About the course
North Berwick’s West Links runs along the shore immediately west of the town, squeezed between the beach and the streets of North Berwick. Offshore lie the islands of Craigleith and the Bass Rock, home to a huge gannet colony, and the island stays in view for much of the round.
The North Berwick Golf Club was founded in 1832, and it is one of very few clubs to have played continuously over the same ground for so long. At first there were only six holes, so competitions were decided over three rounds. The course reached eighteen holes in 1877, and it has been used as a qualifying course when The Open has been held at nearby Muirfield.
Many of the holes were shaped by the land rather than by an architect, and several have become reference points for golf design. The fifteenth, the Redan, is a par 3 played blind over a ridge to a green that slopes away from front right to back left, and it has been copied on courses across the world.
The thirteenth, the Pit, is played to a green tucked behind a low stone wall, while the sixteenth, the Gate, has a green split in two by a deep central hollow. The beach is in play on the early holes, out of bounds is never far away, and the wind from the firth makes the short par 4s far less straightforward than their yardage suggests.
Why we recommend it
North Berwick West Links is the most fun you can have on a links, with the town on one side and the Firth of Forth on the other. Old stone walls, blind shots and famous holes such as the Redan and Perfection make every round feel different, and the course charms golfers of every level. It is easy to reach by train from Edinburgh, roughly 40 km away, and fits naturally into an East Lothian week alongside Gullane and Muirfield.
Photo gallery
| World ranking | 72 |
| Architect | Unknown |
| Year of foundation | 1832 |
| Par Course | 71 |
| Number of holes | 18 |