Scotland Trip, Part Three: North Berwick Golf Club

I thought, after my gloriously entertaining round at Gullane, that I knew what to expect heading to North Berwick. After finishing my round, however, I believe it is impossible for anyone to truly understand links golf without playing North Berwick. Let me explain, starting from the beginning.

North Berwick Golf Club

I found grey skies, cool air, and a stiff breeze when I arrived in the lovely town of North Berwick--a thirty-minute train ride east of Edinburgh. The town descends towards the sea from the base of North Berwick Law. This conical hill is not tall but is visible from almost anywhere in the town and on the golf course. As I made my way towards the coast, I could see Bass Rock looming far out in the cold  ocean waters. 

Looking back towards the town, the clubhouse on the right, and North Berwick Law

I was not as jittery about arriving at the course as the previous day, though I knew I was in for an even bigger treat. When I rounded the bend and finally saw the course, I was a little surprised. Was this St. Andrews? Just like the famed Old Course, the first and eighteenth holes at North Berwick share an immense fairway, and the eighteenth green sits directly in front of the clubhouse and very near the streets. It will be easy to see the comparison when I write about St. Andrews in Part Four.

I took in the views--the coastal town visible in its full splendor to my right, and the rocky islands sitting off shore in front of me. To my left, the first and eighteenth holes running parellel before the course veers left and out of town. It seemed the most innately perfect place for a golf course--I can see why the grounds have been used for this very purpose for so many years.

I received a warm introduction and shared a few words with the man stationed in the clubhouse. He was there for that very purpose: to brief the visitors on the club's rules and make them feel welcomed. I certainly did, and I'm sure he enjoyed talking to a high school graduate rather than a retiree. 

Dunes, beach, rocks, ocean--golf on Scotland's coast

In the small starter's house, I found myself standing in line next to two Americans. Not wanting to play alone, I asked the starter if there were any groups I could join. Before he could answer, one of the guys in line jumped in and invited me to pair up with his twosome. He was named Scott, and he introduced me to his long time golfing buddy Tony. They were in their mid-fifties, huge golfers back home in New Mexico, and big fans of playing in Scotland. Both had played in the British Isles before, but on their current trip they were hitting many of the big name courses.

After a few putts and a gear check to make sure all of my extremities were covered, I joined Tony and Scott on the first tee. A tame first shot--"Hit it 175 yards and no farther," the starter told us--and we were off.

North Berwick West Links

It's not every day that one plays the third oldest course in the world. The West Links at North Berwick has housed the game of golf since 1832. The course, carved out of the dunes by Mother Nature and decades of foot traffic well over a century ago, plays parellel to the ocean on nearly every hole. Because the course was discovered rather than built, many of the holes possess a certain quirkiness that cannot be constructed on modern courses. It's impossible to find a bad course with strong par fours, and North Berwick's par fours were the best collection I've ever played. Each hole was unique, making the journey along the ocean and between the dunes a true golfing adventure.

Holes to Note

2nd Hole - "Sea" - Par 4 - 429 Yards

The ocean views hit you from the first tee and continue throughout the round, but no hole plays closer to the beach than the second. A "cape" style hole, the dogleg challenges the golfer to bit off as much of the beach as possible. It shows that risk-reward golf has been at the heart of course design since the game began. 

Cut off as much as you like on the drive over the beach on Hole #2

The fairway undulates and plays through waves of dunes. Unlike most of the fairways at Gullane, at North Berwick and especially the second hole, a flat lie is hard to find. 

Incredible fairway undulations; typical at links courses but very prevalent at North Berwick

11th Hole - "Bos'ns Locker" - Par 5 - 546 Yards

One of only three par fives (which coincidentally are holes 8, 9, and 11), this slight dogleg left plays close to the ocean. The views from the elevated tee box are incredible, as the golfer has just made the turn back towards the town. The fairway hides below the large dunes on the left, eliminating some of the wind and offering the option of going for the green in two. Like many of the holes, the severe sloping of the green makes an accurate approach even more necessary.

Avoid getting caught by the views as you drive right of the dunes on the par five 11th

13th Hole - "Pit" - Par 4 - 387 Yards

One of the most famous and quirkiest holes on the course,  the "Pit" is a medium-length par four playing down a narrow fairway chute, though it's the second shot that grabs all of the attention. An old stone wall runs parellel to the hole on the left side. On the opposite side, squeezed between the wall and the dunes, sits the sunken green. A drive down the left challenging the wall offers a better angle into the green, though hitting it is no easy task. I've never played an approach shot like the one over the wall on thirteen.

