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Home Scottish Links Golf The Basics Detailed information AFSD - how to determine the real length of a golf course Helpful Websites Platinum Page Upscale golfing products & services Aberdeen & Grampian Highlands Royal Aberdeen, Cruden Bay... Ayrshire Royal Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick... Just east of Edinburgh Scotland's Golf Coast Castle Park Craigielaw Dunbar Gifford Glen Gullane Haddington Kilspindie Longniddry Luffness New Muirfield Musselburgh Musselburgh Links North Berwick Royal Musselburgh Whitekirk Winterfield Northern Highlands Royal Dornoch, Brora, Nairn... St. Andrews area Other golf courses Machrihanish, Pitlochry... Links Lite Great links golf for the not-so-great golfer Donate What others say |
North Berwick West Links ©
The Famous RedanGolf has been played on the West Links of North Berwick for centuries. Only The Old Course at St. Andrews has witnessed more golfing activity. I have to confess that the first time we came to this area I had never heard of North Berwick West Links. Sure, I had heard of Muirfield, which is just down the road in the town of Gullane--who hasn't heard of Muirfield? But North Berwick West Links? I was in for a great surprise and a great treat! After the first round I was so enthusiastic about this course that I did some research on it and discovered it is one of the most famous courses in the world of golf. In fact, one of the holes, the 15th, called REDAN, (see below) is the most copied par 3 hole in the entire world of golf design and is on virtually everyone's list as one of the 18 most famous holes in golf in the world!A final qualifying course for the Open ChampionshipBut one hole does not a great golf course make. When you play this amazing course you will be hitting over dunes, streams, stone walls, yawning bunkers and sandy beaches (which, by the way, are in play!). Not only is it an historic and venerable course, with its commanding views of the sea (the Forth estuary), it is one of the most beautiful and stimulating true links courses anywhere. Every hole is completely different, every hole sets a different challenge of length, wind, risk/reward, club choice, and much more. The R & A think so much of this golf course that they use it as one of the final qualifying courses when the Open Championship is played at Muirfield.
Some Unusual Play At North Berwick West Links you will be playing some amazing and unusual holes. You will be putting on one green, the 16th, that is 186 feet long and is actually made up of two distinct mounded greens--plateaus actually--with a huge swale that is part of the green and three or four feet deep, separating the two plateaus. (See picture below.) I had never seen a green like this before in my life. I was almost wishing my ball would hit the "wrong" half of the green so I could putt across the deep valley. A local story has it that the year Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus played in the British Open Championship at Muirfield and were staying at the Marine Hotel here in North Berwick (which is right next to this green and in easy view of the rooms), they were so fascinated with the unusual green they took their putters out and were hitting balls on it to see if they could putt through the huge valley. The story goes that the Course Marshall did not recognize them and chased them off. The story may be apocryphal but it is certainly believable, because I doubt either Watson or Nicklaus has seen many greens, or ANY greens, as unusual as this one.
Other holes are just as fascinating. On the 3rd you line your tee shot with a gap in the wall that is about 300 yards away before hitting over the burn (stream) that weaves back and forth along the course. On the 5th hole you drive over a paved road that, from time to time may have hikers on it or people walking dogs. The 7th offers the burn again--this time it slices directly in front of the green, only a few yards from the edge. It makes for an intimidating second shot. The 13th has a 4' high stone wall that separates the fairway on one side from the green on the other! The 15th-the famous Redan--well...you'll just have to see for yourself. As I said, it's serious golf with a great sense of humor. With all of its eccentricities it's a championship course all the way and one of the most amazing courses you will ever play. Whatever other courses you play while in this area, be sure you play this one! (And, by the way, it just happens to be the home course of the 2009 Women's British Open champion, Catriona Matthew.) Golf Nook Scotland rating -- a solid HOLE-IN-ONE.
www.northberwickgolfcllub.com *For What to Do All Day, please see the North Berwick Golf Coast area. |
