Golf Course Review

North Berwick Golf Club West Links is a celebrated links golf course on the East Lothian coastline of Scotland. Given the plethora of choice of world-class golf on offer, North Berwick is perpetually cited amongst the top three in the vicinity. The other two? Muirfield and Gullane.

A Study in Contrasts

Despite keeping a close company on bucket lists, rakings and geographically, North Berwick and The Honourable Company are a study in contrasts. North Berwick is a proper seaside links, Muirfield is hilltop. North Berwick, stretched to its max, plays less than 7000 yards, Muirfield confidently measures 7245 yards. North Berwick begins and ends in town, Muirfield is sat back from the public road and accessed by a long private drive. North Berwick is full of quirk and eccentricity while Muirfield is classically elegant. North Berwick is bisected by dykes and walls while Muirfield is surrounded by one. The contrasts are seemingly endless but perfectly illustrate that great golf doesn't fit a mould.

A History of Golf at North Berwick

The first reference to golf at North Berwick is in 1605 but it would be 227 years before a club was formerly organised! 28 members established The North Berwick Golf Club on June 1, 1832, and played over a 6 hole course which ended at March Dyke. This makes North Berwick the thirteenth oldest golf course in the world.

In 1849, Old Tom Morris and Allan Robertson take on Wille Dunn and Tom Dunn on a 7 hole course. In 1868, land was donated which allowed one of the weak holes to be dropped and three new holes to be added, one of which is the Redan. The course was now comprised of 9 holes.

In 1877, additional land is acquired which allows the links to extend to 18 holes. Criticism soon follows as 7 of the holes measure less than 200 yards and the course just 4841 yards! Ben Sayers would extend the course in 1895 to just over 6000 yards and is the backbone of the course played today. It is in 1895 that Hole 14, Perfection, is created.

Design Observations

The 1st and 18th have more than a passing resemblance to the Old Course at St Andrews. The tendency for many would be to route holes exclusively on the waters edge then return inland or vice-versa. Here, the first three holes begin seaside before crossing inland for the next six. Holes 10 through 14 are again along the beach with the closing stretch of four holes being inland. The beach is in play on no less than seven holes and out of bounds on another seven holes.

Golf Course Photography

Purchase photography of this course here.