Another Photo Tour of North Berwick West Links

[Bryan Izatt]

I believe there have been other such tours, but thought I would add mine, having taken many pictures there while playing the course multiple times.  North Berwick is one of the courses where I have had the most fun playing while being challenged too.  The challenge and the fun changes based on the wind.  Most often it plays out into a west wind which makes a number of holes on the front side quite difficult.  Conversely, coming home into an east wind can make the back nine very challenging.

I would be remiss not to mention Malcom and Sam, the starters, who are a fine pair of gentlemen who get your day off to a good start.  They will tell you the course is a figure 8, crossing at the 4th and 15th, and although that is true, it is a very flat 8, that basically goes out and comes back, with the exception of the 9th, and to a lesser extent the 18th, which play across.

Last time I was there, two years ago, they told me that they were doing more than 10,000 guest rounds a year.  The NB treasury must be doing well, and pace of play has never been an issue when I was there.

If you pause and look at the wall in the starters hut you will see a framed routing of the course which probably details the course as it was in 1895.  A picture of the routing that you can click through a see a larger version is in the next post.

Some of the pictures are from 2013, while others are from 2012 and 2006 (a much warmer and drier year).

[Bryan Izatt]

[Bryan Izatt]

The scorecard.

[Bryan Izatt]

Here is a fairly large aerial of the course.

[Bryan Izatt]

And, finally, before we start the tour, here is the aerial with the 1895 routing overlaid.  It fit surprisingly well.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Bryan Looking forward to this. Your overlay of the 1895 course shows how the bunkers on 16 made more sense then.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #1  328 yards Point Garry (Out)


The 1st looks like a benign beginning on the card at only 328 yards.  There are acres of fairway (shared with the 18th) out to the left.  But clearly ripping away with the driver is not the ideal play.  The fairway dips into a hollow a couple of hundred yards from the tee, crosses a sandy public foot path and then rises up a rocky outcropping.  Of course, the beach and rushes hugging the right side of the tee and fairway will attract your attention too.

Laying up off the tee about 200 yards looks like the best option, although driving further left down in front of the 18th tee can provide a shorter second shot.  In either case the gree is blind up on top of the point.

Some of the pictures you can click through for a larger image.

The view from the tee.




From slightly zoomed in the aiming post is visible on the point in front of one of the guano covered islands in the firth.




This is the view from a position laid up in the fairway.  The green surface is blind but the pin is visible.




Having driven further up, this player is in the hollow and luckilly didn't come to rest on the sandy path.  The green is even more blind from down there.




The green, laying on the ground up on the point is massive, and most often buffeted by the wind.  It is tough to get the approach shot near the pin, and three putts are a distinct possibility given the size and tilt of the green.  The size of the green is evident here, looking from behind and lover the firth.




Looking back across the green to the town is a beautiful view on a warm sunny summer day.

[Greg Taylor]

I have only played NB in a strong wind which blows hard left to right on the first... and I always surprised how big the green is once you get to the top of the hill... there is more room than you think.

Weather wise looks perfect for you. Looking forward to the tour.

[PCCraig]

Looking forward to this tour. Thanks for putting it together.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #2 431 yards  Sea


After the somewhat benign opening hole, number 2 is a slap in the face with reality.  This hole can play much longer into the prevailing breeze.  The sea lurks close by the right side of the fairway, although GCA folklore has it that a birdie can be made from the beach (presumably at low tide and downwind).  This hole is the only one that is really close to the sea (with the exception of #14 green).







There are two options off the tee - take the direct shorter right hand side and try to thread it between the dune in the fairway and the sea; or, bail out left of the dune towards the 17th fairway.  Mostly, I bail out.  From the tee, the green appears to be hard by the sea, but it is not.  The 3rd tee is between the green and the sea.




From the bail out left you are left with a mostly long blind shot to the green.




From the fairway on the direct route the line to the green is more visible, but there is a bunker that appears to be in the way of running a shot in.




From a bit closer in and to the left it is clear that the bunker is deceptively short of the green.




From closer in to the green you can see how the green just lies on the ground.  The berm in back will stop shots that run hot through the green but can also provide some gnarly lies.  Although not obvious in the picture the green is a little bit of a bowl and is again very large.  A tough par, especially into the wind.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #3 464 yards  Trap


If you thought the second was tough - the 3rd is even tougher.  Into the wind bogey would be a good score.  These are two possible card wreckers in a row for those who like challenging courses.

The tee shot feels slightly uphill and the fairway is narrow and is crossed in the driving area by a narrow swale, that isn't visible from the tee, running across the fairway .  The tee is near the sea, but the sea really isn't in play unless there is a large right hand slice.







