North Berwick Golf Club

The East Links at North Berwick Golf Club traces its origins to the 16th century, making it one of the oldest continuously played golf courses in the world. The club formally organized in 1832, and the current routing evolved through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shaped by the natural linksland along the Firth of Forth. The course runs out and back along the coastline, with the outward nine playing eastward toward the rocky shore and the inward nine returning to the clubhouse. The terrain features classic Scottish links characteristics: rumpled fairways, deep pot bunkers, stone walls, and greens that sit naturally within the dunes. Several holes have achieved particular fame in golf architecture. The par-3 15th, known as "Redan," serves as the original template for one of golf's most copied hole designs, with its angled green and strategic bunkering. The par-4 13th, "Pit," requires a blind tee shot over a stone wall, while the short par-4 16th, "Gate," demands precision around the stone dyke that crosses the fairway. Bass Rock, a volcanic formation rising from the sea, provides a distinctive backdrop throughout the round. North Berwick has hosted numerous amateur championships and remains an important venue in Scottish golf history. The club maintains traditional links golf values, with the course playing firm and fast in typical conditions. The routing's interaction with stone walls, burns, and coastal hazards reflects golf design principles from an era before modern earthmoving, preserving strategic challenges that have tested golfers for generations.