Looking back on the sunken green and the fairway separated to the left by the wall 

15th Hole - "Redan" - Par 3 - 190 Yards

Is is the best par three I've ever played? The uneducated golfer might not think much of the hole at first, because of the initially unimpressive view. The green hides behind a large dune and two cop bunkers, but fortunately, I knew what sat just out of view. "Redan" comes from a military formation, and this hole--the most copied in the world--has a formidable structure in its green site. The typical Redan design has a deep angled bunker flanking the left of a green that slopes from fron to back and right to left. One can attack the pin directly or play to the safer right side and let the slope take the ball towards the pin. Though I missed my par putt by an inch, I left the hole asking myself, "Does this hole deserved to be copied all over the world? The more I think about it, the more I believe that the fifteenth lives up to the hype. And though I've yet to decide whether it's my favorite short hole or not, it is without a doubt the best designed par three I've played. 

The famous Redan bunker and green configuration; though it's the most
copied par three in the world, only one has Bass Rock in the background. 

16th Hole - "Gate" - Par 4 - 378 Yards

The spectacular (and one-of-a-kind) green sites just keep on coming. Sixteen is the most diabolical hole on the course, and might just have been my favorite. The drive plays over a deceiving burn, but the water is the least of the worries. The green sits at a forty-five degree angle to the fairway, with a four foot swale running through the middle. The swale cuts the green on a diagonal, making the back section even smaller and harder to reach. All three of us failed to find the correct section and had fun putts up the slope. With the condition that the pin is in the back, this may be my favorite hole of the whole trip. 

The deep swale separating the sixteenth green into two sections;
it's nearly impossible to attack the back pin position.

Final Observations

Is there a more fun golf course out there? Though I hope to play golf for my whole life and take my clubs wherever I travel, I doubt few courses I find will best North Berwick in the fun category. The collection of drastically varied holes coupled with incredible views on nearly every hole makes the West Links a special place to play golf. Add in perhaps the most interesting set of eighteen greens I have ever seen, and the result is a day of pure golf, as fun as it comes. 

This sign has seen plenty of action, and the wall has
blocked many approach shots on the par four third.

I loved the out-and-back routing. On most courses having hole after hole play in the same direction is boring, but at North Berwick it felt only fitting. A round of golf should be a journey, and I can say that no journey has been more exhilarating for me than this one along the East Lothian coast. After turning back towards the town, hole after hole on the back nine wowed me. Standing on the tenth tee box, I felt so far away from the clubhouse and town. It's a purposeful challenge, daring the golfer to attack each of the incredibly unique back nine holes one shot at a time in order to get home. I started the homeward journey by chipping in (for bogey) on the tenth, and though no easy pars were out there, each swing was thrilling. I could have reviewed every hole on the back nine alone--they were that different and that much fun. 

I didn't even have room to mention some excellent holes. The third, playing over a stone wall; the fourth, a beautiful double-plateau green set among the dunes; the twelfth, my favorite of the non-famous holes, the fourteenth, dubbed "perfection" due to the blind second shot; and eighteen, finishing right in front of the clubhouse, remarkably similar to the final hole at St. Andrews. The variety in the holes gave the West Links an immeasurable amount of character. 

Tony and Scott and I settled ourselves in the upstairs dining room of the clubhouse, and we had a lot to talk about. In that moment, looking down upon the eighteenth green and out over the dunes to the Firth of Forth, the pure golf scenery was impossible to match. They were wrapping up a two week Scotland trip, which included rounds at the Old Course, Muirfield, Cruden Bay, the new Trump course, and many other links gems. I asked about each course, seeking their recommendations and experiences. I loved hearing the first hand account of Scotland's best courses, but though they played over a dozen and I only two, we all agreed that North Berwick was one of the most fun places to play. 

Happy as can be among the fairway dunes of North Berwick

I fulfilled my dream of golfing in Scotland, and immediately I began wishing for more. If I have any say in it, I'll be back to the British Isles soon, clubs in tow, excited for all of the courses slated for play. I know one thing, however: I must make it back to North Berwick some day.

Click here to see all of my photos from North Berwick.