Scotland Trip, Part Two: Gullane Golf Club

With my rented TaylorMade clubs in tow, I boarded the X24 bus heading east from Edinburgh. It was my first morning in Scotland--a glorious one at that--and I was just hours away from my first round of golf on the historic links of the British Isles. I always anticipate a round of golf with excitement; for one in Scotland, my heart was racing well before we reached Gullane.

This post may be a bit heavy on golf course details and could fringe on golf nerdiness. Though my individual experience will always remain in the forefront, I want to write about the course as if I was reviewing it for a golfing audience that cares about the details at least half as much as I do. 

Gullane Golf Club

Gullane Golf Club, with the first and second holes in the background

Located in the heart of the East Lothian "golf coast," Gullane Golf Club features three eighteen hole courses. The clubhouse sits on south side of the town of Gullane, and Gullane Hill separates it from the ocean. 

It felt only right that this spectacular location was home to so many golf courses. I passed several on the way in, and I knew that just beyond Gullane lies Muirfield--top ten in the world--and North Berwick, where I would be headed the next day. 

My excitement grew as Gullane Hill drew closer, and as I would discover, it's the true centerpiece of No. 1. Gullane No. 1 is named because it's the oldest, dating back to 1884. As with some of the oldest courses in Scotland, the design is attributed to Mother Nature, though Willie Park Jr. had his hand in the evolution of the course when he designed the No. 2 in 1898. Willie Park was one of the most influential of the original golf course architects, and he happened to also build one of my favorite courses, New Haven Country Club. 

The red holes make up No. 1, beginning and ending in the town
and following a routing all the way out to the ocean.

I checked in at the Visitors' Clubhouse, changed in the locker room, and made my way to the practice grounds for a much needed warm up. It had been over two months since I'd last touched a club, but after hitting a few dozen balls I felt great. I picked up some souvenirs at the Pro Shop near the first tee, and then introduced myself to the starter. I was slated to play alone, but I asked to be paired up with a group if possible. Soon, I met Gary and Arti on the first tee--a father and son visiting from Finland for a week of golf. Like me, they had a strong appreciation for the game, and as we teed off and worked our way up Gullane Hill and then back down towards the ocean, I began to enjoy their company more and more. 

Gullane No. 1 - Holes to Note

2nd Hole - "Windygate" - Par 4 - 379 Yards

My first experience with real dunes. The second hole is a straight shot up Gullane Hill, flanked on both sides by massive, fescued dunes. The flanking hills were imposing, demanding only straight shots up to the subtly bunkered green. 

Approach shot uphill on Hole #2

3rd Hole - "Racecourse" - Par 5 - 496 Yards

Chosen by one golf publication as one of the best 500 holes in the world, the third owes as much to its views as it does to its design. The tee shot downhill towards the ocean is spectacular, and though bunkers discourage an agressive second shot, reaching the green in two is possible. I would agree it is a top level par five, but the fifteenth hole can certainly challenge for the best on the course as well. 

Approach towards the ocean on Hole #3

7th Hole - "Queen's Head" - Par 4 - 398 Yards

One of the few spectacular par fours on the course. To be considered elite, in my opinion a course needs its strongest holes to be par fours. Whereas this is true with North Berwick and my favorite course, Taconic, Gullane has many good but few great par fours. Seven was one of the great ones. Playing down from the highest point on the course, the views may distract from the quality of the hole. Bunkers are strategically placed so that they can stop misplayed shots, but they also create channels that feed the ball towards the green.

Looking down Hole #7. Parts of course No. 1 and No. 2 in the background,
followed by the beach at low tide, the Firth of Forth, and Edinburgh in the distance

9th Hole - "Corbie" - Par 3 - 151 Yards

A gorgeous short par three playing towards the ocean. Much of the green slopes inward in a punchbowl fashion to collect shots, though anything left, right, or long is bound to find a bunker or kick off a slope into the fescue. From the green you can look down the beach and shoreline to the right and see Muirfield. 

Arti on the green, with the best tee shot of the group.

13th Hole - "Hole Across" - Par 3 - 170 Yards

Another stellar par three, the thirteenth featured the most prolific bunkering of any hole at Gullane. Playing across the valley made the hole seem long, and because the green is built into the upslope of a hill, many come up short. The best shot clears the high lip of the bunkers on the left and feeds towards the hole. The green collects shots towards the middle, but it is a hard one to hit. 

This picturesque par three has everything to do with the bunkers.
See the bottom for another picture of the thirteenth.

15th Hole - "Pumphouse" - Par 5 - 537 Yards

Though not as stunning as the par five third hole, the design of the fifteenth--especially its green--makes it a top level golf hole. Playing uphill past a white she--the "pumphouse"--the drive needs to favor the left side of the fairway, while the second shot needs to end up on the right. When the pin is in the back of what was the craziest green on the course, it's impossible not to come up short with the third shot. My putt from the front of the green rolled past the hole, stopped, and trickled back down the slope two within two feet. 

The first set of bunkers are a factor on the drive, the second set influence the approach.

Gary standing at the top of the steep and undulating fifteenth green.

Final Notes

The round closed out heading down Gullane Hill and back towards the town. After a series of emotional high points throughout the round, the eighteenth offered a calming, picturesque end. I wished Gary and Arti good luck, and walked back to the Visitors' Clubhouse for a drink and a bite to eat. The restaurant overlooked the eighteenth green of Course No. 2, and though the afternoon had turned cloudy, it was still a treat to watch groups finish. 

My first round in Scotland was nothing short of amazing, and more importantly, I had fun from the moment I woke up to the moment I left the town of Gullane. One round of true links golf will change the way you think about the game. I sat on the bus remembering the round, and it was the consistent stream of quality holes that impressed me the ocean. Playing on the ocean on a beautiful autumn day didn't hurt, either. It was a treat, and I couldn't have imagined my first round of Scottish golf going any better. The club was beautiful and classy, and the people I met were all kind and quick to share their golfing backgrounds. I would play No. 1 again in a heartbeat, though if (and hopefully when) I return, it would be fun to get a 36 hole day in with a round on No. 2. A great course with great people in a ideal location--it doesn't get much better.

On the thirteenth tee box. Couldn't have been happier.

Click here to see all of my photos from Gullane. Check back soon for Part Three of my Scotland adventure, where I will detail my day at North Berwick.