North Berwick Golf Club
North Berwick
North Berwick Golf Club is one of the great character courses of Scottish links golf and a brilliant addition to an East Lothian golf holiday. Golf has been played over the West Links since the 17th century, with the club founded in 1832, making it one of the oldest golf clubs in the world.
Set on the edge of the Firth of Forth, the West Links is a true seaside links with firm fairways, beachside holes, stone walls, burns, deep bunkers and constantly changing wind. It is not the longest modern championship course, but that is part of its charm. North Berwick rewards imagination, touch and clever shot-making, with plenty of holes where the safest-looking option is not always the best one.
The course is full of memorable moments, from holes running beside the shoreline to quirky greens and natural hazards that have inspired course designers around the world. It has also hosted many important events, including Final Qualifying for The Open Championship.
For UK golfers, North Berwick works perfectly as part of a Scotland golf break based around East Lothian, with Muirfield, Gullane, Luffness, Dunbar and The Renaissance Club all nearby. The town itself adds plenty to the trip too, with restaurants, pubs, coastal walks and sea views giving it a relaxed seaside feel after golf.
Visitor tee times are limited and advance planning is essential, but for golfers who love historic links golf with proper personality, North Berwick Golf Club is an absolute must-play.
Edinburgh Airport
41km
England’s best golf tour operator 2026 winner
Time Zone:
GMT+0
Currency:
£ (British Pound)
Temperature:
1°C - 21°C
Cost of a Beer:
£5.50
Cost of a 3-Course Meal:
£35
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About The Area
Aberlady sits at the very heart of Scotland’s celebrated “Golf Coast,” a stretch of East Lothian shoreline that packs an extraordinary concentration of championship links into a compact and easily navigable area. For travelling golfers, it offers one of the most efficient and rewarding multi-course itineraries in the UK — world-class golf within minutes of your accommodation.
Most famously, Aberlady is home to Muirfield, the historic home of The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers and a multiple Open Championship venue. Muirfield is revered for its immaculate conditioning, strategic bunkering and demanding but fair routing that tests every facet of your game. Within a five-minute drive you’ll find Gullane Golf Club, offering three outstanding links layouts — Gullane No.1 in particular delivers elevated tees and sweeping views across the Firth of Forth. A little further along the coast lies North Berwick Golf Club, one of the most characterful and historic links courses in the world, famed for its quirky Redan hole and unforgettable closing stretch along the shoreline.
Golf here is classic Scottish links — firm underfoot, wind-influenced and wonderfully strategic. It rewards imagination, trajectory control and patience rather than brute strength.
Off the course, Aberlady itself is peaceful and charming, with welcoming country pubs and coastal walking trails around Aberlady Bay Nature Reserve. Edinburgh is just 30 minutes away, adding castle views, whisky tastings, fine dining and vibrant nightlife to any itinerary.
The prime golf months are May through September, when daylight stretches late into the evening and the links play fast and true. For golfers seeking pure championship pedigree in a compact, accessible setting, Aberlady is hard to surpass.
