GOLF IN FIFE, SO MUCH MORE THAN A COUPLE OF WELL KNOWN COURSES!
When discussing golf in Fife, with visitors to the area, there are two courses that tend to dominate the conversation and grab the headlines – Kingsbarns and the Old Course.
Needless to say, there is more to golf in Fife than two courses! In fact there are over 40+ golf courses and many of them have green fees that are less than a tenth of the price of the most expensive course! So I decided to see what else was on offer in the Kingdom last week and come up with a handful of courses that I would happily go back and play again.
In the list that I accumulated, there are a number of hidden gems and Open qualifying courses; I’ve also highlighted the most scenic opening hole, the most stunning clubhouse building and the toughest finishing par 4 hole in Scotland (in my opinion) – here’s what I came up with.
Pitreavie GC – Dunfermline
www.pitreaviegolfclub.co.uk
The course was designed by the internationally renowned architect Dr. Alister MacKenzie (1870-1934). He was most famous for designing one of the world’s finest courses at Augusta National in Georgia, home of the US Masters.
At 6000+ yards it’s a fair test, especially as the burn comes into play numerous times and ‘out of bounds’ appears on half a dozen holes. You quickly start to realise that a bit of course management is needed here! There are a number of tiered greens (double & triple) where Dr Alister MacKenzie’s design influence will be felt.
Dunfermline Golf Club (Pitfirrane) – £45
www.dunfermlinegolfclub.com
Driving into Dunfermline GC you are in no doubt that you’ve arrived at a grand country estate. Sitting in the centre of these beautiful grounds, lies the ochre coloured clubhouse, a 600-year-old baronial house that was the home of the Halkett family until 1951. It definitely takes the title of most stunning clubhouse building.
The parkland layout is very much dominated by the trees and the course itself is made up of five par 3s, five par 5s and eight par 4s. Three of the par 5s are on the 16th, 17th & 18th. I’m not sure I’ve played another course with three par 5s to finish.
Lochgelly Golf Club – £15
www.lochgellygolfclub.co.uk
Lochgelly is not a course I have visited before and having walked round most of the course, I can say I’d be delighted to go back.
The course was looking particularly good in the glorious sunshine, the gorse was blooming and the water feature was in full flow! It’s an easy walking course over 5500 yards, with rolling fairways and great views of the Ochil Hills and surrounding country side.
Two issues in Scottish golf at the moment relate to the time it takes to play 18 holes and also the cost. Lochgelly GC answers both issues; firstly, this course won’t take you much more than 3 hours to get around and secondly, I was some what surprised that the green fee was only £15 – so in terms of value for money, this is a great deal – as is their annual membership offer at £250 for the year!
Balbirnie Park GC – £30
www.balbirniegolf.com
Balbirnie Park GC is set in the 400-acre grounds of Balbirnie House, a 30+ bedroom country house hotel that is run separately from the golf course.
The course itself is a rolling, tree lined, parkland course. At 6300+ yards, it is a challenging course, particularly as there are plenty of elevation changes, leaving you with a downhill or uphill lie. If you enjoy parkland golf in Fife or simply want a break from Fife’s links golf, Balbirnie Park is a great track to play.
Golf House Club, Elie – £80
www.golfhouseclub.co.uk
Golf has been played over these links since the sixteenth century, by all accounts! The legendary golf architects, Old Tom Morris and James Braid have both been involved in the design of the current course layout.
This is one of the finest links courses in Scotland and you’ll certainly have a memorable start before a ball is hit. The starter uses a submarine periscope, salvaged from the Royal Navy’s HMS Excalibur, to see over the mound in front of the tee box, to ensure the fairway ahead is clear at the first hole.
Another unusual point about Elie is that there are no par 5s. There are only two par 3s and six of the remaining par 4s are over 400 yards, which ensures a challenging round. In terms of golf in Fife, this is one of the more expensive courses but well worth the visit. Booking is essential particularly in July and August.
Canmore Golf Club – £15-£25
www.canmoregolfclub.uk
Canmore CG is a 5460 yds par 67 parkland course, located just outside Dunfermline. It’s a short course with the reputation of having good greens throughout the year. There’s a good mix of holes throughout the course. The stand out hole, for me, was the 11th where you’ll have an interesting blind approach into a sunken green.
Visitor green fees are between £15-£25 depending on when you want to play. This course ticks the ‘value for money’ box and it certainly does not strike me as course that will take you much more than 3 hours or so to get round.
Burntisland Golf Club – £22 (Mon/Tue) £29 (Wed/Thu)
www.burntislandgolfhouseclub.co.uk
I was fortunate to catch Burntisland on a lovely evening – the haar was slowly lifting and the sun was finally coming through.
