GOLF HOUSE CLUB, ELIE

[Bill_McBride]

Definitely one of my favorite fun courses.  Love the variety of the 16 par fours.  13 is my favorite, the iron shot up to that shelf green is exhilarating.  Thanks for the fine review. 

[Lyne Morrison]

We often profile here the truly top notch/world class golf courses, of all types: from the Bandon courses to Fishers Island, from those of the Australian sandbelt to the Scottish links, from Prairie Dunes to Garden City.  But Sean's courses in general, and a course like Elie in particular, while they might not be 9s or 10s or even 8s, seem to define and embody "golf" in such a sublime and perfect way -- but in a way I can't put my finger on.

Is there a word that captures this?





Peter, I often think of these as 'authentic' courses.


These courses were built to 'serve' a community, and they do that well.
Recreation, exercise, connection with both nature and community are all provided in an affordable and sporty environment.


Marketing, ratings, media, costly construction and conditioning and the multipurpose clubhouse, do not feature.


In many ways - real golf.
Nice to see Elie


Lyne

[Peter Pallotta]

Thank you, Lyne. That is indeed a very good word.

I miss you around here - your insights and expertise,  your kindness and positive attitude, and your elegant and understated way with words.

I hope you are well and that all is well, and I trust you are keeping busy with projects more nourishing than trading posts with loudmouth lunkheads

[Bill_McBride]

We often profile here the truly top notch/world class golf courses, of all types: from the Bandon courses to Fishers Island, from those of the Australian sandbelt to the Scottish links, from Prairie Dunes to Garden City.  But Sean's courses in general, and a course like Elie in particular, while they might not be 9s or 10s or even 8s, seem to define and embody "golf" in such a sublime and perfect way -- but in a way I can't put my finger on.

Is there a word that captures this?





Peter, I often think of these as 'authentic' courses.


These courses were built to 'serve' a community, and they do that well.
Recreation, exercise, connection with both nature and community are all provided in an affordable and sporty environment.


Marketing, ratings, media, costly construction and conditioning and the multipurpose clubhouse, do not feature.


In many ways - real golf.
Nice to see Elie


Lyne

I love the way the course wraps around the town, really more than others I've played in Scotland.  You play the third and then walk across a road, hit your tee shot on 4 and the left side of 4 is all houses and a really nice pub.  You turn left at the end on 5 and play alongside houses.  You don't see the town again until the 17th green and the stroll back across the road to the 18th tee and home.   It's a great aspect of Elie and must be cherished. 

[Rich Goodale]

Bill, et. al.


Calling the course over which The Golf House Club, Elie plays over "Elie" is a misnomer.  The historical name of the land is The Earlsferry Golf Links, and all the houses which surround the house are in the historical village of Earlsferry, not in Elie, which was founded 600+ years after Earlsferry (whose 1st mention was in 1054, and which became a Royal Burgh well before Elie became a village).  Over time, Elie surpassed Earlsferry, having better port facilities and concomitantly much more wealth, and by the time that GHCE was formed the artisans in town split to form the Earlsferry Thistle Club, out of which all the great golfers from the area came (Braid, the Simpson brothers, Douglas Rolland, ertc.).  The original ETC clubhouse was the pub you noticed down the left side of the course, and ETC still exists, somewhere......

[Sean_A]

Rihc

History can fade.  It is interesting that once the Golf House Club opened and over time, the links seemed to be referred to as Elie. Even GHC added Elie to its name.  Do you think its because GHC owns the land whereas orginally it didn't?  In any case, the landowner decides the name...so Elie it is.

Ciao   

[Niall C]

Not in the case of Balmedie or Turnberry    Seriously though, if you are talking about a colloquial name then it's down to useage and how people refer to it, not what name the owner wants them to refer to it. If it's the postal address then the owner needs to get OK from Post Office I believe.


Niall

[Alex Miller]

Authentic is really the perfect word for Elie.


