Golf at North Berwick

I love golf.

With the temperatures getting over 40 and the sun peeking out, I paid £5.60 to take the train from Edinburgh to North Berwick, about 30 minutes east along the Firth of Forth. When we stopped, I headed about the length of a long dogleg par five down to the starter's shack at the North Berwick West Links. And I'm so glad I did. What an absolutely fabulous golf course. Greens putt as pure as any I've ever played. Views of the Firth are magnificiant. Every hole has great character. The wind was blowing pretty stiffly, especially on the way out. Like many of the old links-style courses here, the layout course goes out from the clubhouse along the coast for 9 holes and then comes back in. Easy to walk - the tees are almost always just off the previous green. Indeed, it's very unusual to take a "buggy" unless you have a physical handicap. I didn't see a single one today.

And I really started to understand why everyone says you have to be creative in your shotmaking in Scotland. I'd always heard that, but I don't think it quite hit home. I thought - yeah, sure...bump and runs and punch shots might be good for you, but I'll stick with hitting it high and hard. I learned quickly that just doesn't fly with winds like today's coming off the Firth. The combination of the wind and the great lay of the land makes playing approach shots and pitch shots challenging, fun, and maybe a little more dependent on a good bounce I'm used to. Like many great courses, North Berwick fits right into to the landscape. No earth moved to build this course. It's natural. It belongs. It's a central piece of the town and coastline.

While it was fairly busy...I didn't once have to wait to play a shot. I made it around in less than 3 hours...whenever I drew near a foursome, they let me play through immediately and did it very swiftly. We Americans could learn a little about pace and courtesy from the Scots.

What a great way to spend a February Sunday. Golf the way it's supposed to be played, where it has been played for hundreds of years. I'd put it right up there with Pine Valley and Kiawah's Ocean Course as one of my all time favorites. And at £35 for a winter round, I will definitely be back. Those plans I had to spend a week in Ireland in April might be giving way to another week over here playing great golf courses. I took a LOT of photos, and posted some of them here. You will want to click on these to get larger versions - the small ones just don't do this place justice.



On the way there.



Taking some good advice from the starter, I punched a four iron off the tee and floated a little half eight iron over a blind shot bluff. Left myself a nice little makeable birdie putt. Which I obviously short-armed and 3-putted.



1 Green. Looking at the beach with the town of North Berwick behind.




2 tee. A rather daunting looking tee shot on a long par four into the teeth of the wind. I smoothed one out there, but still left my hybrid approach short of the green.




Little burn, with a row of houses behind.



The first three holes are on what seems to be public access land to the beach...so there are old couples and kids and young men with dogs walking back and forth while you're playing. It's not annoying - they're very considerate of your play. Feels very natural. This wall in the middle of the third fairway marks the start of the "private" land (the public can still walk there, but fewer do).



After a pitch at 3, I had this for par. Missed again.



4th tee.



Looking out from the 4th tee. Blind 186 yard shot to a long green over the central hill. Strong wind blowing into your face and right to left.



I absolutely pured a hybrid. Pitch mark was about 8 inches from the hole.

Obviously lipped out the putt.



5 fairway...looking over the beach. I finally got my first birdie after a knock-down 8-iron landed hole high about 30 feet to the left, and I rolled in a nice putt.



6 green. First of a few difficult bunker shots. This one is almost straight up. I played it beautifully but missed the putt coming back.



Looking back as I head toward the turn.



12 Fairway. Hit what I thought was a great drive. I was wrong. The green is visible beyond. I blasted out straight sideways and caught it thin, sending it across the fairway to some fescue. Double.




12 green. Beach behind. Cool little lighthouse on the island.




Next tee shot - even worse. I could barely even get a stance to take this sideways. Another double on another short par 4.




13 green. Tiny, narrow little green tucked behind a low fence. Blind approach. Coast on the left. Great hole. My ball's on the hill on the left - thought it would come off there but it got caught in the fescue. Hit a tricky little chip well, but missed another easy putt.



Hit a nice 2-iron to the middle of the narrow fairway on 14 - titled "Perfection." The approach is another blind shot over some bluffs - you can see a target pole behind.



Hit a very nice wedge. I think I play the blind shots better than the ones I can see.



Ancient bell I rang to let the group behind know I cleared the 14th green.




16 tee. Play is over the fence with a painted out-of-bounds line. Back to the more public area of the course. Little park on the right.



Very fun 16th green. Incredibly long and narrow, with a giant gorge in the middle of the green that you can see here. If you somehow hit the back of this green, I don't know how you'd play for that putt. I left my approach well right and hit a little flop shot to here.




17 green. Left myself a long putt after a another approach blind shot.




Finishing up in the oak-paneled clubhouse, looking over 18.

All in all - I played so-so. Had an 85, but that could have easily been under 80 with a couple of more made putts and a couple of fewer bunkers off the tee. I'll know better next time I play.