The course is a fine parkland course on a hillside setting that gives you great views over the Firth of Forth from about the 6th hole onwards. The gorse was in full bloom and the course did look magnificent.
The fairways are reasonably generous and the rough was fairly well cut back when I visited. There are, however, a number of strategically placed trees to keep you focused. Also, avoid the gorse at all costs!
Aberdour Golf Club – £30 (afternoon)
www.aberdourgolfclub.co.uk
It has been too long since I played Aberdour and as I stood on the first tee, the memories came rushing back to me – 25+ years ago I said to myself that this has to be the most scenic opening hole in Scottish golf. 25 years later, I am still happy to stand by that statement.
The first nine holes at Aberdour run along the coastline before heading inland for the back 9 that has a more parkland feel to it. There are six par 3s and one par 5 and the overall yardage is just over 5400 yds. It will seem a lot longer in the prevailing westerly wind.
This is a fairly easy walking course with great views and at £40 for a morning round (£30 in the afternoon) I’d happily pay that for a golf outing there.
Leven Links – £30 (after 3:00pm Mon-Wed)
www.leven-links.com
Leven links is held in high regard by the golfing powers that be. It has been an Open qualifying course on many occasions, in addition to hosting numerous prestigious national, international, professional and amateur events over the years.
Leven is a classic Scottish links course, full of natural dunes, valleys and slopes that will throw or collect your ball in true links style. When the wind gets up it can cause havoc, as your ball appears to take on a mind of its own, on the firm fairways and fast rolling greens.
As you end your round you will be faced with possibly the toughest finishing par 4 hole in Scotland – it is 457 yards and has the Scoonie burn running right across the front of the 18th green. Do you go for it in two…..or lay up? I’ve had some tense finishes here and that’s been in nothing more than bounce games – I can’t imagine the tension involved, trying to make par at the last, in order to qualify for the Open Championship!!
Crail – Balcomie – £40 (with Scottish Golf card)
www.crailgolfingsociety.co.uk
Last week when I pitched up at Crail, the haar was so thick that no one was going out – you simply could not see 100 yards in front of you! These things happen when the prevailing westerly wind changes to an easterly on the east coast – that’s golf in Fife for you….and the rest of the Scottish east coast for that matter!
However, having played the course a number of times, the standout hole for me is the 447 yard, par 4, 5th hole. It is a dogleg to the right over a beach/bay but this bay is lined by white staked ‘Out of Bounds’ as opposed to red staked ‘Lateral Hazard’. This is one tough hole into the wind.
The other standout point for me is that there are six par 3s and they average 182 yards, so no let up there on a breezy day.
Don’t let the 5800 yardage fool you, this course can feel like 7800+ yards in a strong wind, where the difficultly not only lies in playing against the wind but also trying to stop your ball down wind.
Ladybank Golf Club – £45 (after 3pm)
www.ladybankgolf.co.uk
Ladybank Golf Club is certainly one of my favourite inland courses in Scotland and is a serious test of golf from the back tees – no wonder that it has been an Open qualifying course on many occasions. It is a superb alternative to Fife’s links courses and is not dissimilar to the courses at the highly regarded Rosemount Golf Club in Blairgowrie.
The green fees are £62 but if you’re prepared to tee off after 3pm, fees are reduced to £45….what a great way to spend a late afternoon in Scotland!
The course is of heathland terrain, with plenty silver birch & pine trees around which occasionally help as a bit of a wind shield on breezy days. Keeping it on the fairway is key to playing Ladybank, as the rough is not only tree lined but interlaced with heather throughout.
For the main part, this course is another easy walking track and from the blue tees (visitors) the course measures 6300 yards par 71. The greens have always been in great condition every time I have played the course, which is generally between the months of May-Sept.
Scotscraig – £45 (after 1:30pm)
www.scotscraiggolfclub.com
Scotscraig is the most northerly course in Fife and is virtually equidistant from St Andrews and Carnoustie. The course is a mix of links and heathland terrain – there is a lot of gorse which looks great in full bloom….however, you’re unlikely to find your ball if it goes anywhere near it!
Scotscraig is the 13th oldest club in the world and celebrated its 200th anniversary last year. It has also been an Open qualifying course on many occasions over the last 35+ years.
If you plan to golf in Fife then this is a great stopping place for 18 holes if you’re heading from Fife up the east coast or equally heading into Fife from the Tay Bridge.
Any combination of these courses would make a great 3-4 day golf package – in fact you could have seven days of golf in Fife at some of the above courses for the same price as one round at Kingsbarns (£268)!
There are many other courses in the Kingdom of Fife and I hope to cover some more of them in another blog post – hmmm….that means another golf trip to Fife, sounds good to me!!
Happy Golfing!
