Prestwick and North Berwick

[Doug Wright]

Redan...Pit...Perfection...Cardinal...Himilayas...Alps.  Although it's been over 13 years since I played them, my mind keeps returning to North Berwick and Prestwick as two of my favourite courses. At the time, I knew next to nothing of golf course architecture, but I sure could readily identify uniqueness, quirk and sheer fun. They have many similarities, including pretty average finishing holes. For those of you who've played  both of these wonderful courses, is there one you prefer....and why?


PS  I know two of our regulars toured North Berwick this week. Maybe they can chime in their views on North Berwick these days.  

[Evan Fleisher]

I had the great oppotunity to play both these courses back in the summer of 1998 during my "pilgrimage" to Scotland.  It might be hard to pick one over the other...each offers a unique test of golf, filled with quirk and fun (as you stated above).

North Berwick was my FIRST EVER test of links golf, so it holds a special place in my heart.  With the firth hard at your right as you play out, the course builds up in anticipation for the inward nine where you find the most "special" of holes, including the stretch from 13-17.  Although the final hole is less than memorable it is still a great overall test of golf and a great walk to boot.

As for Prestwick, what can you say?  Home to the first 13 Open Championships, the mistque, the quirk, the rail line.  The first is a true butt-puckerer to try and find the fairway, and the course really never lets up from there with holes lie Cardinal, Himalayas, etc.  Then on the inward nine you have the incredibly tough 10th, severe ground undulations, extremely tight fairways, bunkers the size of swimming pools (and just as deep!)...there is a little bit of everything out there.

Like I said...it would be hard to decide one over the other in a head-to-head match-up and you can't have much more fun on a golf course anywhere compared with these two places...let's just play 36 and call it a draw!  

[Dan Kelly]

Haven't played Prestwick, but --

Why knock the 18th at North Berwick? Just because it's short and easy?

Like so many of the holes there, it's a FUN hole -- and a great place, if you ask me, to finish a match. Anything is possible at 18 there, in the shadow of that fine old clubhouse!

Ask the pair of GCAers who played there this week: Anything memorable happen at 18? My guess is: Something memorable happens there during MOST rounds.

If you ask me: There's absolutely nothing wrong with walking away from a golf course not feeling beat-up and worn-down.

[Evan Fleisher]

Dan,

Excellent point!

[Doug Wright]

If you ask me: There's absolutely nothing wrong with walking away from a golf course not feeling beat-up and worn-down.

Dan,

Agree to a point, but there is something wrong with walking away from a golf course feeling let down.

Don't get me wrong, I love these golf courses and the finish is still stirrring because in both instances you're heading for home in the form of those great old clubhouses.

All The Best,

[BCrosby]

N.B. and Prestwick are my favorite courses in Scotland.

I even love the mediocre holes. In a bizarre way they help with the flow of both courses.

Think of the mediocre holes as white spaces on a page of poetry.

Bob  

[Doug Wright]

Bob,

Totally agree. The less than famous holes are are lovely preludes or postludes to the more noted ones there.

All The Best,

[ForkaB]

Two very diffenent courses and differing ambiences.  NB a fairly traditional out and back routing, over mostly flat ground with fairly flat greens.  Warm happy, family feeling, reinforced by the bucket and spade brigades and birdwatchers who cross your path frequently, particularly on the front 9.  A village club with a little bit of extra class.  Prestwick more complex, architecturally, and more tight-arsed, socially.  An oasis of poshness in a more than slightly seedy seaside town.  Both have holes for the ages, as Doug mentions, if you are seriously into quirk......the 16th at both courses have to be seen to be believed.

Both have a pitch and a putt finish.  I like NB better because I have made more 2's there.

[Matthew Schulte]

Recently played NB in both an east and west wind.  It seemed to me that the course was designed with the wind from the west in mind.  #16 is a wonderfully fun approach when you have wedge in hand, but brutal when you are 180 out and into a strong wind.  

The approach to #7 can be tricky downwind with a front pin.  You must carry the burn and stop it quickly downwind!   Good luck.  

That said, NB is the most fun links course I've ever played.  I personally love the 18th.  Compared to the final holes at courses like Royal Aberdeen, Carnoustie, Royal Dornoch, I loved the 18th at NB, again for the pleasure of playing it.  The other three mentioned are almost unreachable into the wind.  Golfer insurance or not, it still takes some nerve to blast a driver directly at the 18th green of NB.  

[Paul Richards]

These two courses are like "living museums" of golf course architecture.

I would encourage anyone on this website who hasn't visited Scotland yet to book the next flight over and see these two courses.  Then go to St. Andrews as well.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I had a wonderful game with Rich at NB last wednesday. As one would expect, we handled our pints with a style and ease which was missing on most of out shots. We came to the par 4 18th all tied. The group ahead was on the 18th green. One was a lady who captivated our imagination until we met her the hole before. The vast majority of our shots had been without distinction giving Rich the feeling the green was out of range. A mighty blow was struck and the ball pierced the hurting cross wind and rolled on the green for an ace. An ace if one of the players putters was the hole. It then rolled a bit more and stoped a mere 3 feet from the hole. I acted with confidence by waiting for the group to leave the green. Then golfed my ball to about 15 feet. I missed my 2 and Rich made his to put win the Pint. Yes a 2 on a par 4 is good stuff. Congrats and cheers Rich.

[Mike Hendren]

JB,

That is a tasty tale indeed
Congrats to Rich on the deuce.  

Mike