Is This Scotland’s Ultimate Must-Play Golf Course?

As you would expect from the home of golf, Scotland is blessed with a selection of the world’s very finest golf courses, many of them found along the rugged and inspiring coastlines. There are layouts delivering pure golfing pleasure like Royal Dornoch, tradition and history like St Andrews, incredible views like Castle Stuart. There are Open venues presenting a complete golfing test like Turnberry, Royal Troon, Carnoustie and Muirfield. You’ll find characterful gems like Cruden Bay and Brora and modern classics like Dumbarnie Links and Trump International.

There’s one course though that is forever underrated that delivers an incredible combination of all these factors – The West Links at North Berwick.

Like Royal Dornoch, the West Links at North Berwick is a pure joy to play. It’s largely a traditional out and back links with the sea in play on six holes. It’s quirky with walls running through fairways, raised greens, sunken greens, barmy greens like the two-part 16th and just brilliant greens like that on the much-copied 15th “Redan.

But it’s not overly quirky and the varied holes deliver a complete test of your game, much like the aforementioned Open venues in Scotland. Strong holes like the long par-4 3rd and the back-to-back par-5s at the 8th and 9th demand powerful hitting, while shorter par-4s like the burn-fronted 7th and perplexing 16th require a more subtle touch.

It’s a testing layout to be sure, but it’s not a brute that will beat you up like a Carnoustie or Troon. The course always gives you a chance, right down to the driveable 18th – one more shot at glory.

That 18th is reminiscent of St Andrews as you hit back into town towards the supremely welcoming clubhouse. That’s worth noting – North Berwick is a hugely friendly club that makes visitors feel like members for the day. In fact, there’s a sign outside the clubhouse that states visitors are…