West Links Course
North Berwick, East Lothian, Scotland
West Links at North Berwick is where golf’s democratic spirit lives, a place where titans and everyday players alike have tested their mettle against the vagaries of the wind and the cunning of the land for over a century and a half. Situated hard against the Firth of Forth near North Berwick, the course is Old Tom Morris's seaside symphony, a rumpled linksland canvas where firm fairways tumble between rocky outcrops and gorse-lined hollows. The course is a testament to strategic golf, where imagination and guile trump brute force, especially into a prevailing wind. Although West Links retains its Old Tom DNA, notable contributions from Ben Sayers, James Braid, and most recently, Mackenzie & Ebert, have further sculpted its character. It's not a course defined by championship pedigree, yet its place in golfing lore is secured by its enduring challenge and the sheer joy of links golf in its purest form. More than anything, North Berwick is a bastion of true links golf. The club's ethos is woven into the fabric of the town itself, a community where golf isn't just a game, but a shared passion passed down through generations. This egalitarian spirit is further embodied by the club's famed "Tantallon" hole, the 16th, where a stone wall bisects the fairway, a quirk that exemplifies the course's delightful defiance of convention. After your round, the 19th hole is where the stories continue, of putts missed, shots pulled, and the camaraderie built into the very essence of the golf club.
Ranked by CV ratings from golfers who've played this course. Positions are shown worldwide, by country, and by state; the Public column compares courses anyone can play.
Best in World
Public: #7
Best in UK
Public: #5
Best in Scotland
Public: #4
Golfers say North Berwick delivers one of the most joyful and memorable rounds in Scotland, with many calling it their favorite course despite acknowledging it's not a modern championship test. Reviewers consistently praise the ingenious out-and-back routing that plays differently in each direction depending on wind, the integration of historic stone walls and burns, and especially the celebrated back-nine stretch from holes 13 through 16 (Pit, Perfection, Redan, and Gate), which many consider among the finest sequences in golf. Most note the course's timeless template holes, quirky blind shots, and brilliant green complexes that reward creativity and strategic thinking over distance. The clubhouse atmosphere, town setting, and overall experience earn enthusiastic acclaim, with several golfers describing it as pure fun that captures what the game is meant to be, though one reviewer finds the conditioning unremarkable by links standards.
9.4
242 players
Nearly a perfect golf experience with the most classic hole designs, amazing views, stunning integration into the town and history galore. Even the no alcohol near the clubhouse is cool. Could play this course every day for the rest of my life, just wished my birdie putt on the Redan hole hadn’t lipped out.
This is what golf is all about. Hot take? It’s a more interesting version of The Old Course. The wall. The original redan. 16 is one of the top 10 greens I’ve ever seen. This is one course no one should miss on a Scotland trip.
It’s one of the best days in golf. Out and In and if the wind is appreciable the golf course is two completely different experiences. Quirky,thoughtful,nostalgic and most importantly tons of fun. Half par holes throughout and there are many ways to play each of them. The Redan is most notable but 2-3-4 and 13-14-16 and 18 are so good. The majestic residences on your left going out and the sea on your left coming home. It’s all so good.
North Berwick is not the best course in the world but it might be my favorite. I learned to play golf on “the kids course” at North Berwick. My dad and I would make the hour or so drive from our home to play the fun 9 hole par three course and I would look longingly over on to the West Links hoping to play it one day. My dad passed when I was a teenager so on the handful of occasions I’ve played North Berwick as an adult, I’m always filled with the warm memories of cool mornings spent on that special piece of linksland with him. The course itself isn’t long by modern standards but depending on the wind it can still provide a stern test. While the front nine is not as spectacular as the back, there are still many memorable holes highlighted by fantastic green complexes that have always struck me as particularly pure for a Scottish links course. The back nine is a tour de force with blind shots to helping greens, ocean views and of course the famous wall on the 13th hole which must be carefully navigated on approach. North Berwick is fun, charming, unique golf at its best. If you don’t have a smile on your face coming off the 18th green then you and I must have very different views of what makes golf great.
Words can’t describe the day I spent here with 2 buddies. It’s Scotland so forget about a range, you will figure it out on the course. North Berwick is no longer a hidden gem so if you can get there do it and do it asap. The course, the clubhouse, the town, all of it is an experience you won’t soon forget, like prom night.
Heaven on earth 😍
Few places capture the essence of the game as perfectly as North Berwick. The course will drill into your head that golf is supposed to be fun and unpredictable. Gorgeous setting
North Berwick is a must play for anyone. Such a great layout that has many templates for the modern game. Not a championship course anymore, but that means players of all skill levels can enjoy. The front nine is unbelievable in its own right, but it’s the back nine that gets all the love. Pit (13) Perfection (14), Redan (15), Biarritz (16), create one of the best stretches in golf anywhere. 17 is a long par 4 back up the hill while 18 is a drivable Par 4 for many. A course you could truly never get bored at. If you get the chance, you can’t pass it up.
Just pure fun, and some great holes
Played at Easter last year, absolutely unreal course with amazing club vibes. Will forever be one of my favorite clubs ever. Also pretty elite logo
Public courses closest to West Links at North Berwick Golf Club.
Edinburgh Airport lies just forty miles west of North Berwick Golf Club, a drive of roughly an hour that traces the southern shore of the Firth of Forth before turning inland through East Lothian's farmland and coastal villages. The final miles reveal glimpses of the Bass Rock rising offshore, a volcanic sentinel that has watched over this stretch of links since long before golf was codified here. Arrival at the clubhouse - a modest, weathered stone building perched above the first tee - feels less like reaching a destination than stepping into the sport's living archive, where the game's oldest rhythms still govern the day.
FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
West Links at North Berwick Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 9.4 out of 10 based on 136 explicit golfer ratings.
Yes. West Links at North Berwick Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at West Links is 71.
West Links plays 6,464 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at West Links is 141.
West Links is a 18-hole course.
