About the course
The Golf House Club at Elie lies on the south coast of the East Neuk of Fife, where the villages of Elie and Earlsferry meet, looking south across the Firth of Forth. The links rolls over gentle, humpy ground towards the rocky shoreline. It is unusual for a full-length links in one important respect: there is not a single par 5 on the card, and the par of 70 is made up of 16 par 4s and only two par 3s.
Golf has a long history here, and the club takes its name from the clubhouse built in 1875. The 18-hole layout played today was shaped by Old Tom Morris in 1895 and revised in 1921 by James Braid, who was born in Earlsferry in 1870 and learned the game on these links before winning The Open five times. The course has changed very little since Braid’s work.
With so many par 4s, the variety comes from length, direction and the shape of the ground rather than from the scorecard. Some holes play over ridges and hummocks to fairways and greens that are only partly visible, and the bounce of the ball on firm turf is a big part of the challenge. The holes that run out along the shore towards the rocks are the most exposed, and the wind off the Firth can turn a drive and a short iron into two full shots. The greens are true and fast, with subtle borrows rather than severe slopes.
Why we recommend it
Elie is one of the most enjoyable links in Fife and a favourite with golfers who have already played the big names. The first tee shot is blind, so the starter checks the fairway through a periscope from an old submarine, and the round then works its way out to the rocky shore of the Firth of Forth. Quirky but fair, it suits mixed groups and sits about 20 km from St Andrews, close to Lundin and Crail.
Photo gallery
| World ranking | |
| Architect | Old Tom Morris/James Braid |
| Year of foundation | 1875 |
| Par Course | 70 |
| Number of holes | 18 |