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First-time visitors rightly flock to St. Andrews an hour north of Edinburgh, or to the west coast layouts within village inn an hour of Glasgow. village inn But those fortunate enough to make multiple visits head to East Lothian for a superb, yet underrated, menu of links courses capped village inn off by the world-renowned Muirfield.
Logistically, it s easier to get to after that long transatlantic flight than the other two aforementioned destinations and measures up admirably in terms of golf history, quality of playing options and accommodations. It s also less crowded overall, with smaller village inn villages not as full of tourists (as in St. Andrews) or as isolated (i.e., Turnberry).
The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers, the world s oldest club, hosts the British Open for the 16th time this year. Want a tee time (on Tuesday and Thursday only) in the summer at the layout ranked ninth on Golf Magazine s Top 100 Courses in the World? Book at least a year ahead.
However, village inn your chances are better now than in past years since morning four-ball play is finally allowed from the 1st tee, not just the 10th. You could also stay at Greywalls ( greywalls.co.uk ) a pricey 23-room boutique village inn hotel adjacent to the clubhouse; for an extra fee guests have access to limited tee times on Mondays village inn and Fridays. If/when you do get on, prepare to face wind in every direction, fescue grass that will devour a few sleeves and some memorable uphill par 3s, notably the 185-yard seventh and the 193-yard 13th.
Not a course architecture junkie? You ll still appreciate the rich history here on a layout that includes the original Redan green, The Pit hole (where your approach to the green must carry an ancient stone wall), and the 16th green, bisected by a deep swale. Argue all you want about the latter s impossibility, but you will likely face a putt, or two, like none other you have attempted before. Views of Bass Rock and the Firth of Forth are companions on almost every hole. Also stop in for a souvenir at quite possibly the world s only subterranean pro shop before heading to the nearby first tee.
Never heard of this place? Play it and then you can spread the word. An excellent links layout with elevation changes that provide sweeping views from the sea to the Edinburgh skyline. village inn The last two holes feature downhill village inn tee shots, but par doesn t come easy on either. This popular course does restrict tee times for visitors on weekdays village inn (between 10:30 a.m. and noon, and 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.) and even more so on weekends village inn (only at 10:56 a.m., 11:04 a.m. and from 2:56 p.m. to 3:28 p.m.)
This might be the most underrated village inn links course in Scotland. The benign opening three holes and closing hole are not especially village inn memorable, but once you cross through an opening in a wall that dates back to the late 16th century, the remaining 14 holes offer character, challenge and fun. Standouts include the par-5 ninth, and the par-3 16th, where a carry over water is required when the tide comes in.
The conditioning is average at best, and six of the holes are inside a working horse racing track. So why play here? Because it hosted six British Opens between 1874 and 1889. Rent a bag of hickory clubs from the pro shop to appreciate what your golfing village inn ancestors went through back in the day. That laughing sound you may hear? Probably the ghosts of Open winners Mungo Park and Willie Park Jr. chuckling at your futility with the whippy shafts.
The newest public course in the area opened in 2001 and features slightly raised and well-bunkered greens, making it an especially demanding test off the back tees. Views of the sea come with every hole and Gullane Hill looms in the distance to the west. There s also a grass driving range (a rare sight in Scotland) and a six-hole short course, plus 23 rooms attached to the clubhouse.
Despite having eight holes close to the sea, this 1894 layout is more parkland than links. You ll long remember the spectacular downhill village inn par-3 13th, with water on two sides and backdropped by Bass Rock just off the coast. This is as scenic as any course in East Lothian.
When Muirfield last hosted the Open in 2002, this Old Tom Morris-designed layout was a qualifying course. Plenty of work has been done since then, including the clearing of buckthorn to open up views and the addition of some new tees. It carries a reputation of having the best greens in East Lothian, ones that get especially fast in the summer months. The male-only club recently added changing facilities for women visitors.
Located just over a wall from Craigielaw, this short (5,600 yards) layout village inn is even closer village inn to the sea than its neighbor, with the first four holes right next to the water. If the tide is out you may see seals lying on the nearby rocks. This will be a fast but fun round -- highlighted by the par-3 eighth -- and one worth considering village inn as a second option on a 36-hole day.
