Southeast Golf Courses

Links golf courses:

Dunbar Golf Course | North Berwick Golf Club | Gullane No1 Course | Longniddry Golf Course |

Heathland / Parkland golf courses:

Dalmahoy East and West Courses | The Roxburghe Golf Course |

Dunbar Golf Course

Only 30 miles East of Edinburgh, this thin strip of natural linksland had the powerhouse of 19th Century golf design Tom Morris influencing it's layout during 1856. Used as a qualifier for the Open when it is held at Muirfield, it has also been host to the Scottish Professional and Amateur Championships.

The strength of the wind that blows off the Firth of Forth will be the overriding factor when playing this links, usually helping going out but, as I'm sure you have guessed, generally against on the back 9. Super views over the sea towards May Island and a distant Fife, with the beach (potentially) coming into play on 5 holes! A great links.

North Berwick Golf Course, West Links

There are golf holes here that will never leave your memory bank due to the magnificent setting along the Firth of Forth and the view across to the permanence of Bass Rock.

This never fails to be in a Scottish golfer's top 20 courses and like the Old Course at St. Andrews it begins and finishes within the town. The extraordinary layout has virtually remained the same since 1895, though the club was founded back in 1852. The two famous signature holes are the 14th 'Perfection' and the 15th 'Redan'. The 14th asks you for not only a blind tee shot but also a blind approach to the green which lies hard against the beach, while the 15th requires a 190 yards to reach the safety of a raised green protected by two cavernous bunkers, expect a typical crosswind to be part of the equation.

Throughout your round North Berwick's West Links, with it's stone dykes (walls) running across the fairway and unique greens, will beguile and eventually seduce you into the Scottish way of thinking about and playing golf.

Gullane No.1

A Championship course, Gullane is regarded by many as an equal to nearby Muirfield for which it acts as an Open qualifier. The 1st is at sea level than one tackles the 2nd, Windyhill, a 379 yard par 4 that climbs up Gullane Hill. Once on top we stay there until the 17th, with it's hilltop tee and 390 yard drive downhill to a green protected by huge bunkers. On a good, dried out, links fairway the green will look mighty inviting to the big hitters.

An interesting footnote to Gullane is that Babe Zaharis became the first American to win the British Ladies Championship here in 1947. Babe Zaharis had previously been the last woman to participate in a professional men's event prior to current World No.1 Annika Sorenstam's entry in the Colonial during 2003.

Longniddry Golf Club

This is a lovely golf course that has a little bit of links golf mixed with parkland. Though there are no par 5's the quality of the architects involved: Henry Colt, James Braid, Phillip Mackenzie Ross and Donald Steel does suggest that with this collective experience there should be something of interest for the visiting golfer to explore.

The Open of 1987 used it as a qualifier, just over the 6200 yards it was a perhaps a wee bit short for the scratch players, though I would suggest that this is typical of the Scottish golf course we would all be delighted to stumble across.

Heathland / Parkland courses:

Dalmahoy East & Dalmahoy West

The gorgeous hotel, a converted Georgian mansion, will pander to your every whim with their superb accommodation, splendid leisure facilities, excellent menus and attentive staff.

Dalmahoy East, the longer of the two courses both laid out in 1927, is regarded as James Braid's masterpiece which will naturally make it one of Scotland and Great Britain's best courses. There has been a £1 million redevelopment and lengthening to the course which has managed to retain the charm and character of Braid's vision.

Heavily wooded, with lakes, in lush parkland, the course is a pleasure on the visual senses and a tremendous challenge to play upon. A former venue for The Solheim Cup, 1992, it has also been a regular host to the Scottish PGA and Scottish Seniors Open and with the creation of two new holes and some new tees it is now 7,475 yards from the Championship tips. The European Tour will, I am sure, be back using Dalmahoy in the near future.

There are seven par 4's measuring over 400 yards and three stunning par 3's each protected by a ring of bunkers, with the names 'Oasis' ,'Scirocco' and 'Wee Wrecker' they give your imagination an indication of what to expect. Big wide fairways, large undulating greens and strategic bunkering, this course offers the player something akin to a golfing nirvana.

Dalmahoy West at 5,212 yards is certainly shorter than the East but no less enjoyable because of that. The five times Open Championship winner James Braid was a master at creating interesting golf courses and with tighter fairways than the East it will test accuracy and shot making. A super challenge for all levels of golfer it features a demanding finish crossing over the Gogar Burn.

Roxburghe Golf Course

Designed by Dave Thomas and opened in 1997, this 6,925 yard parkland golf course has been laid out amongst 200 acres on the Duke of Roxburghe's Estate. Beautiful tree lined fairways, dog legs in both directions, big greens and a variety of tee positions to suit all standards. The course is currently the host to the Scottish Seniors Open.

Taking in some beautiful scenery around and alongside the River Teviot it is the current host to the Scottish Seniors Open Championship. One of a recent crop of new golf courses that are consolidating Scotland's reputation for Championship golf course construction.

see also: Map Page | Kingdom Of Golf | Highland Golf Courses | Southwest Golf Courses

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