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| Gifford |
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Gifford Golf Club © 2006, Richard & Mary-Alice Jafolla Think Small -- Small is not necessarily a negative when it comes to golf courses. England and Scotland have a plethora of 9 hole courses that are of the highest standards. In the USA 9 hole courses are not thought of as anything other than executive courses or sub-standard golf courses. That's not necessarily so in the USA and it's especially nott true in the U.K. (Royal Worlington and Newmarket in Suffolk, England is a 9 hole course and a favorite golf course of many golf writers, as is Tobermory Golf Club in Tobermory, Scotland, a testing layout often described as the best 9 hole course in Scotland.) Because of the restrictions of land availability when they were laid out, many fine courses did not have room for a full 18 holes. Rather than squeeze in 18 with an abundance of par 3s, golf course architects designed imaginative 9 hole courses to be played twice to make up the 18. On such courses, some of the tees are moved to different positions on the back nine so the second half of your game presents you with all new challenges.
Plays Like 18 -- Gifford Golf Club is another such example of a fine 9 hole course that plays like an 18 hole course. Nestled in the Lammermuir Hills in a woodland setting just outside the East Lothian village of Gifford, Gifford Golf Club is a gently undulating parkland course with easy walking. The greens are finely maintained and the course is playable all year (a testament to the unusually fine weather in East Lothian). A stream--The Speedyburn--meanders through the course and comes into play on four of the 9 holes (which, of course, actually makes it appear on 8 holes when playing a full round of 18 holes!). Two of the tees are moved on the back nine to make the layout more interesting. Hole number one is played as a 362 yard par 4. When the same hole is played as #10, it's played as a 172 yard par 3. The 5th and 14th also share the same green but are played from different tees--the 5th a 153 yard par 3 and the 14th a 216 yard par 3. I like the idea of playing the same holes a second time. One of the problems with playing any course for the first time is the lack of experience in knowing where to lay up, how the greens break, etc. When you play the same hole a second time only 2 hours after playing it for the first time, you gain an advantage on the course. I'll take any advantage I can get. Gifford Golf Club is a good play and for the price you really can't go wrong. It's an especially good course if you're looking for a second course to play in a day. Because of the reasonable fee and the interesting layout, I recommend it. The Golf Nook rating -- a PAR. Rates: Weekday £18 & weekend £20 for 18 holes Scorecard
SSS - Medal tees = 70 Ladies tees = 74 Directions: Just outside the village of Gifford to the southwest, 5 miles from Haddington. Easy to find. Locate it on your Ordnance Survey map. Miscellaneous notes -- There is a changing area and shower available for visitors. No bar or restaurant. Gifford Golf Club Edinburgh Road Gifford EH41 4QU Tel/Fax: (0)1620 810267 www.giffordgolfclub.comWebsite: e-mail: donald@dircon.co.uk ______________________________________________________________ WHAT TO DO ALL DAY This golf course is somewhat apart from several of the places you may want to visit, so if you do not have a car you might opt to remain in North Berwick. If so, please refer to the Golf Coast area. But if you do have access to a car, by all means consider visiting Gifford. Gifford is a very picturesque village, 4 miles south of Haddington via the B6369. After dropping off your golfer at the golf course, drive the short distance back into the village and park the car. The corner of Main and High streets is a good place to start, and you won't have any difficulty locating it. Once there, you'll see a signboard on which you can read the history of the village. Quite interesting. Several small shops (including some antique shops) and nice little eateries/teashops--all very friendly--are dotted around the village, so just poke about at a slow pace and take it all in. Village Walk - I recommend an easy circular walk around the village. It's short--only 2/3 of a mile--and most pleasant. Start near the market cross at the corner of High and Main streets and walk acorss the grass towards The Avenue. Many of the lime trees lining the route are very old, and have been here since 1680. On the right of the road is Bleachfield, once used for drying linen as part of the bleaching process done at the nearby linen mill. Before you reach the gatehouses for Yester House, turn left and return along the High Street, where you will see some of the oldest houses in the village. On your left is the Pound, a walled area where cattle and sheep used to be held before being taken to market. Now turn right along The Wynd and continue diagonally across the grass. Walk behind the houses towards the end of Walden Terrace. Your route now returns down Duns Road towards the Main Stree, past Yester Church, which dates from 1710. . Just Outside of Gifford - Anselm Fraser Chippendale School of Furniture - on the B6369 in the direction of Haddington. A very nice opportunity to visit the workshops between 10-5, Mondays through Fridays. Tel/ (0)1620 810309 www.chippendale.co.uk |