I've opined on Elie multiple times since experiencing it- truly fun adventurous golf that feels as if it's played on land that could never have been intended for any other use. By far the most pleasant surprise of my trip to Scotland even with large excitement to play there from studying up online.


The course is paced excellently. Long to short, downwind to upwind and across - we truly never noticed there were 16 par 4's (although #3 played longer than a couple of the others). It has everything one could ask for in a home club and locals are lucky to be able to play a course everyday that I would gladly travel thousands of miles for another opportunity.

[Bill_McBride]

Authentic is really the perfect word for Elie.


I've opined on Elie multiple times since experiencing it- truly fun adventurous golf that feels as if it's played on land that could never have been intended for any other use. By far the most pleasant surprise of my trip to Scotland even with large excitement to play there from studying up online.


The course is paced excellently. Long to short, downwind to upwind and across - we truly never noticed there were 16 par 4's (although #3 played longer than a couple of the others). It has everything one could ask for in a home club and locals are lucky to be able to play a course everyday that I would gladly travel thousands of miles for another opportunity.

😀😀👍👍

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Dear Rich Goodale,


Thank you for the elusive Elie story.


I love the honest golf at Elie with so many run away greens. But, as much as I admire Elie it is not true links land. I think the natural links lands that connect Lundin and Leven and the Old Tom Morris holes there are damn near the finest golf holes in Fife.


Just my own opinion!


Best!


Malcolm

[Jon Wiggett]

Malcolm,


sorry but I do not agree with your assessment of the land at Elie. It is links land as it certainly was low quality grazing land by the sea. It might not be dune land but that is not the definition of links land.


Jon

[Tony_Muldoon]

Malcolm,


sorry but I do not agree with your assessment of the land at Elie. It is links land as it certainly was low quality grazing land by the sea. It might not be dune land but that is not the definition of links land.


Jon

I played about 5 years ago immediately after torrential and sustained rain, within 30 mins there was no evidence. However on this visit the turf was definitely not as fine as on the Eden.  There were no 'odd' bounces that I associate with the short game on inland/clay. In one sense the turf helps the course play a little longer which is not really a bad thing.


IMO Linksland: which is not as homogenous as some people believe.

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Jon/Tony/Rich,


My "American" interpretation of links land led me towards the undulating, lumpy and sandy dune like coastal strips of terrain.

Actually, Jon's definition of "links" being just border/waste areas between town and sea are more in line with what I was presented with when I toured the R&A clubhouse with their curator.

So Elie can very well be considered Links Land if you adhere to the R&A standard.

Either way it is a lovely place to while away a few hours whacking a ball around!

[Bill Crane]

Malcolm - you provocateur!


Last June my son Marshall and I took Tom Doak's advice in the new Confidential Guide and played GHC Elie on Saturday and walked the entire Old Course on Saturday.


It is Charming and certainly Authentic.  Like so many of my favorite courses it comes right out of the town - similar to Springdale, Merion, R Dornoch, Nairn, North Berwick, etc.,etc.   Oh, and the courses in St Andrews, of course.

We were fortunate enough to join two members, also Father and son on the 5th hole.  After the round, I enjoyed the pictures of Bill Campbell in classy clubhouse- who was apparently a member.  I had caddied for him as a lad at Springdale during a Princeton U alumni event in about 1973.   US Amateur Champ, 2 time Sr. Amateur champ, President of the USGA, he was also became the Third United States citizen who became Captain of the R and A.  The members noted that historically many R and A members are also Elie members which may have been the reason that Campbell joined the club.


The comment about the lack of definition visually off the tee obscures how interesting the course actually is, and how tricky the shots are into the greens, especially with any wind and the interesting and unusual angles that the greens are canted.


By the way, I think the main hill at Elie is actually an escarpment, especially when you seen how it ascends as it approaches the Firth of Forth.


I am eager to return.




Bill

[Mark Pearce]

Earlsferry Thistle Golf Club still very much exists.  It has a modest clubhouse which is the white building to the right of the 18th tee.

[Sean_A]

Dear Rich Goodale,


Thank you for the elusive Elie story.


