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Castle Park Golf Club © 2006, Richard & Mary-Alice Jafolla Designed by a Committee -- But it Works! Have you ever been frustrated by the design of a golf course you were playing? Ever think you could do a better job? Ever want to? Four enthusiastic Gullane golfers thought they could--and they actually did! Castle Park Golf Course is the result of their work. This unique and delightful course, built on a naturally undulating site that was once the great deer park of nearby Yester Castle, was designed by a team of four enthusiastic local golfers. Before you dismiss this course as the work of amateurs and not worth a play, think again. This is an interesting layout and may be worth a look, especially considering the friendliness of the staff and the low cost of play.
It would seem almost a shame to come to East Lothian with all the great links courses in the area and take time to play a parkland course. However, if you are going to be in the area for a while you may want to sneak away for a day and try Castle Park Golf Course on for size, especially if you're looking for a second course to play in a day. It is located inland from the coast about 40 minutes from Edinburgh and about 25 minutes from North Berwick, in some of East Lothian's prettiest rural countryside. In fact, it's located just a mile or so from the nine-hole Gifford Golf Club and shares the same topography. When it first opened in 1994, Castle Park Golf Course was a 9-hole layout with a good local reputation. However, in 2002 nine new holes were added (which are now the front nine) along with a restaurant, reception and ladies' changing room. In my conversation with Stuart Fortune, the owner and guiding force behind Castle Park Golf Course, he stressed his emphasis on training and maintaining a friendly staff. He wants to offer the golfer not only a good golf course but also a good time. Nothing helps a day of missed 3-footers better than good food served with a smile. I've played golf courses where, from the time my bags were taken out of my car to the time I drove off home, I was made to feel my presence was tolerated rather than welcomed. And the courses I am thinking of charged the proverbial arm and a leg. Not so at Castle Park Golf Course. Not only is the staff friendly, the price is right. The Course -- For a new course, it's in great shape and can only get better as it matures. The greens are imaginatively and fairly contoured--not to many hills and valleys--and consist of 80% fescue and 20% bent grass. Personally, I think good greens are the most important part of any golf course and these greens are first class all the way. The ball runs true. The course is quite hilly, so you will be hitting shots from uphill lies, downhill lies, sidehill lies--just about every kind of shot you can imagine. Club selection is critical. You'll have to make decisions all day as to how many clubs to add or subtract depending on whether you are aiming for an uphill green or one way down below...oh, and don't forget the wind. It's as important a part of your decision as is the distance. Some of the par 3s are terrific and #12 stands out as the best of them. It's only 168 yards from the back tees but tee and green are separated by a valley that has to be about 60 feet deep from the tee and about 100 feet deep from the green, so the green is about 40 feet higher than the tee. Obviously, if you don't carry your shot all the way to the green, you stand the chance of seeing your ball roll all the way down the hill to the bottom of the valley. Even if you do make it onto the green, the bad news is that you have to walk 60 feet down a very steep embankment to the valley and then up 100 feet on an even steeper hill to the green! Believe me, it's an aerobic workout and can turn legs into jelly. Castle Park is not a championship golf course, I want to make that clear. Nor do I think you should play it before you play some of the great links courses in the area. However, considering the layout of the golf course, the cost of play, the friendliness of the staff, (and the practice facility available), this is a good value and worth considering if you have time to spare and are looking for something different. After all, Castle Park doesn't claim to be fancy. Their motto: Our aim is to provide affordable golf in an enjoyable and informal environment. In this respect they have succeeded. Rating - I have decided not to rate Castle Park Golf Course with a normal rating. The reason? The Golf Nook is written for the traveling golfer who comes to Scotland to savor the Scottish golf courses, and this is definitely not the typical Scottish golf course. Secondly, with all the truly great golf courses in East Lothian I would not advise taking time to play this golf course unless you were going to be in the area for an extenede period of time. Although it is a good value, given the cost of play, I cannot in good conscience rate it a "PAR" and thus give the traveling golfer the impression that he or she should spend a day and play it. But...having said that, the cost is low, the staff is very friendly, the greens are great and the layout is okay, so I can't really rate it a bogie. Thus, "no rating." You'll just have to read the review and decide for yourself if this is a course for you. Sorry! My final comment on Castle Park is this -- it's a nice course with a lot of things going for it. If I lived in the area I would be playing it from time to time. The Golf Nook Rating - OKAY. Miscellaneous Information -- The flags are not the same size as you'll find in the U.S. They are only 5 feet high, so they fool you into thinking you are further away than you really are. Purchase a yardage book and trust it. The yardage book is a good one, by the way--one of the best I've seen. Food - Good restaurant serving tasty and well-prepared home-cooked meals in a very friendly atmosphere. With an innovative marketing strategy the owner, Stuart Fortune, has incorporated food options you can choose to include in your golfing day. See below for prices. (One funny story he told me was they wanted to serve high quality, fancy food. They tried it for a while but it never worked out. For instance, he said they had Beef Stroganoff on the menu one day and no one ordered it. So the next day they advertised it as Stew and sold out!) Driving range - There is a fine driving range with many targets and distances clearly marked. The prices are about half of what other ranges in the area charge and the tees are covered so you can hone your game on a rainy day. 50 balls £2 100 balls £4 Buggy & Trolley - This is a hilly course--VERY hilly--so you may want to rent a buggy, especially if it's your second game of the day. Trolleys are also available for rental. The trolleys are the kinds with a wheel on the front which make it so much easier than the normal two wheeled type. Buggy - £15. Trolley - £2. Club rental - Clubs are available for rental at £5 per round. Golf Fees: Option 1 - 18 holes golf only, Mon-Fri -- £15 Option 2 - 18 holes Golf only, Sat-Sun -- £20 Option 3 - Day Ticket Golf only, Mon-Fri -- £20 Option 4 - Day Ticket Golf only, Sat-Sun -- £28 Or you can make a day of it: Option 5 - Mon-Fri ... Coffee & Bacon rolls, 18 holes, followed by lunch/supper -- £28 Option 6 - Mon-Fri ... Coffee & Bacon rolls, 18 holes, soup & rolls, 9/18 holes golf, followed by two course supper -- £30 Option 7 - Sat-Sun ... Coffee & bacon rolls, 18 holes, lunch/supper -- £30 Option 8 - Sat-Sun ... Coffee & bacon rolls, 18 holes, soup & roll, ... 9/18 holes, two course supper -- £35 SCORECARD -
Tel: (0)1620 810733 Stuart Fortune Castle Park Golf Club Gifford, Haddington East Lothian, EH41 4PL Directions: From Haddington take the B6368 to Gifford. Take the Longyester Road out of Gifford. This will bring you to the Gifford Golf Course, where it will be signposted for Castle Park--about 2 1/2 miles down the road to the left. You can locate it on your Ordnance Survey map. E-mail: stuartfortune@aol.com Website: www.castleparkgolfclub.co.uk *For WHAT TO DO ALL DAY, please see the Golf Coast area, as this location is somewhat isolated. But If you have a car, it is worthwhile coming along because Castle Park is located in the beautiful Lammermuir Hills, one of Scotland's best kept secrets. Lots of wonderful walking in this area. And the charming village of Gifford is only a few minutes away. Please see Gifford Golf Course for details. |
