Advice on N.Berwick area

Friend heading to the NB area for a few mid-October days.
Any thoughts on ease of getting on North Berwick, plus playing the Glen?
Plus Kilspindie.
Is Dunbar and/or Archerfield accessible?
Friend will be using public transport or Shanks's pony.
Grateful for thoughts . . . . .

Kwini, I've played Archerfield quite a lot, and it's a very exclusive place that I don't think you can just walk on. So unless he knows a member, I don't think he's got a hope.

Hate to say it but Mac is probably the best person for this, and for getting there on a bus.

OK, Thanks super

There is a train out to Drem or N. Berwick itself from Edinburgh, so combined with a taxi/bus most of the East Lothian courses are easy enough to get to via public transport.


Kilspindie and the Glen are easy enough to walk on but maybe best to book a tee time just to be sure. Dunbar should also have tee times for visitors.

I might be wrong but I think you could book 4 balls (and only that) at Archerfield as a visitor but for a pretty hefty price.


Do you know how long your friend is planning to be in the area as rejigging the schedule to play Kilspindie plus one of the Gullane courses might be a better use of time than playing at the Glen?

Thanks Mac,

Probably in the area for four days, w/b Oct 16th - how far is Gullane away from NB?

Gullane is between Aberlady (Kilspindie) and Nb. Probably about 10-15 minutes drive from Gullane to nb.

I just think it is best to maximise links time when in the region. The Glen is not a links course and sits atop some land overlooking the town.

Courses 2 and 3 at Gullane are also pretty cheap.

Thanks Mac,
Appreciate your thoughts, I'll pass them on. Cheers

Surely the first question is budget?

Money no object: Muirfield, Renaissance, Archerfield, Gullane No1.

Money no object would be Nb x4.

raycastleunited wrote:Surely the first question is budget?

Money no object: Muirfield, Renaissance, Archerfield, Gullane No1.

I'm trying to encourage NB x 4! - Do they have all-day fees Mac, or is it 18 holes only?

From the North Berwick website NB no Visitors on a Saturday:

1st April 2017 – 31st October 2017

Weekday ROUND £110.00, DAY £160.00

Sunday ROUND £110.00

1st November 2017 – 17th December 2017

Weekday £75.00

Sunday £75.00

JUNIORS (17 years and under) are welcome to play the course and will pay 50% of the above fees. A valid handicap is required.

Visitor Hours:

Monday, Wednesday & Friday 10.09 to 15.00, Tuesday & Thursday 10.09 to 16.09
Sunday 12:33 to 18:00

Cheers Roller, Sounds like at least one All Day pass - I'll try to encourage two, blame Mac if it tips down for 48 hours.

n.b. and dunbar are walkable from the train station

barragan wrote:n.b. and dunbar are walkable from the train station

Good, as Rooney won't be there to pick you up.

Gullane is just a 5 minute drive west from North Berwick. Dunbar is about 15 minutes east of NB. As someone said, you can get a train to NB from Edinburgh. There are taxis aplenty at NB station. Drem also has a station but it's not near enough anywhere to be helpful. There's a bus service from Edinburgh to NB, and it passes Longniddrie, Kilspindie, Luffness and Gullane on the way. You sometimes see people lugging clubs on and off.

Unless your pal has money to burn, I'd ignore Renaissance, Archerfield and Muirfield. They are excellent courses but they aren't worth £200+.

NB West Links is everyone's favourite I think. The stretch from 11 to 17 is just wonderful. The Glen is more picturesque but not as good. It has a few funny old holes, and some good ones too. It is pretty much a links - only a purist would say otherwise.

Gullane 2 is pretty good value - around £60 I think. The stretch of holes overlooking Aberlady Bay is fantastic.

Kilspindie, Aberlady, Luffness and Longniddrie (not a links) are great courses too.

Thanks barra, George, and all.
Not sure how much insight will be heeded, or even if he'll end up there, but great advice anyway. Thanks.


(And sighs of relief all round that Wazza's off the roads; cheers pedro, grateful for that info.)

