The 13th at Glen GC, known as 'Sea Hole'
DAY 2 – THE GLEN & GLENKINCHIE
The East Links at the Glen Golf Club in North
Berwick is the venue for our second round.
Although the East Links live in the shadow of
the West Links at the other side of town, this
underrated gem offers one of the best-value golf
experiences along Scotland’s Golf Coast. Originally
laid out as a 9-hole course in 1894, it was extended
to 18 holes in 1906 with a design provided by James
Braid and Ben Sayers.
Every hole of this cliff-top links offers spectacular
panoramas and different perspectives of the
Firth of Forth and iconic Bass Rock. The course
is typified by the 13th, simply known as the ‘Sea
Hole’ which is often likened to the ninth at Pebble
Beach. This signature par-3 calls for a blind tee shot
of between 92-148 yards over sand dunes with the
North Sea crashing against the rugged coastline
below.
In the afternoon, as a diversion from golf we visit
Glenkinchie Distillery (the home of the Edinburgh
Malt), situated in a landscape of rolling hills and
farmland 18 miles inland of the coast. “Welcome
to the Glenkinchie Distillery,” says our guide Bill
Elgin, who walks and talks us through the whisky-
making process - one that takes malted barley,
grinds it up into a mash with spring water and then
distils it before putting it into casks to mature for a
minimum of 3 years.
At the end of the tour, Bill announces with a
twinkle in his eye, that there will be a taste test
in the distillery bar which includes two drams - a
Glenkinchie 12-year-old and another whisky from
the extensive collection. “The lowlands of Scotland
within which Glenkinchie is located has always
produced a softer, drier, milder malt whisky than
ones from other regions,” Bill tells us.“I always
recommend a few drops of water with whiskey, the
water opens it up for a fuller aroma and a more
rounded flavour.”
Our accommodation for the night is the
comfortable Milleur House Bed & Breakfast, run by
hospitable husband-and-wife team Drew and Moira
Cochran, situated only a par-4 away from North
Berwick Golf Club. “We started the B&B before the
British Open at Muirfield in 2013 and it’s just grown
from there,” says Drew. “We now have all kinds
of guests staying with us, from truck drivers and
scientists, to golfers and Americans hiking the John
Muir Way.”
In the evening we drive to the pretty village of
Dirleton to enjoy a meal at the family-owned Open
Arms Hotel serving wholesome food at good prices,
with friendly service and a comfortable lounge with
log fires in the colder months. Just across the village
green is 13th-century Dirleton Castle, a fine example
of a fortified medieval residence and within its walls
are colourful gardens including the world’s largest
herbaceous border.
Volume 4 • Issue 43
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