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North Berwick (West Links)

North Berwick, East Lothian · Designed by Evolved 19th century (Old Tom Morris, Ben Sayers) · Est. 1832

The West Links at North Berwick is one of the oldest and most idiosyncratic courses in the world, and one of the most loved. The club was founded in 1832, and only St Andrews has played continuously over the same ground for longer. The links runs right along the East Lothian shore — beaches, rocks, the Bass Rock standing offshore — and across it run old stone walls, burns and blind shots that no modern architect would dare build, and that make every round here an adventure.

It is, above all, the home of the Redan. The par-3 15th — about 190 yards to a green that sits at an angle and falls away from front-right to back-left behind a deep bunker — is the original template hole, copied by C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor and countless others across America, so that golfers who have never set foot in Scotland have played its descendants. The 13th, "The Pit," asks you to pitch over an old stone wall to a green tucked behind it. Old Tom Morris and Ben Sayers both had hands in shaping the course through the 19th century.

It plays to par 71 over about 6,500 yards — not long, but endlessly clever and full of character. A few miles from Muirfield and Gullane, it is the warm, beating heart of the East Lothian golf coast.

Holes worth knowing

115th "Redan" (par-3, ~190 yards) — the original Redan: a green set at an angle and falling away behind a deep front bunker. It is the most copied par-3 in golf, the template C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor reproduced across America.
213th "The Pit" (par-4) — the approach must be pitched over an old stone wall to a green tucked immediately behind it. The kind of hole no modern architect would build, and all the better for it.

Highlights

One of the oldest links in the world (1832)
Home of the original "Redan" 15th — the most copied par-3 anywhere
Stone walls, blind shots and the Bass Rock — pure character

Good to know

→North Berwick is the heart of the East Lothian coast — Muirfield, Gullane and the Renaissance Club are all within a few miles for a superb golf week.
→It is far more affordable and far easier to get on than its grander neighbours, and arguably more fun than any of them.
→The town is a charming Victorian seaside resort with good pubs and the Scottish Seabird Centre on the harbour; Edinburgh is 40 minutes west by road or train.
→Embrace the quirks — the walls, the blind shots, the Pit — rather than fight them. That is the whole joy of the place.
→North Berwick’s quirks — the wall you play over on the 13th and the Redan 15th copied worldwide — make it pure joy; the harbour town, the Seabird Centre and boat trips to the Bass Rock are a short walk away.

Visitor Information

Getting There

40min drive

Common questions

What is the Redan hole at North Berwick?

The par-3 15th — about 190 yards to a green set at an angle that falls away from front-right to back-left behind a deep bunker. It is the original "Redan," the most copied par-3 in golf: C.B. Macdonald, Seth Raynor and others reproduced it across America, so golfers who have never been to Scotland have played its descendants.

How old is North Berwick's West Links?

The club was founded in 1832, and only St Andrews has played continuously over the same ground for longer. The West Links is one of the most characterful courses anywhere — old stone walls cross the fairways, there are blind shots and burns, and the Bass Rock stands offshore.

Is North Berwick worth playing among the grander East Lothian courses?

Absolutely — many golfers find it the most fun round on the coast. It is far more affordable and far easier to get on than Muirfield or the Renaissance Club nearby, and its quirks (the walls, the Pit, the Redan) make it unforgettable. It sits at the heart of the East Lothian golf coast, 40 minutes from Edinburgh.