DESTINATION GOLF SCOTLAND 2023
Royal Burgess
Royal Burgess
With an opening boast of being the oldest golf club in the world you can be sure there is a rich and intriguing history here . The course is a fine , old parkland where numerous varieties of towering trees will hinder and frustrate the wayward . The course may not be long ( 6531 yards , par 71 ) but the many doglegs and the bountiful bunkering mean your driver will need to be employed with caution as you seek out the perfect position for your approach . The course is always beautifully maintained and it is well known for its smooth fast greens , shapely terrain and smartly positioned bunkers .
Mortonhall
A beautifully rumpled parkland , bursting with colour and variety . This is an old club – dating to the 1890s – and the maturity of the setting is captivating with views stretching across Edinburgh , the Firth of Forth and the Pentland Hills . The thrills come from several steep rocky hillocks , where holes are encased in blazing gorse . Trees and water add extra appeal as well as additional danger , and then there are the tight doglegs . The wayward golfer can be punished severely but the elevation changes make it clear what is required of you . This is a perfectly balanced par 72 and Mortonhall is playable 52 weeks a year . The par four 2nd is known as ‘ Moorfoot ’ and it is Index 1 : the high tee shows off the course and the views .
Bruntsfield Links
The Bruntsfield Links completed a £ 1.2 million course investment by renowned architects Mackenzie & Ebert , in 2019 . The course already bears the stamp of Willie Park Jnr , Alister Mackenzie , and James Braid . This Open regional qualifying course has been extensively re-bunkered to match Mackenzie ’ s original shapes . The Bruntsfield Links Golfing Society ’ s roots date back to 1761 – making it the world ’ s 4th oldest club – but this idyllic Edinburgh parkland has been the society ’ s home since 1898 . It sits on spacious , heavily wooded terrain , three miles from Edinburgh city centre , and is known for its gentle rolling rhythm , strategic bunkering and deceptive undulating greens . A new lake has been introduced , some holes reconfigured and five new greens added , and yet the fabric of this sweet parkland remains the same .
Craigielaw
Opened in 2001 , this low-running course presents some traditional links characteristics with modern day flourishes . Old stone walls appear on fairways and in the rough , burns slip across holes and the rough is wispy and often magnetic . What golfers will probably remember most , however , is the cavernous , shapely bunkering and the tricky , slick greens – many of which fall into that upside-down-saucer shape and can prove so punitive to even well struck shots . Given their firmness , golfers will need the most delicate of short games . Accuracy off the tee is essential to optimise your approach and the gentle 1st makes this abundantly clear . The course backs on to Kilspindie , in rich golfing territory . It is slightly away from the sea , on higher ground , offering particularly impressive views over Aberlady Bay . A modern and luxurious clubhouse awaits .
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