Now the quirk begins.  The long second shot must be played blind over a stone wall.  The gate might allow a view of the flag if you happen to be at the right angle.  Otherwise there is another tall aiming post that will provide a general direction.  i've seen a number players fail to clear the wall, leaving some very dicey third shots.







From a little closer, a look over the wall on a dry warm summer day.




A look at what is beyond the wall.  Another stone wall running up the right side of the wall and a pit bunker lurking over to the right and short.




A look at the Trap after which the hole was named.  It captures anybody who is a bit short and right.  This green too just lies on the ground.




Looking back from behind the green the more pronounced contours on this green are more evident.

[Thomas Dai]

Very nice Bryan. Looking forward to the next 15 holes.
atb

[Keith Phillips]

Have only played North Berwick once, but your aerial reminds me that holes 14-16 may be the best (or at least neatest!) three-hole sequence in golf.  The unique Pit, the original Redan, and the spectacular biarritz green on 16...it doesn't get any better than that!

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #4  175 yards  Carlekamp


The first par 3, is a bit of a breather, after the preceding two holes, but can play quite long and difficult into the prevailing breeze - certainly a long iron into the wind and a short iron down wind.

The hole is named after the Carlekamp Priory School that looms over the hole.

The tee box is shared with the 15th (Redan) hole and this can sometimes cause a pause as you give way to whichever group got to the tee first.  Interestingly, back in the late 1800's this hole was longer with a tee that was back between the 3rd and 15th greens and crossed over very near the 15th tee.  It must have been a choke point.

Whereas the first three holes play along the seaside, the 4th and subsequent holes move to the inside the rest of the way out.

From the tee, the following are two pictures, one from the glassy dry 2006 and the other from greener 2013.  In the distance, over the right side of the green is the 14th tee.  The 4th green is frequently within range of wayward slices off the 14th tee.  Up to the immediate left of the green is the 5th tee - maybe in some danger from the 4th tee shots - but a very short walk away from the green.






From closer in to the green you can see some of the fronting humps and bumps.  It is possible to run shots in, although it's an adventure.  The green is also evidently two-tiered.  It looks somewhat different than the preceding, lay of the land greens.  Perhaps it was a later renovation to the course.  The players on the 14th tee are more visible in the distance.




Here is a look back along the green.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #5  373 yards  Bunkershill


Perhaps the least inspiring of the holes at NB, but still a good and testing hole into the wind.  If nothing else the views are picture postcard pretty from the green, whether the putts are going down or not.




The hole is a medium length par 4 that bends around to the right.  The is OOB to the left that isn't too threatening and gnarly rough to the right (so don't try to shorten the hole up by going right).  Beware of some hidden bunkers up the right side.  From the tee aim at the big white house and fire away.  The fairway goes down a bit and then up a bit to the green.  Here are three pictures progressively zooming in from the tee.  The group in front is on the green.










From the right edge of the fairway you can see the hidden bunkers and green.




From the fairway, the entrance to the green with the pin tucked nicely behind the bunker.  The second picture is from closer in, and the drop-off beside the green is evident.







Finally, from behind the green looking back.

[Richard Hetzel]

Great pics, that looks like a great place to play! Thanks!

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #6  162 yards  Quarry


Not surprisingly the Quarry hole features a large pit between tee and green.  There is a fearsome bunker on the face of the pit.  Into the wind it is also not surpising that many underclub and end up in the fronting bunker.  The land in the distance looks underwhelming, but just wait till you get there.







Somebody who has fallen victim to the pit tries to extricate themselves.




And, looking across from the left side of the quarry and the front of the green towards the firth.




Looking across the green from the left side you can seee that there are flanking trench bunkers and also that the green is again very large, making two putts problematic if you get the wrong distance or direction off the tee.

[Sven Nilsen]

Apologize for the interjection, but I thought this would be as good a place as any to add this in.

The following article is from the Oct. 1899 edition of Golf Magazine, and provides a good deal of colour as to the early days of the course.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #7  354 yards  Eil Burn


What looks like a nondescript short par 4 off the tee is anything but because of the eponymous burn crossing the fairway just short of the green.  The first time player is well advised to note the name of the hole; the burn is not really visible until yo are almost upon it.  I think the hole actually plays easier into the wind than downwind because of the position of burn so close to the green.

The tee, to me, actually seems to be aimed at the left edge of the fairway with the green displaced a little to the right, but he fairway runs straight from the tee to the green.  Beware that there is a solitary bunker up the right side.  The first picture shows the vew from the tee; the second is zoomed in a bit.  The flag is peaking up above the rough little hillock to the right.






