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| Edinburgh & East Lothian, Scotland |
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| _ | | _ | | | The Blairgowrie Golf Club was founded a private members club in 1889 and is situated in the heart of the magnificent Pertshire countryside. The club features the renowned Rosemount and Lansdowne championship courses plus a very attractive 9-hole course which are set in heather lined avenues of pine and silver birch. The original Lansdowne course (later to become Rosemount) was designed by Dr. Alistair McKenzie, the renowned golf course architect who also designed Cypress Point, Augusta National and many others. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,601. Craigielaw is situated just 20 miles east of Edinburgh amidst the glorious coastal scenery of East Lothian. Inspired by the great links courses of Britain, particulary those on land which are dominated by dunes, Craigielaw is equal to many of the finest examples of such courses which are conveniently located nearby in East Lothian. With a variety of tees to choose from, Red 5,371 yards, Blue 6,043 and White 6,601 yards, the greens at Craigielaw have been constructed and styled to conform to US PGA recommendations - although prepared along more traditional lines to be hard fast and true. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 73, yardage 6,814. Dalmahoy's East and West courses are representations of everything that is good about Scottish golf. They provide a stern test to all and are as enjoyable as any top championship course you will find. Having played host to the Solheim Cup and the Scottish Seniors Open, the duo are used now to plaudits. The East is generally regarded as the big brother of the two as it has hosted the more prestigious tournaments. It may be forgiving from the tee, although Braid's traditional deep bunkers and large, undulating greens are enough to keep you busy. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,404. Designed by Old Tom Morris around 1850, Dunbar East Links on the estuary of the Firth of Forth, is a breathtaking layout of a Championship links course that stretches across yards of coastal terrain. Well defined holes follow the natural contours of the coastline. Being by the sea shore naturally means that the wind plays a main factor with the course itself; a light breeze can transform this course into a serious challenge, producing a new playing experience with every round. Playing this links course on the shores of the North Sea is a very special experience for any keen golfer. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,790. The King's Course, opened in 1919, is a masterpiece of design, which has tested the aristocracy of golf, both professional and amateur. James Braid's plan for the King's Course was to test even the best players' shot-making skills over the eighteen holes. Selecting the right club for each approach is the secret on the King's. It is certainly one of the most beautiful and exhilarating places to play golf in the world, with the springy moorland turf underfoot, the sweeping views from the trees all around, the rock-faced mountains to the north, the green hills to the south and the peaks of the Trossachs and Ben Vorlich on the western horizon. | | | _ | | _ | | | The PGA Centenary Course, created by Jack Nicklaus, is a modern classic. Even for a champion and acclaimed golf architect like Nicklaus, the PGA Centenary Course was a challenge. It had to be a great course and, set as it is in the heart of Scotland, the country that gave the world golf, Nicklaus describes the course as "the finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with". From the back tees, the par-72 course measures 7,088 yards, the longest inland course in Scotland. However, the tees are graded at each hole in five stages, including a challenging 6,558 yards from the white markers doen to 5,072 from the red. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 68, yardage 5,965. The natural beauty of the Queen's Course inspires the world's most experienced players. The Queen's Course, in its long history, has played host to some of the world's golfing greats. Threading through high ridges on the north and west sides of the estate, the Queen's offers lovely woodland settings, lochans and ditches as water hazards, as well as many moorland characteristics. At 3,192 yards long, the challenge of the first nine can be deceptive, with even some of the best players finding it a test to make par into a fresh southwesterly breeze. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,466. While Muirfield may be the jewel in East Lothian's golfing crown, Gullane No. 1 is not far behind it, as many of those who have played here in the Open Championship qualifying over the years have testified. It is links golf at its best, the difficulty factor being increased at some holes by their undulating nature. The climb alone is worth it, though, when you can stand on the seventh tee and enjoy a panoramic view of Edinburgh, the Forth Bridges and Fife. The word stunning doesn't even do it justice. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,244. The Gullane No.2 is a fine, challenging links in common with the other Gullane courses, and shares the same outlook and turf as Muirfield. It is considered by many locals to be the equal of the more celebrated, and expensive, No.1 course and one that should be high up on the agenda of any East Lothian trip. Excellent course conditioning has helped make the Gullane tracks the choice for both the Muirfield Open Championships as well as the British Women's Championship. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 69, yardage 5,480. Kilspindie is the 35th oldest golf club in the world and, almost inevitably, is a tradtional Scottish links. This is a real golfers club with a real clubhouse atmosphere. It is certainly not a long course, though it still presents a worthy challenge to more gifted players. A number of holes border the shoreline creating wonderful views and a stiffer test to boot. Spray the ball in the wrong direction here and you'll be reaching into your bag for another ball. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 68, yardage 6,260. Designed by Harry Colt in 1921, Longniddry enjoys spectacular views of the Firth of Forth, to the hills of Fife and westwards to the Edinburgh skyline. Essentially, Longniddry is a pleasant mix of links and parkland. There may be no par fives to test your mettle, but don't let that fool you. This course has no less than eight par fours all over 400 yards and, if there's a stiff westerly wind, it can be extremely hard to put a decent score together. Hence the reason it remains an Open qualifier. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 70, yardage 6,601. Muirfield is regarded by many of the game's top players as being the "fairest" on the rotation of courses used by the R&A for the Open Championship. Jack Nicklaus was an Open winner here and he was so impressed that he decided to name his own course in Ohio "Muirfield Village". One of the unusual charms about the Scottish version is that it is laid out in two separate loops, the front nine running clockwise on the outer and the back nine going in the opposite direction on the inner.
Maximum handicap: 18 men, 20 women. | | | _ | | _ | | | Par 71, yardage 6,420. North Berwick is the 13th oldest club in the world and is second only to St. Andrews for continuous play. The club was formed in 1832 but golf had been played here long before. The course is used for qualifying when the Open is held at Muirfield and requires a fair amount of skill in order to be negotiated safely. The 16th, for example, has a treacherous green with a valley in the middle of it. Like so many of the East Lothian courses, the views here match the quality of the golf course. | | | | | | | | Custom Trip Quote to Edinburgh & East Lothian | | | | | | | | | | |
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