Warts and All WINTERFIELD GC: 2024-25 Winter Tour

[Sean_A]

Located on the west end of Dunbar overlooking Belhaven Bay, Bass Rock and the Isle of May, Winterfield is very much the other course in town. The more famous Dunbar GC is on the east end of town. 

The town council gained control of 70 plus acres of the Winterfield Estate in 1935 and built an 18 hole course on the property. A new course was fashioned after WWII which substantially altered the front nine, but it is thought much of the back nine is as was originally designed. The club has recently decided to take over the management of the course and house from the East Lothian Council and recently signed a long-term agreement to this effect. The house, called St Margaret’s after AK Keith’s mother for whom he had the house built is included in the deal. Originally villas were meant to line the coast, but only the one was built. I believe the much less grand original clubhouse still stands across the street from the entrance. Hence the reason for altering the front nine when St Margaret’s was initially used as the house. One can only surmise as to the quality of the original front nine; presumably it was better than the current version.

The opening hole, what can be written? If there are annuls kept on matters such as outrageous par 3s, Whelkie Haugh should most certainly be prominently included. What this term means surely includes laughing. The hole is about 225 yards played over a haugh (low lying meadow) to a green on high ground. The hole earns an A for audacity and an F for foulness. I looked at the card at this point. Winterfield is about 5000 yards, however, there are 8 short holes and only two are under 190 yards!  Did I mention Winterfield is a gorgeous site?




Walkers, know your place.


The green is tiny for such a demanding shot.


One of the longer two-shotters, the second is backed by a wall.


Heading back toward the 1st green, The drivable 3rd is of interest.
 

More to follow.

Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

It's rare that I actively dislike a golf course but there's one I'll make an exception for...

Hole one is...a barmy way to start.
Hole two has bunkers either side of the fairway, 200 yards from the tee. It has two more symetrical bunkers either side of the green entrance.  The sole point of interest is the green slightly  sloping away from you. This was relevant as the clay soil was like concrete throughout the course when I played it. I played within 5 days of the Golf Mates and this is one of the 3 holes they selected to play!!!
Grrrrrr.

[Sean_A]

Spangles

I undersdtand your PoV, but in your haste to hate you may have thrown the baby out with the bath water.

WINTERFIELD TOUR CONT

There is little mystery to the front nine of Winterfield. Why?  2-7 run back and forth and while details can't be discerned from anywhere, the basic idea of the course is certainly on display....FLAT. After the 3rd there really isn't anything of note until the 7th. Although, the course has an inherent beauty which is undeniable. 6&4 below.


Running along the road boundary, the 7th gives us reasons to pay attention. Not only is this hole an actual dogleg, but the green is well raised and of interest. I suspect this is an original hole because it stands in stark contrast to the other front nine holes. This is also the longest two-shotter by a fair margin.




8 & 9 are brutally long par 3s running back and forth along the entrance drive. OoB is a serious risk on the 9th. The 7th green is in the background.


The back nine is on the other side of the entry drive and is a far better collection of holes. The 10th looks like nothing as it a pure lay of the land hole. But sussing the slope right on a 200 yard par 3 is not easy. Good hole. The 4th short hole in a row follows on 11. Playing straight downhill, this shortie is yet again tough to decipher....how much short of this green should we play?


The narrow green follows the grade of the hill. Play is from the left out of shot.


More to follow.

Ciao

[Sean_A]

WINTERFIELD TOUR CONT

The purple patch continues with the short two-shotter 12th. The hole is a bit tight and plays downhill along an escarpment on the left which makes it easy to bail into the 13th fairway. If long enough the trouble can be avoided on this route with a clean approach in. If not long enough, the approach is obscured and awkward.




13...rarely do I encounter a completely harmless looking hole from the tee which turns out to be something special. Fairly generous off the tee, but some trouble does lurk with the beach left and odd rough right. We could see a major storm rolling in over East Lothian!


We faced a 35mph left to right wind which could push drives all the way through the 12th fiarway to the escarpment so the beach was definitely in play. The approach rises to a sloping plateau green. In retrospect it does pay to be right in the hope of coping with the strong slope to the right.


When closer the devious nature of the green is fully exposed. This shot is from a patch of rough surrounded by fairway.


There is very little chance of holding the green from the middle of the fairway.


Behind the green from the 17th fairway. The grade of the slope is harsh.


From further up 17 fairway. The 14th is in the background.


More to follow.

Ciao

[John Mayhugh]

That 13th green does look like a real challenge to hit and hold if it's firm. Always cool to see a great hole on courses that aren't anything special overall.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Running along the road boundary, the 7th gives us reasons to pay attention. Not only is this hole an actual dogleg, but the green is well raised and of interest. I suspect this is an original hole because it stands in stark contrast to the other front nine holes. This is also the longest two-shotter by a fair margin.

This is the metaphor of the stopped clock. Eventually you got one hole right.....




 

[Sean_A]

WINTERFIELD TOUR CONT

Fine golf continues on what may be Winterfield's best hole. This longish par 3 on the beach reminds me of 9 at St Andrews New.


The green is on sneaky high ground. The putting surface too is of interest. Surely this must be an All-Scotland candidate!


While a long short hole, the 15th isn't overly interesting save for its location hard on the North Sea with nothing between here and Denmark. 


The 1st can just be made out in the distance, just left of the hazard stake.


Back to the good golf over compelling terrain for 16.


The green is near the 15th tee and 14th green. It was bloody cold!


A par 5, the 17th makes it way uphill slashing across the middle of the back nine....not a bad hole.


The home hole takes us back to St Margaret's along the club driveway. Whatever one may think of Winterfield, there are plenty of shots along boudaries which can add many kisses to a card.




We took a flyer on Winterfield and weren't disappointed. There are far too many good holes to simply write the course off due to an anemic front 9. #s 3, 7, 9-14 and 16 are evidence of quality design. The stunning location doesn't hurt either. That isn't to say one should  forego a game at Dunbar, but if money or time are issues, Winterfield may be the place for you. If in that much of a hurry, it is easy to tee up on 9 and play 10 holes…. the affordable green fee makes this a viable option.

I hope the club is successful in their endeavour to manage the course and house. Maybe next time I see Winterfield there won't be gorse bushes growing in bunkers! The Council may not fully understand they are sitting on a gold mine. A complete re-working of the property could yield a destination course. Regardless. Winterfield just about makes my Nifty 50 as is. 2024.

Previous stops on the tour

Alnmouth
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,73480.0.html

Cleeve Hill
https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,49796.msg1128469.html#msg1128469

Future stops on the tour.

North Berwick
NB Children's Course
Weston-s-Mare
Westward Ho!
Ludlow

Ciao

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