From the driving landing zone there is little to suggest any kind of issue other than the green is a little lower than the fairway.  In the second picture, from a little closer in, a change of colour of the grass suggests there might be something there.  In the third, from yet closer, oops there is a trench there and a stone fence along the left edge of the green and a bunker to the right of the green.  And, the green is again massive and just lying on the ground.

Part of the beauty of the hole is judging the second shot.  Into the wind you can make an aggressive swing from a slightly greater distance counting on the wind to allow you to stop it on the green.  Downwind you have a wedge shot of some sort where it is hard to spin it enough to stop it. You end up flirting with the burn trying to land the ball short of the pin to allow some run out.










Here's a look along the burn with some poor souls searching for their ball.  It gives a perspective of the abruptness of the slopes and the depth.  There is no lucking out by being caught on the bank.




Here's a look at the green from the right side and the click through version gives some sense of the undulations.  Again with this green, being on is no guarantee of a two putt - it is a good idea to be on the right part of green where the pin is.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #8  495 yards  Linkhouse


The 8th is the first par 5 and looks inviting on the card at 495 yards.  Into the prevailing wind, of course, it can play much longer.  It is one of my favorite par 5's because of its subtlety.  It is set on low lying micro humpy bumppy linksland.  From the tee it is hard to discern where to drive the ball.  It was also hard to get a picture, so there is none. 

The tee points you off a little to the left but it's hard to tell since the fairway and rough cuts are very difficult to decipher.  It is evident there is a driving range off to the right but it is separated by rough and isn't really in play.  The best drive is payed left to right to fit in the fairway, but the humps and bumps can route the ball almost anywhere.  From the aerial you can see that there is one bunker out to the left which is where the tee is pointing you.

Also from the aerial you can see a string of four cross bunkers angled across the fairway around where your second shot should be ;landing into the wind.  Closer to the green is a set of six bunkers randomly scattered about.  The trick is to figure out whether to try to carry the cross bunkers and be short of the green-side cluster; or, lay up short of all of it and carry it on the third; or, have a go at the green and thread it through or over the bunkers.  All of this while being unable to really see all of the hazards that are out there or gauge the relative positioning.

Here is a picture of what it looks like from the left rough off the tee near the driving bunker.  Not really much to see - very disconcerting.




As you get past the cross bunkers, you'll be able to see the very low profile green and the scattering of bunkers.




And, closer in still, the green is still not all that distinguished from the surrounds.




Looking back down the hole from behind the green you can see the massive size of the green.  Also, the bunkering is not at all obvious even looking back.  Like a number of other greens trying to get your approach near the pin area will be helpful in trying to make par.  The green may look flat but there is enough movement and usually length of first putt to make getting close to the hole difficult.

[Matthew Mollica]

Many thanks for this wonderful thread. Keep it coming Bryan.
A bucket list course for me - an a must for the hickory clubs.
Contemporary equipment over North Berwick seems wrong to me...

[Tony_Muldoon]

Wonderful stuff Bryan

Firstly those pictures from 1976 can only have been taken a few days before we first met at Dornoch?   My first round at North Berwick was the Tuesday following. I liked it so much I wrote to the clubs.  (Say Hello to M.)


You are right to single out Sam and Malcolm for the welcome they give but to me that whole area is one of the underrated great places in golf. You make your way from one of the two clubhouses to the starters 'hut'.  There's always golfers hanging about, the two little practice areas are low key but right there. You take a moment to look out over the harbour, the beach and take in the challenge of the first hole and if your cares don't fall away you need a doctor, not a round of golf.


I do think the first is a great way to introduce you to the course.  Ironically the green and the 18th tee occupy the highest ground so not all of the course is revealed (this is what makes the view form the second tee so special).  BUT the fact that almost any approach shot left of the pin will see you safe and it's hard to predict exactly where you are in relation to the  flag position, means the shot has a high degree of hit and hop and that marks it down as an ideal golf hole.


The choice at 2 is clear. As you say there's a narrow direct channel, but the safe line leads you into the bumpiest fairway on the course and your stance will often be such that you will have to lay up. It's safe to go even further left where it's flatter  but you are now so far out reaching the green is unlikely.

3 is a lovely green and its quality is often missed by visitors.

Taking relief at North Berwick.  Both from the wall on 3 and the burn on 7, the ground in front of them slopes down for some distance.  If you do need a drop and you haven't got a local caddy then remember to go back far enough to find a level stance or you may well find yourself repeating the whole process.

