I'm in love with Goswick

[Simon Holt]

It was love at first sight, before I even knew it was a course, seeing those dunes from the train on the way to London.  I thought it would be cool to build a course there then I found out today that some guy called James Braid beat me to it.

I had heard rumblings that it was a very good course and I know people have talked about it on here before .  Ok. (draw breath) I have been a member of North Berwick since the first day I played golf, I love it, live next to it and dream about it often.  Goswick is as great a golfing experience as North Berwick.

They are different species of the same animal but what each lacks the other provides.  Goswick is a sterner test and has more movement in the land.  NB is closer to the water and has amazing views and famous templates.

If you visit East Lothian DRIVE 45 MINUTES SOUTH and play Goswick.  At £38 the value is as incredible as the undulating fairways and rumpled greens.  I can only speculate that some minor tweaks to conditioning are the only thing that keeps this course off the radar.  It is AWESOME.  Brora on steroids.  YOU HAVE TO PLAY THIS GOLF COURSE.  Forget all the BS box ticking of Open courses and get there ASAP.

Simon

[David_Tepper]

http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/

[Bill_McBride]

"Goswick is as great a golfing experience as North Berwick."

Photos?  Routing?

It sounds great, coming from a North Berwick man.

[Simon Holt]

I am golfer rather than a photographer I'm afraid. 

The routing has a bit of everything.  Bold elevation changes, up, down, numerous doglegs that dont get old, strategy off the tee, constant changes in direction with regard to gauging the wind.  Add to that the odd punchbowl green, superb mounding, fantastic bunkers that hug the ground, fairways that look like they are draped over the dunes....its a knock out.

[Mark Pearce]

Simon,

I have sung Goswick's praises for a while.  By a distance the best course in Northumberland (though I need to get a second look at Scott MacPherson's Close House course.  If it was 30 miles further North it would get far more attention, not being in Scotland hurts it, I think.  Membership is cheap, too (I think just over £300).  I think it's very good indeed BUT, it's behind Silloth in Northern England and I'm surprised to see you rate it with NBWL.  That said, it's good holes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 18 at least) aren't, perhaps, as great as NBWL's but the weaker holes (not that there're many, perhaps 7, 9 and 10?) aren't  shabby.

Did you play well?

[David_Tepper]

Slideshow of course pics:

http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/gallery.html

[Simon Holt]

Mark,

I shot well over my handicap and loved it.  I did finish eagle, birdie which was nice  but I was singing it's praises the whole way around.  There are many really solid stretches but 11-18 is such a good finish.

I honestly dont think it has a dud hole.  9 is the only one I would even consider to be mediocre. Perhaps, as you say, no great holes to compare with NB on that level but each hole is exciting and different from the one before and after.  I can remember each hole vividly. 

Simon

[Marty Bonnar]

Simon,
thank you SO much!
(for reminding me how great Goswick is).
I played it about twenty years ago on a boys weekend outing and had completely forgotten that it had so many great holes.
I'll definitely have to return the next time I'm heading over to East Lothian or down the A1.
Were there any low-flying military boys around? I seen to remember there was an old bombing range adjacent.
cheers,
MB.

[Melvyn Morrow]

Some early history from April & Sept 1894





 

[John Chilver-Stainer]

I played Goswick last year on a beautiful Autumn day, a 1 hr 45 minute trip from South of Edinburgh and in great duneland. However I wouldn’t go as far to say it was better than North Berwick. A few of the fairways are flat and close to the water table and the grasses were quite lush when I was there – in high summer it would be dryer. Also some of the greens are non-descript.

Having said that the rest of the holes are outstandingly “quirky” – meaning bumpy lumpy and having their own unique character.

I particularly liked the Par 3 15th – an elevated downhill 150 yards, which depending on the wind can use any club in the bag. It is unlike any hole I’ve seen before. The green was tucked in at the front to a steep downslope – if you landed it short the ball could kick off the slope and could rocket across the green. On the backside of the green to the right a the continuation of the downward hill and “not a good place to be” – behind and left of the green is a reverse slope feeding into the green. 5 pot bunkers surround the green which make it intimidating but ultimately just reduce the number of shots available. Rather than play direct for the putting surface I chose to go for the reverse slope behind the green and was fortunate enough to hit it and get the kick into the green. How much fun is that?

For an impression of the course check out their website and course slide show.

http://www.goswicklinksgc.co.uk/gallery.html

[Simon Holt]

John,

I never said better, I said as great a golfing experience.  The experience at North Berwick is one of surprises and above all fun.  I believe Goswick has that.

Which greens did you feel were non-descript?

[Giles Payne]

I've played it with MP a few times and really rate it. The course quietly gets on with it and is very solid. I agree that there are few holes which from the tee which scream a photo opportunity - however the holes are very well routed and have plenty of places you really don't want to be (but are not so penal that you can't take your medicine).

