Well, that 215 pound fee does seem stiff. I played Kingsbarns in 2020 for rather less than that. Loved the place!
The practice facility was top notch. The clubhouse was special, especially given the Dunhill connection. Ian, my caddie was exceptional with the exception of the first hole, when I thought the bunkers in the driving area warranted mention.
Hole 1 featured those bunkers, hidden from the tee. Didn't need to start with a double. Hole 2 brought us right to the sea and I'd been looking forward to that! We never wandered far from the beach and that was a definite plus. Number 3 ran back in the opposite direction, allowing a quick comparison of the wind in both directions. Staying within view of the water for 90% of the time on the course was great... had I not run down into a couple pot bunkers deeper than I was tall, the percentage might've been higher. The gorse around 5 green in all of its golden glory was mostly ornamental but it did play on other holes. Playing #6 afforded me a vision of the clubhouse at Crail and a reason to return to Fife. Then of course there's the narrow burn on #7, courtesy of Napoleon's army. #8 had me playing a mid-iron down to the green with that gaping pot bunker front left side. On 9, I said something about "trees being 90% air" and Ian reminded me that screen doors are too. At 10, the caddy had to point me in a generally productive direction. He did a great job as I saw, once I arrived at my ball. It seemed like there were endless choices from 10 tee. At 11, I was saved from one of the deeper pots by a rake. I moved the rake and my ball dropped in, five feet down. Somebody told me that I could replace my ball and whether that's true or not, I replaced and got off a good shot. That qualified as a first class miracle! Is there a patron Saint of Balata? The twelfth featured that spectacular back tee box, surrounded by gorse... it was the golf equivalent of walking the halls at Versailles. Isn't 13 that stylish par 3 that played down into the quarry? I sort of remember thinking that someone must've whacked a ball off the stone wall and onto the green. The long slog up 14 gave me a good look at the sea birds and made me wonder which side of the middle bunker was safest. Number 15 is flat out a world class par 3. In a heavier left-to-right wind, I could almost hear myself cursing. 16 reminded me of Pebble Beach... but then, come to think of it, so did 17. I birdied 18, where Yoda should be the caddie for the approach shot, "Do or don't do. There is no try."
My experience was 99% positive. I played the Old Course the following day, where the experience was even better. I played Kingsbarns not because I got squeezed out at The Old but because I wanted to. I regard the experience at the New as comparable to Kingsbarns and Jubilee, just slightly less.