You describe 4 as a bit of a breather.  I once played here with Doc Hiseman and I told him how the 9 yard distance increase between the daily boxes and the whites made a heap of difference.  IN competition hitting into any wind (particularly with the flag on the top tier) effectively turns this into a  200 yard+ shot. The prevailing wind is funnelled between two raised areas all of which leads me to develop a sling hook and I've lost more balls into that gorse on the left than on any other hole on the course.

5 You've missed a hidden bunker on the left that plays with your mind. If you keep bashing towards the house you will find it! The line is ideally to the right of this roughly where the dark rough meets ground level. For some reason this hole always seems to play a little longer than the card – perhaps the second shot is most often directly into the wind.

7 another wonderful green.

8 Nice description.   Tourists playing with a Caddy may not suffer from the indecisions this hole brings on.


I look forward to seeing more.


Sven that’s a lovely article thank you.   I am not convinced at all that the history of the course layouts are fully understood and it's something I will look into one day. I would also like to investigated the Blyth family.  Is the Edward mentioned the same man as Hall Blyth who was instrumental in the origins of Muirfield and The New Course. North Berwick was also a favourite of Freddie Tait and Robert Maxwell.  The Tantallon Club vs. Royal Liverpool was the first 'international' match. Much history surrounds this 'holiday' course.

For now eBay is currently full of postcards that clearly show 18 used to play from the cliff/dune edge.  The fairway was obviously much rougher and one and 18 used to cross.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POSTCARD-NORTH-BERWICK-GOLF-COURSE-E-LOTHIAN-SCOTLAND-VALENTINES-SERIES-U-1904-/351256315009?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item51c8820481

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/North-Berwick-Golf-Links-From-Point-Garry-1911-Superb-Scottish-Golfing-View-/291327814517?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item43d47dab75


Edit

Further info on the Blyth's

http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200436

[Bryan Izatt]

Sven,

Thanks for the colour.

Tony,

Thanks for the thoughts and postcards.  Marilyn says hi.

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #9  522 yards  Mizzentop


I'm not sure where the hole name comes from, referring as it does to a mast on a sailing ship.  Perhaps someone else knows.

The 9th is one of the last holes added to the course and occupies a relatively uninteresting piece of land. It makes a ninety degree turn from the 8th to head towards dunes by the sea.  As an oddity to the routing, it is the second par 5 in a row and along with the 11th, gets the three par 5's on the course out of the way within four holes.

Unlike other holes on the course this one looks like it was architected with strategic golf in mind, rather than just being found there.  The hole is a slight dogleg left and features a stone wall OOB on the left of the driving area, a pair of centre-line bunkers and a split fairway.  The drive is reminiscent of Hogan's Alley at Carnoustie.  The left option off the tee provides a shorter route at the risk of bunkers, or worse the OOB.  The right option is safer but longer.




The stone wall on the left ends as the hole bends to the left so there is not that threat on the second shot, but the rough over there is very dense.  The right side is protected by a ssingle bunker.  From the second centre-line bunker you can see the the green is benched into the dunes with a couple of bunkers protecting the right side and one protecting the left side.




From the centre of the fairway you can possibly run the ball on to the centre and right of the green.  Flying the ball on can see it bounce and roll over.  There's a fair amount of closely mown area behind the green.




An approach from the right side is impeded by the bunkers.




An approach from the left is difficult for many pin positions because of the fronting pot bunker.  This bunker will also be in play for those long hitters who took the left option off the tee.

The green itself is large and has a fair amount of movement, some of which you can use to get to pins behind the front left bunker.

Here's a look from behind the green looking back on the hole (hot and dry version).

[Bryan Izatt]

Hole #10  176 yards  Eastward Ho!


Hole 10 turns another 90 degrees and heads back towards house and is therefore aptly named Eastward Ho!  It is a shortish par 3 as it plays downhill and often downwind.  Your attention might be grabbed by the sight of Berwick Law, a conical hill, in the distance.

The green is surrounded by five pot bunkers and thus requires an aerial approach, however, the green slopes off the back of many of the bunkers and out the front and back, which makes keeping the tee shot on the green and near some pins very difficult.  The fifth bunker is on the back left and you can barely see a player's head and white hat poking out of it in this picture.




Here's a zoomed in look from the tee.




Here's a look from short right after a particularly horrible tee shot.




Here's a look from the 11th tee across the green from the left side.  Recovering from either side or the pot bunkers is a challenge.  There's enough movement in the green to keep the putting entertaining.