I love the honest golf at Elie with so many run away greens. But, as much as I admire Elie it is not true links land. I think the natural links lands that connect Lundin and Leven and the Old Tom Morris holes there are damn near the finest golf holes in Fife.


Just my own opinion!


Best!


Malcolm

Malcolm

If its any consolation...I didn't think Elie was terribly linksy.  There looks to be a significant percentage of meadow grass about the place.  It doesn't matter much to me though because the design is wonderful.

Ciao

[Malcolm Mckinnon]

Sean,


Thanks!


When are you going to hit Pitreavie?


I thought that I might stir up something here regarding what what actually is Links land.


I guess that I will try again!! 

[Carl Johnson]

Elie was the first course I'd ever played in Brittan (year 2000).  It wasn't on our schedule, but our driver from the Edinburgh airport to St. Andrews suggested we stop off and try to play.  It wasn't a visitors day, but there had just been a torrential downpour and the course was deserted, so they let us go off.  It was 4:00 p.m.  It was an enjoyable round and a nice intro to Scotland golf.  Thanks for the photos and memories.  And one of our four ball did hit one way right from the first tee.  Never found, we surmised it had crossed the wall into the pasture.  And other interesting tidbit, the starter insisted on giving us a description of how to play every hole.  No way we'd remember all of that

[Mark Pearce]

Carl,


Right of the wall on the first isn't a pasture, it's a nine hole children's course.

[Carl Johnson]

Carl,


Right of the wall on the first isn't a pasture, it's a nine hole children's course.

Mark, I saw tall grass and assumed pasture.  Maybe there was some tall grass near the wall.  Just looked on google map satellite and saw the other course. Is it the Elie Sports Club 9-hole course, which appears to be nearby?

[Mark Pearce]

Carl, yes, that's right.  The first fairways of the two courses are adjacent, with the wall and a narrow strip of rough separating them.  Both are OOB on the other course.

[Sean_A]

The comment about the lack of definition visually off the tee obscures how interesting the course actually is, and how tricky the shots are into the greens, especially with any wind and the interesting and unusual angles that the greens are canted.

Bill

I agree completely with this comment.  Most holes have something sneaky happening for the approach...sometimes in combination with slide away greens.

Ciao

[Mark Pearce]

Playing in strong wind from the back tees on Saturday the course really showed its teeth.  Only three players in a field of 100 managed net scores of par or better.


Sean is right about the approaches.  Almost every green has a trick to approaching it.  Members know that the ball will work in from the left on 1, you can fly it to the green on 2 but short of any flag, work it in from short left on 3, be the right side of the ridge on 4, work it in from short right on 5, land it short on 6 and use the slope, etc., etc.


Like all good links, how to play it is very wind dependant.  In my previous round there 17 had been three good blows to reach into an East wind.  On Saturday, a slightly mis-hit drive and a wedge.  These changes in wind can also make a huge difference to how to approach a green.  6, which slopes steeply away, can be attacked by flying the ball to the pin in a strong west wind, where in still conditions on a dry, firm and fast day, you'll land the ball short of the green to get even to a back pin position.

[Thomas Dai]

Holes/shots with a "Lack of definition" can be pretty difficult what with aim, alignment, direction, landing area etc issues. Bit like putting on an allegedly perfectly flat green...it never is.
Atb

[Sean_A]

Almost every green has a trick to approaching it.  Members know that the ball will work in from the left on 1, you can fly it to the green on 2 but short of any flag, work it in from short left on 3, be the right side of the ridge on 4, work it in from short right on 5, land it short on 6 and use the slope, etc., etc.

I did find 6 puzzling because I thought I hit a cracker well short of the green and it failed to even make the green let alone scare the hole.  The day before my approach jumped hard and finished on the 10th tee.


#1 is tricky too because the approach plays downhill, but the green is decidedly uphill.  In the lush conditions should have thrown the ball more near the hole rather than trying for kick up...got stung twice.

Ciao