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North Berwick West Links ©
I could summarize this quixotic course in
two words and be done with this write-up--PLAY
IT! However, I'm not going to let you off
that easily because this championship Scottish
links golf course is one of my all-time favorite
golf courses--a definite must play, and I'm eager to tell you about
it. It is golfing at its best and I know
you'll have a great time playing it.
 |
| From the back of the 1st green you can see
how closely the golf course is wedded to
the sea and the town. The teeing area is
about in the center of the photo. |
 |
| Seven holes border the beach. The others
are within a chip shot of the
beach. This,
the second hole, taken from the
tee, will
give you a taste of what's to
come. By the
way, the beach is not out of
bounds. You
can actually go down there and
play your
ball--if you can find it and
the tide hasn't
come in. |
The Famous Redan
Golf has been played on the West Links of
North Berwick for centuries. Only The Old
Course at St. Andrews has witnessed more
golfing activity. I have to confess that
the first time we came to this area I had
never heard of North Berwick West Links.
Sure, I had heard of Muirfield, which is
just down the road in Gullane--who hasn't
heard of Muirfield? But North Berwick West
Links? I was in for a great surprise and
a great treat! After the first round I was
so enthusiastic about this course that I
did some research on it and discovered it
is one of the most famous courses in the
world of golf. In fact, one of the holes,
the 15th, called REDAN, (see below) is the
most copied par 3 hole in the entire world
of golf design and is on virtually everyone's
list as one of the 18 most famous holes in
golf in the world!
A final qualifying course for the Open
Championship
But one hole does not a great golf course
make. When you play this amazing course you
will be hitting over dunes, streams, stone
walls, yawning bunkers and sandy beaches
(which, by the way, are in play!). Not only
is it an historic and venerable course, with
its commanding views of the sea (the Forth
estuary), it is one of the most beautiful
and stimulating true links courses anywhere.
Every hole is completely different, every
hole sets a different challenge of length,
wind, risk/reward, club choice, and much
more. The R & A think so much of this
golf course that they use it as one of the
final qualifying courses when the Open Championship
is played at Muirfield.
 |
| The famous 15th at North Berwick--THE REDAN--a 192 yard par 3. This is the view from the tee. Of course you can see the bunkers
in the front but what you don't
see are other
fierce bunkers and a green that
is diagonally
oriented, sloped and plateaued.
Not enough?
Look at the next picture and
see how the
redan (ridge) on the left actually
protects
the green and makes this such
a unique hole.
No wonder it is the most copied
hole in all
of golf. |
 |
| THE REDAN viewed from the right side. You're
teeing off from the left about 180 yards
from the green. Note the ridge (the redan)
on the left and the valley between the ridge
and the green. Anything short of the green
will roll into this valley of death leaving
you with a very tricky chip up to a sloping
green. And the deep bunkers, about 15 feet
below the green on the right are no bargain
either. All-in-all this is a "cracker"
of a hole. |
Some Unusual Play
At North Berwick West Links you will be playing
some amazing and unusual holes. You
will
be putting on one green, the 16th,
that is
186 feet long and is actually made
up of
two distinct mounded greens--plateaus
actually--with
a huge swale that is part of the green
and
three or four feet deep, separating
the two
plateaus. (See picture below.) I had
never
seen a green like this before in my
life.
I was almost wishing my ball would
hit the
"wrong" half of the green
so I
could putt across the deep valley.
A local
story has it that the year Tom Watson
and
Jack Nicklaus played in the British
Open
Championship at Muirfield and were
staying
at the Marine Hotel here in North Berwick
(which is right next to this green
and in
easy view of the rooms), they were
so fascinated
with the unusual green they took their
putters
out and were hitting balls on it to
see if
they could putt through the huge valley.
The story goes that the Course Marshall
did
not recognize them and chased them
off. The
story may be apocryphal but it is certainly
believable, because I doubt either
Watson
or Nicklaus has seen many greens, or
ANY
greens, as unusual as this one.
 |
| Number 16 green. Yes, this really is one
green. It extends from the extreme left of
the picture to the extreme right of the plateau
on the right. You can see the flag is placed
on the left plateau today. Heaven help you
if your approach shot lands on the wrong
plateau. A four putt from there is not unusual. |
Other holes are just as fascinating. On the
3rd you line your tee shot with a gap in
the wall that is about 300 yards away before
hitting over the burn (stream) that weaves
back and forth along the course. On the 5th
hole you drive over a paved road that, from
time to time may have hikers on it or people
walking dogs. The 7th offers the burn again--this
time it slices directly in front of the green,
only a few yards from the edge. It makes
for an intimidating second shot. The 13th
has a 4' high stone wall that separates the
fairway on one side from the green on the
other! The 15th-the famous Redan--well...you'll
just have to see for yourself.
As I said, it's serious golf with a great
sense of humor. With all of its eccentricities
it's a championship course all the way and
one of the most amazing courses you will
ever play. Whatever other courses you play
while in this area, be sure you play this
one! (And, by the way, it just happens to
be the home course of the 2009 Women's British
Open champion, Catriona Matthew.)
Golf Nook Scotland rating -- a solid HOLE-IN-ONE.
 |
| This is the kind of scenery that will accompany
you on your round. |
www.northberwickgolfcllub.com
*For WHAT TO DO ALL DAY, please see the North Berwick Golf Coast area.
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