500 yards it offers a reasonable chance of a birdie if the numerous bunkers on the hole can be avoided. The 9th is a fine tactical par 5 where the left side of the fairway offers the shortest route to the green but with OB on the left it also is the more dangerous path. A duo of fairway bunkers also make the golfer think about positioning their approach more than they otherwise might.

The sea comes back into view after the turn from the elevated 10th tee where the green is surrounded by five bunkers at the front and sides - longer is definitely better on this hole. The 11th tee is also elevated and with the wind at my back, and a favourable bounce or two, I was able to reach the bunker to the front left of the green in two which was no mean feat given the hole stretches to 550 yards. Although this good work was ruined when my next shot went through the sloping putting surface and found the cavernous bunker at the greenside. The Eli burn must be flown on the 12th, but due to its close proximity to the tee it doesn't really come into play on this slight dog leg of a hole. The 13th is one of North Berwick's quirkier holes with a wall guarding the front of the green, and with the flag tucked directly behind it any approach shot was difficult to get close to the pin. My absolute favourite on the course however, the 14th "Perfection", is a superb hole. The green cannot be seen from the tee, or even the second shot here and the target post provides the only indication of where the approach shot should be played to. The ridged fairway makes the approach all the more difficult to the flattish green which once again reunites the golfer with the beach.

The famous "Redan" is next and the extreme slope of the green makes holding the green a difficult task, particularly as most of the danger is not visible from the tee. Again, being longer rather than short here is preferable. The wall we encountered on the 3rd hole must again be cleared from the 16th tee but isn't really in play on this hole, unfortunately the OB all up the right hand side is and will catch any sliced drive. A burn crossing the middle of the fairway is just the right distance from the tee to suck in any tee shots and a decision must be made to either lay up or try to go over it from the tee. The green complex is another aspect that makes the West Links that little bit different from all the rest and the putting surface is split into to upper levels with a small swale in the middle, making landing the approach on the right side of the green all the more essential. The 17th green is positioned adjacent to the 1st green and a couple of decent strokes must be made to reach the elevated green in regulation although accuracy is again paramount here as the approach could quite possibly fall off either side of the hill if over or under hit. Like the 1st, the 18th has an extra wide fairway and at under 300 yards from an uphill tee box should be near enough driveable, particularly if there is a favourable wind. The bunkerless green lies infront of the grand new clubhouse and while it may not be the strongest finshing hole it offers golfers of all levels the chance to finish on a high.

The clubhouse has been renovated in the last couple of years and the facilities are exceptional inside while still retaining a classy feel befitting of such an historic golf club. I have to say that it was a real treat to play the West Links and I can't wait to return to play this truly outstanding course with it's fine views of Bass Rock and beyond. As a pamphlet that I picked up in the clubhouse quoted "To golfers everywhere, North Berwick is at least a name; the fortunate are those who know its charms at first hand" - a sentiment I wholeheartedly endorse. DM

Played  this and Gullane No 1 in same day and definitely feel North Berwick had the edge, better views and loved some of the quirkier holes. From a links perspective second only to Royal St George's that I have played

We walked out the door from our comfortable accomodations at the Belhaven Hotel, across the verdant lawn to the first tee at North Berwick where we were greeted by Mr. Fox the starter who thanked us for coming (and helping to pay the bills), gave us a brief description of the course and told us that we would enjoy it immensely. We did. After a gratifying par on number 1, I had the dubuious pleasure of playing my second shot on number 2 from the beach. The course was everything I had hoped it would be: superbly conditioned, quirky in spots, and one of the best courses I have ever played. There is no bad hole, but the holes coming in are superb. From 13 in, including the famous Redan and number 16, The Gate, with a green unlike any other, it was great fun. Even the seemingly mundane 18th, so remininscent of the last at The Old Course, provides even the average golfer a chance to drive the green and have a putt for an eagle. One unusual note: The clubhouse permitted one to enter wearing golf shoes, a first in my experience playing in Scotland. But hats and cell phones were still off limits, thankfully. I recommend this course without reservation.

To reiterate the other reviews, this is a great golfing experience - it's one of the oldest links on the planet and the holes reflect that. On the whole they follow the topography and give you challenges that a 'designed' course won't. We were lucky to be joined with a member who gave us some invaluable advice. If you don't enjoy playing this course you should take up another sport - no need to compare with other more recent local courses, this is unique from seeing Ben Sayers' shop to chipping over a wall and putting through a ravine. What are you waiting for ?

I'm glad I played this course. We were going to play twice at Muirfield but changed our plans. The first and last holes are pretty funky, but the rest of the course is very, very good. The hole before the Redan is outstanding, and the hole with the wall in front of the green was totally unique. Great views. Great course. Would love to play it again someday. ANDYMAC

A course which is great fun and great value. We played it on a very blustery day and by the time we reached the 12th we were playing in torrential rain and a near gale-force wind. Still, I loved the place. Sure, one or two holes are 'mickey mouse' (the 13th, with the wall, for one) but when the green fee is so reasonable that simply adds to the charm. We played Muirfield and Gullane No 1 on our trip and I think North Berwick was the most memorable of the courses.

Very natural, very memorable and an enjoyable golf course. I received a warm welcome in and around the clubhouse prior to playing which is always welcome especially after a long journey and starts the experience correctly. A visit to the starters hut is compulsory and this too adds to the North Berwick fun. The opening hole is not too long but with an approach to a high green, a par 4 is received greatly. It would be easy to write a short story about every hole but the front-9 pick-out best bits for me are the drive at the 2nd (don’t go right), the approach to the 7th (watch the burn) and the drive on the 9th (tight down the left side and bunkers around the landing point in the fairway). The back 9 starts with a great little par-3 and then a par-5 with plenty of trouble from the tee and towards the green. The stretch from the 13th just has to be played ….. a short par-4 with the green over a wall, another par-4 with a hidden green by the coast, the famed par-3 15th which is one the classic Scottish short holes, the 16th is a great driving hole and the approach to the 17th green will test most players. The last hole gives everyone a good birdie chance as the hole is less than 300 yards but as I often say, never think short means easy. Overlooking the final green is the majestic clubhouse which has recently been invested in heavily but has not lost the charm that would have existed here for decades. One of the great links courses and a must play.