Links ClassicHidden Gem

Dunbar Golf Club

Dunbar, East Lothian · Designed by Old Tom Morris (extension) · Est. 1856

Dunbar is a classic, narrow shoreline links at the eastern end of the golf-rich East Lothian coast, and one of its most underrated rounds. The club dates to 1856 and Old Tom Morris had a hand in extending the course; it runs along a slim ribbon of ground hard against the rocks of the Firth of Forth, so the sea is a constant companion — and a constant threat — down the long run of holes that hug the shore.

At around 6,600 yards and par 71 it is a proper test that regularly serves as a final-qualifying venue for the Open, its defences the wind, the boundary wall and a fringe of rock and beach. With Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane and the Renaissance all close by, Dunbar completes one of the finest golfing coastlines anywhere — and it is friendlier to the visitor's wallet and diary than most of its neighbours.

Golf has been played at Dunbar for centuries, and the present club, formed in 1856, is among Scotland's oldest. The links threads a wonderfully natural strip between the old deer-park wall and the rocks of the Forth, so there is scarcely a flat lie or a dull hole, and the sea is visible from all eighteen. It has long been an Open final-qualifying venue, yet stays gloriously under the radar beside its grander neighbours — a connoisseur's pick to round off an East Lothian week.

Holes worth knowing

112th (par-4) — the green perches precariously above the beach, the sea waiting for anything pushed right; one of the finest holes on a shoreline full of them.
213th "Pit" (par-4) — a tricky punchbowl green tucked between the old wall and a high dune; a quirky, memorable test.

Highlights

Classic shoreline links hard against the Forth
Open final-qualifying venue
Completes the East Lothian coast with Muirfield and North Berwick

Good to know

→The course's defining feature is "the wall" — a long red-sandstone dyke built by Napoleonic prisoners of war that runs the length of the links and marks the boundary all down one side.
→You can see the sea from every hole — a rare thing even among links — so the wind and the out-of-bounds shore are the constant challenge; keep it left of the beach.
→Book direct; Dunbar is friendlier on the wallet and the diary than Muirfield or the Renaissance nearby, and a superb, underrated way to round out an East Lothian trip.
→Dunbar runs along a narrow shelf of rock right beside the sea — the waves are genuinely in play, and a lighthouse and ruined castle frame the round.
→The town was the birthplace of the conservationist John Muir; his birthplace museum and the John Muir Country Park are worth an hour, and Edinburgh is 40 minutes west.

Visitor Information

Getting There

45min drive

Common questions

What is Dunbar Golf Club like?

Dunbar is a classic, narrow shoreline links at the eastern end of East Lothian, dating to 1856, with Old Tom Morris having had a hand in extending the course. It runs along a slim ribbon of ground hard against the rocks of the Firth of Forth, so the sea is a constant companion — and threat — down the holes that hug the shore. It plays to around 6,600 yards and par 71.

Is Dunbar a championship venue?

It regularly serves as a final-qualifying venue for the Open. Its defences are the wind, the boundary wall and a fringe of rock and beach rather than sheer length — a proper, honest test of links golf.

Why play Dunbar over its famous neighbours?

It completes one of the world's great golfing coastlines alongside Muirfield, North Berwick, Gullane and the Renaissance, and it is friendlier to the visitor's wallet and diary than most of them — a superb, underrated round to round out an East Lothian trip.