For what it's worth I've play NB, Muirfield and Gullane 1&2 and agree with the general sentiment about NB. Quite simply the most enjoyable day ones likely to spend on a golf course. They also put a fair effort into making sure visitors feel welcome (in contrast to the Open rota venue just along the road and it's snooty neighbours at Archerfield)

That stretch of land when you travel east towards Gullane, passing Luffness, then between the Gullane courses is the most wonderful sight for golfers. I'm always amazed by how lovely it all is.

I never tire of being there - it's like Disneyland for golfers.

George1507 wrote:
I never tire of being there - it's like Disneyland for golfers.

It's true Scotland is just like Disneyland, it has the same obesity rate (29% in Scotland in 2015, 29.7% in Florida). Although without the hurricanes.

To be fair I'd be up in east Lothian all the time if it had Florida weather.

And you'd risk running into Trump both places.

raycastleunited wrote:

George1507 wrote:
I never tire of being there - it's like Disneyland for golfers.

It's true Scotland is just like Disneyland, it has the same obesity rate (29% in Scotland in 2015, 29.7% in Florida). Although without the hurricanes.

To be fair I'd be up in east Lothian all the time if it had Florida weather.

North Berwick is about the driest place in the UK. 24 inches of rain a year, roughly. Orlando gets more than twice as much rain although it's warmer there, for sure.

I meant Disneyland in Anaheim - warm winters, hot summers and no rain.

I played Gullane No 2 on Saturday. It was superb as usual. Got a good deal after complaining about lack of food when we came off the course in March.

Some data to support George's point:
https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/learning/rain/how-much-does-it-rain-in-the-uk

Looks like Southend and north Kent are the driest parts of the UK.

Although you need to put it in the context of temperature, which shows that N Berwick is a bit nippy compared to south east England.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/media/108554/uktemperaturetrends.gif

It's a degree different?

Any thoughts/insight as to which of NB and Gullane is the more social, food, pubs, shops etc?

I usually just go to the lobster shack or the chippy in NB. Also a good coffee shop (steampunk) and a nice gelato type ice cream shop. The main drag has loads of eating and drinking places. 


In Gullane there is a good German bakery/caffe.

I guess NB has a lot more going on overall.

10 years ago North Berwick seemed to have a fair bit going on in a trendy, slightly gentrified North London sort of way. Gullane was a ghost village of rich people's second homes. Dunbar was more of a normal sociable place than either, if feeling a bit run down. Not been up that way since so interested to know if it's changed.

My favourite town that way was Haddington, but it's twenty minutes to the links courses from there.

The Old Clubhouse in Gullane is an excellent place to eat, drink and watch the stars of tomorrow whacking it round the children's course.

Just round the corner from the Main St.

Thanks for all "reviews"; our intrepid traveller (my lad) has reserved a room at Macdonald Marine in NB for four nights. Golf course itinerary tba.
Reports in a fortnight!

Thanks to all for your advice.
My son played 90 holes over four days, partly Ophelia infested, 54 at NB, 18 at Dunbar and 18 at Gullane #1.
Sounds like he was the first/only? man out at NB last Tuesday, but joined up with a member who comped him on Thursday. Found Dunbar's rough the biggest problem and loved Gullane #1 (thought it was the best course he's played so far).
Played largely in beautiful weather apart from Ophelia's winds, so a good time had by him.
NB's lobster shack was closed Mac, perhaps you're a fair weather golfer then?

Don't you love it when your children have their parents' bucket list experiences?

Kwini

Sorry, thought it stayed open a little further into the year. The same lobsters are served up in one of the restaurants in town. There is also the rockateer but I think that stops when the shack does. Hope your son managed to find something decent to eat in the area.

It has been great weather this week in Edinburgh, some of the best golfing conditions of the year.

I imagine there would have been a bit of wind out East but you need that to make the links experience that little bit more authentic.

Interested to hear that Gullane #1 was the favourite, usually people criticise it. I wouldn't put it ahead of NB but think it is a really good course. You can't beat some of the views from the top of the hill on the Gullane courses.

Mac,
Haven't heard the full report, but know he loved the experience, enjoyed the company of all the "locals" he met (especially at NB) and was mortified to be grouped with two dumbf*ck Californians at Gullane.
Looking forward to hearing more and seeing his pic's.
He works for an airline so hopefully this will be the first such trip of many more to come.