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From our Directory of the most recommended golf courses
North Berwick West Links
North Berwick, East Lothian, EH39 4BB
44-01620) 892135
Pricing: $101 - $150
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West Links, begin and end in the center of the resort town of North Berwick, Scotland. The eighteen holes go out and back along the Firth of Forth and provide views of the North Sea, Bass Rock, and a lighthouse, which supposedly have inspired Stevenson in writing Treasure Island. Old Tom Morris once said, “The wind is usually blowing stiffly here, and can do wondrous things with flight of one’s ball. The club dates from 1832, but golf was being played here at least a hundred years before that. An ancient shepherd’s wall meanders through the course and is a significant design feature on several holes. There are blind shots, deep bunkers, small burns and deep depressions on the greens. The West Links is an Open qualifying site when at Muirfield, has hosted many national events of importance, and is a favorite of better golfers who appreciate the quirks of older course design. The most famous hole here is Redan, the fifteenth hole that is arguably the most famous par three design in the world. The characteristics of the Redan are a perched green, the hole plays away from the golfer, the green slopes from right to left, there are bunkers to the right, a large one to the left, and one’s shot needs a long carry about 190 yards to the green. It’s situated on the course so that there’s always a crosswind blowing. David Strath, is acknowledged as the architect who expanded the course from 9 to 18 holes. He ended up at Berwick as greens keeper from 1876 to 1878. The reason he landed at Berwick was that he was leveled a rules violation in the 1876 Open at St. Andrews, refused to play in the playoff, and left town. Stath’s design was immediately recognized not only with Redan, but also with the 13th, a short par four aptly named “Pit", where the green is tucked behind the stone shepherd’s wall in, well, a pit. The course, its history, and the location and setting make this course a joy to play. About an hour and a half from St Andrews.
Published by: JayM
Posted by: LNewsome
Sep 17th, 2010
North Berwick was the last course I played before flying home and it will now be my favorite course in the UK! I had very high expectations for my last round and was very pleased by most of the course. Every hole is distinctive, and most of them are memorable. But, there are some weak holes as well and most of my favorite holes charmed by virtue of their quirky originality more than their world-class quality (there are a handful of elite, timeless classics). That being said, it is because of this inimitable character that the West Links are a must play for any visitor. It is a singular example as a links golf experience that changed the way I view all other courses.
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Posted by: Ayewonder
Jan 30th, 2010
North Berwick West Links is my favourite course. It does not have championship length but each of its holes presents the golfer of all skill levels with interesting and challenging shots. I can't imagine wanting more from a golf course.
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Posted by: JayM
Aug 21st, 2008
People like to single out the Redan here, but there's a couple other holes which are striking for their uniqueness.. The Pit , #13, is 347 yards where the fairway narrows to the approach to a green "hidden" behind a 3 foot stone wal at the right front of the green. Only a perfect lob with hold the green, and there's not much room for being long. Have not found a hole that compares to this anywhere
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Posted by: paulb
Aug 17th, 2008
One of Tom Doak's favorites, and now mine. The Redan par 3 originated here and is much copied elsewhere. There are a variety od shots required depending on what this quirky course puts in front of you: a beach, stone walls, blind shots, wickedly contoured greens, burns, bunkers that could be called pits, bathers trying to get to the beach, a parking lot, and more. Happily though, there is no deep rough, no forced carries, and you're promised a quick round. Wind is always a factor, we played downwind going out, then the wind shifted with a passing storm, and we played downwind home, a real treat.
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Posted by: joes
Aug 12th, 2008
This course lies along the Firth of Forth, Firth is river, and the North Sea. It is a traditional links course with 8 holes straight out, the 9th making a right turn, and 9 holes back to the clubhouse. The course was constructed in 1832, the clubhouse in 1880, and the clubhouse is under renovations. The course has all the traditional features of a links course, same grass on the fairways and greens, same sod bunkers. We all made the mistake of putting on the putting green, which was table top fast. Unfortunately the greens on the course were extremely slow, so the 3 putt jar was added to during the course of the round. The course has two unique features, one is a hole called the Reden, and the second, I am not making this up, a 3 foot wall that you have to carry next to the green! The green sits in sort of a bowl, and the wall makes up on boundery, and a steep mound makes up the other. If you got too close to the wall you would have no shot. See the photos and you will see Jack walking through one of the openings in the wall to get to the green. And speaking of Jack, on the famous Reden hole, he hit a screaming shot into the green about 12 feet from the hole for an easy 3, the best shot of the day. The Reden hole is copied at Baltimore Country Club, Five Farms. The 175 yard hole features a massive gaping bunker that is staring at you from the tee, but there is a chasm behind the bunker of about 20 feet deep and 20 feet accross, and then the terrain shifts up to the green itself. So from the tee you see a big bunker and then the pin, not knowing that the large space exists. North Berwick was a course you had to play a couple of times to understand the subleties. It finishes like St. Andrews, with a wide par 4, no traps, and houses directly accross the street. We all struggled with parts of the course, but mostly the slow greens.
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Posted by: edb
Jul 5th, 2008
C. B. MacDonald designed the course and created the Redan, the fifteenth hole that is rated as the most famous par three design in the world. The features of the Redan are a perched green, the hole plays away from the golfer, the green slopes from right to left, there are bunkers to the right, a large one to the left, and one’s shot needs a long carry about 190 yards to the green. It’s situated on the course so that there’s always a nice crosswind blowing. Great hole, take an extra club.
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