During a recent family holiday to Edinburgh an afternoon pass from the wife gave my son and I the opportunity to drive 90 minutes north to Tayport for a round of golf. Despite many previous visits to Fife and travels through Dundee, to the links of Angus and beyond, Scotscraig is a course that had always eluded me.

The course sits a few hundred meters away from the entrance to the North Sea, at the mouth of the River Tay, and has a coastal-heathland feel to it but for the most part the turf and undulations are linksy in character.

Heather, gorse and Scots Pine trees adorn the compact layout and are the main hazards with several deep pot-bunkers to avoid as well. The course reminded me a little of Irvine on the West Coast of Scotland.

The holes are still largely as they were when James Braid redesigned the course in 1923 with links to Old Tom Morris having a hand prior to that.

The front-nine excels with some lovely holes. The 402-yard opener (Admiral) the fourth (Westward Ho) and the seventh (Plateau) are particular noteworthy on a front-nine which loops back to the clubhouse. These three holes have undulating fairways which don’t give too much away from the tee and green sites which are a delight to play to.

The second nine doesn’t quite reach the same heights, and at times plays over heavier terrain but there is enough to keep ones interest to the very end. The 12th, 13th and 17th are a trio of holes I’d single out as the best on the homeward stretch.

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