I like the way that if find yourself in trouble and take the risky exit strategy, you have to execute near perfectly or you just find yourself in even deeper trouble. An example would be the third which is a great dogleg right with a reverse camber fairway and two target bunkers on the inside corner. So tempting to try to fly them, but really not the place to attack the green from.

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Simon,

Goswick is still a great value for money course and a fun links.
I caught it just after a wet period which probably didn’t give the course the chance to show it’s best side.

I prefer some distinct movement in and around my greens and I found for my personal taste the 9th Green was a let down, I also found the 10th, 11th and 17th Green didn’t qualify for high points, therefore the “non descript” description.

Goswick is definitely a course I’ll be back to this summer to take a closer look at and to get to know a bit better.

As well as the 15th my favourite holes were the 2nd, 6th, 8th, 12th and 14th.

Which holes were your favourites?

[Simon Holt]

Hi John,

I think thats fair.  I think I liked the balance that it gave you a bit of a breather.  The more I think about the 9th hole is the dud among the 18 but still not a bad hole.

I liked 1,2. Loved 3,4,5,6.  Liked 7, loved 8.  9 was ok.

10 was decent, really liked 11. Loved 12-15.  16 was good, 17 was good but agree the green is pretty dull.  18 was a much better finisher than I expected.

It has rained loads here the last week or so and the course was still very lively.

Simon

[Niall C]

Right, who's organising the GCA outing ?

Niall

[Mark Pearce]

There are two "Berwick" courses.  Goswick, which is wonderful, and Magdelene Fields, which is not.  Goswick is a few mles south of Berwick station and is, as Simon suggested, visible from the East Coast mainline.  I believe Magdelene Fields can also be seen from the train.  Only one has the dunes, thugh.

[Mark Pearce]

Giles and I played at Goswick again on Saturday, in torrential rain for most of the back 9.  It really is a great course.  As Simon's top post says, bits of everything.  A brilliant opening hole with a left to right dogleg but a green benched up on the dune, sloping steeply towards the front right.  Short, punchbowl par 3 second, a cracking par 4, par 5 run on 3 and 4 before turning back into the wind and up hill for the tough par 4 5th.  A really, really good par 5 6th, with a tremendous greensite.  Then a three hole breather (not bad holes, just slightly less good than what went before.  10 is another tough par 4, 11 another tremendous par 5 (in fact I'd say Goswick has as good a set of par 5s as almost anywhere, maybe only 17 falls short of the others), a really cracking short par 4 12th, with a semi-blind approach, tough par 3 13th, the 14th is an improved version of the 14th at Cruden Bay, similar drive, short iron approach to a punchbowl green but not a mad one.  Lovely, lovely drop shot par 3 15th.  Driveable downhill par 4 18th surrounded by bunkers.

Great value and a course that really should be visited by far more people.  I must get up there again this summer and take some pictures, then learn how to post them.

[Michael Whitaker]

I think I need to add Goswick to my pre-Buda summer tour!!!

[Eric Smith]

I took the train from Edinburgh down to Berwick upon Tweed, where I had arranged a late afternoon time at Goswick.

The area surrounding the course reminded me of the outer banks of North Carolina with its pristine dunes setting along a beautiful seashore. Difference is Goswick has a fantastic James Braid designed links tucked in under the dunes and pretty much that's it. Looking in both directions as far as the eye can see I only saw one, maybe two houses along the seashore.



One of the many things I love about GCA.com is learning about the places off the beaten path. I would never had made the trek to Goswick without having read Simon's post and the follow up comments from others who have played there and I'm glad I did as Goswick is a most welcoming club and one I'd enjoy going back to with a few friends. Everyone I met there couldn't have been more friendly and some where a bit inquisitive when first hearing me speak. I guess my southern accent isn't one heard too often around there.



1






7 from the fairway


The prudent play here is a high side running approach...


...because even if one does take a more direct line and clears the fronting bunker, there's a decent chance of ending up in one of the many others hidden behind it.


Mounding at 8


The tube runs the length of the fairway at 11


12 green from atop the dune left of the hole




I love running across these -- Captain's bunker at the 13th


14 green offering fun and less than conventional options to getting the ball near the hole


15 is a really cool par 3 playing downhill approximately 160 yards. Didn't know what to expect from the tee...










17








18















So, my advice is to go to Goswick! It will add years to your life. Then perhaps afterwards drive up the coast to North Berwick, taking in the sights along the way. You won't regret it.

[Eric Smith]

Brian,

I paid 19 quid! Twilight rate! Got around in 2 hours, shopped, showered and then pints with the pro and the caretaker. Wish I could do it all over again today.