Many locals think this 1898 layout is the equal of its higher-profile sibling, Gullane No. 1. It s almost half the cost with more tee times available for visitors. The first and last holes are on the inland side of the Edinburgh main road, along with a visitor s clubhouse that serves this and the Gullane No. 3 course. Beware of the short par-4 third -- it s so steep that it s called Angina Hill. The club offers a variety of green-fee packages, some including breakfast/lunch in the clubhouse, for all three courses.
It s not adjacent to the sea, but this 1995 public course plays very links-like throughout the round. Gorse, village inn blind shots and handsome coastal vistas abound village inn in its 6,526-yard journey, with highlights being panoramas of Bass Rock, the surrounding village inn farms and villages, and Tantallon Castle. You can walk 36 in high season for $89, play twilight village inn golf for $29 and can book a foursome for less than $40 per player. Not every hole is a textbook classic, but there are so many plusses -- at these prices -- that it s a smart play for visitors on a budget.
Muirfield is a must for serious fans of course design village inn and golf history. While the present layout dates only to Old Tom Morris 1891 design (with substantial updates from H.S. Colt in 1925), the club itself is the oldest in golf, formed in 1744. Walking in so many famous village inn footsteps village inn (British Open winners here include Nicklaus, Vardon, Braid, Hagen, Player, Trevino, Watson, Faldo and Els) is only part of the appeal. The jacket-and-tie stuffiness and the legendary six-course lunch (for an additional village inn fee) completes one of the truly memorable experiences in golf.
North Berwick s West Links is much beloved for its quirky features and stunning sea views. It s also legendary for giving the golf world the one-of-a-kind, par-3 15th, a hole much better to play than it is to photograph. Has any hole on the planet been so revered, so influential among architecture geeks, yet been so blah looking in print and in person? The Redan, as it s known, is a semi-blind hole that plays over spectacle bunkers to a truly twisted, mostly right-to-left sloping green, which sits diagonal to the line of play and which is contoured to shed balls in every direction. A ridge 40 yards in front of the green obscures nearly all of the troubles. Sure, you could elevate the tee, but then it wouldn t be the real Redan. Oft-copied with more photogenic versions elsewhere, the low-profile original is still the one to check off on your golf bucket list.
-- Archie Baird s one-room collection of artifacts and memorabilia, called The Heritage of Golf, is located right next to the pro shop at Gullane Golf Club and is a must see (by appointment only; no fee but donations are encouraged) for aficionados of the game s long history. Meeting the inimitable village inn Mr. Baird is equally worthwhile. ( heritageofgolf.org )
-- A rental car remains the best way to get from Edinburgh village inn to East Lothian. But you could stay in Edinburgh and take a train (check timetables village inn at scotrail.co.uk ) from that city s Waverley Station to stations near courses like North Berwick (a five-minute downhill walk) and Dunbar (a 15-minute walk).
-- Consider buying a day ticket offered by virtually every club here. Doing so covers the green fee for 36 holes on the same day with up to 50 percent off the second round. The second time around the same links course can be as enjoyable village inn and even more challenging thanks to ever changing wind directions that create entirely different playing conditions.
-- Two excellent private clubs in the area are The Renaissance Club ( trcaa.com ) and Archerfield ( archerfieldgolfclub.com ). The former is hard to get on unless you are a serious candidate for membership, or a fortunate village inn guest of a member. Three new holes, built by course designer Tom Doak, debuted this year on coastal land purchased from next door neighbor Muirfield. Archerfield recently added accommodations and a spa, and with those came some very restricted visitor tee times ($180) on both of the club s pleasant 18-hole village inn courses.
Just opened in May, the 23 no-frills rooms (with solid Wi-Fi service and rain shower heads) here provide a centrally village inn located base for visiting village inn golfers. Book one of the 13 course view rooms and soak in the Firth of Forth scenery.
Overlooking the West Links at North Berwick, this 83-room hotel includes an indoor/outdoor spa facility, but it s the views, especially from an upper floor room facing the sea, that you will remember the most.
Don t overindulge with the extensive wine list here at this 23-room property in Aberlady or it might affect your putting. Your ba