10 days in Scotland Solo May 20-30! - Live journal - Old Course singles wait list success on Day 1!

[sheppick.dan]

2 hours ago, noahwein said:

Day 7: May 27

 

Before coming to Scotland, I wasn't sure about my odds for getting on Old Course. I figured I didn't want to jinx it so if you had asked me what golf course am I most excited to get to play, I would not hesitate to say North Berwick. Today was the day!

 

I was extremely fortunate to have connected with a local member who arranged to host me and we teed off around 4:30pm. Driving into East Lothian was exciting. First of all you start to see the signs for the Scottish Open (at Renaissance) and then just as you expect the town of North Berwick is upon you. What a beautiful and perfect little beach town. 

 

My first impressions of North Berwick West Links: Understated. You're literally playing golf on perfect linksland, basically on the beach. It's not like Bandon with its bold and dramatic cliffside views of the water. You're playing nearly at sea level, alongside the beach. If you slice on the first few holes or hook on the way back, your ball is going to be sitting on the beach. N Berwick is fun to play. We played from the tips, which is only about 6500y, every hole (except maybe 3 and 17, 3 is a par 4.5 and 17 is a long approach to an elevated green) felt like it's reachable for just about anyone. The burn on 16 off the tee is challenging to clear but not so hard that it's trying to beat you up, maybe a 210-215 carry, plus a helping wind (my tee shot dropped directly into the burn). The rough is relatively benign. There are plenty of fairway bunkers on the par 5's but manageable to avoid. This is a golf course which is challenging but very fair, not penal. Just don't hit it on the beach.

 

This was the first round I can remember playing in a while where I got to a tee box, pulled out my scorecard, and realized I hadn't recorded my score for the last 4 holes. It had simply not occurred to me to pull it out. This never happens to me! And it's not like I wasn't focused on trying to play well, trying to make pars, I was. I just honestly feel like once I picked up my ball, I often wanted to take a pic of a view, and then felt excited to go to the next tee box. 16 is a wild Biarritz green, and we immediately went to the top to try out some putts from the top after holing out. I still don't know if I made my up and down 8-footer for bogey or tapped in for double, I didn't remember when standing on 17 tee and I don't remember now. Writing down a number on my card basically just slipped my mind!

 

This golf course is simply just part of the town. There are folks walking their dogs around, just going for an evening stroll. I was so jealous of them. Maybe they are members and play their golf here maybe not. Still jealous. When I walked off 18 I saw the first tee was open. I noticed there was no one in the starter's hut, it was probably 8pm. Had I not been with my gracious host, had I just been walking as a single with my bag on my shoulder, I'm 100% sure I would have marched straight back there to tee my ball back up, and just hope for the best. "oh sorry I didn't realize I'm only supposed to play 18 holes" What's the worst that could have happened

How long of a drive to N.Berwick was it?

 

Are you in Glasgow now or still in FIfe?

[noahwein]

4 hours ago, sheppick.dan said:

How long of a drive to N.Berwick was it?

 

Are you in Glasgow now or still in FIfe?

I spent the first 5 nights in Fife, now in a hotel in downtown Glasgow. Partially because I wanted to use some Marriott points and partly because I think Glasgow is really nicely located for golf.

 

45 mins to Troon

60 mins to Turnberry

1:20 to N Berwick

1:30 to St Andrews

 

Im sure many people wouldn’t want to drive 90 mins each way for golf but gives a lot of flexibility if you want to have access to both west coast and east coast golf

[sheppick.dan]

25 minutes ago, noahwein said:

I spent the first 5 nights in Fife, now in a hotel in downtown Glasgow. Partially because I wanted to use some Marriott points and partly because I think Glasgow is really nicely located for golf.

 

45 mins to Troon

60 mins to Turnberry

1:20 to N Berwick

1:30 to St Andrews

 

Im sure many people wouldn’t want to drive 90 mins each way for golf but gives a lot of flexibility if you want to have access to both west coast and east coast golf

We are staying Sunday-Wed in Fife and have golf Mon-Wed. At this point my only guaranteed time if Kingsbarns, the hope is we get on as a 2-some through the ballot or early AM additions. Thinking of driving down to N.Berwick on Tuesday if we don't get on after seeing those pictures!

[buckI]

North Berwick is one of my favorite courses.   They had a rough winter and the greens were not great a couple of weeks ago when we played two rounds.   The wind was from the west both rounds so the back nine played long.   Lasttimewewere there it was from east one day and west the other.   Hit two good drives and day one was 5 iron into the pit and next day was sand wedge!

 

We just played Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick and Western Gailes as well as Muirfield and North Berwick.   All of us loved Troon, Turnberry and Western Gailes.

[noahwein]

1 hour ago, sheppick.dan said:

We are staying Sunday-Wed in Fife and have golf Mon-Wed. At this point my only guaranteed time if Kingsbarns, the hope is we get on as a 2-some through the ballot or early AM additions. Thinking of driving down to N.Berwick on Tuesday if we don't get on after seeing those pictures!

Make sure you enter singles draw on the iPads in the pavilion. Open 9am-5pm day before play. I played twice in three days, each time I got off the wait list (day 1 started 12th on list day 2 I was 25th on list) list moves faster than expected

[noahwein]

45 minutes ago, buckI said:

North Berwick is one of my favorite courses.   They had a rough winter and the greens were not great a couple of weeks ago when we played two rounds.   The wind was from the west both rounds so the back nine played long.   Lasttimewewere there it was from east one day and west the other.   Hit two good drives and day one was 5 iron into the pit and next day was sand wedge!

 

We just played Troon, Turnberry, Prestwick and Western Gailes as well as Muirfield and North Berwick.   All of us loved Troon, Turnberry and Western Gailes.

course was definitely on the wet side. Very lush. My host told me it usually gets yellowed out and extremely firm. Greens were thankfully in good shape, not super quick but pure. Fairways much much slower than usual

 

we we’re into a stiff wind on front then turned around and played with a helping wind. I had sand wedge over the wall as well. Cannot imagine 5 iron!!! Thankfully there is a backstop 

[noahwein]

1 hour ago, sheppick.dan said:

We are staying Sunday-Wed in Fife and have golf Mon-Wed. At this point my only guaranteed time if Kingsbarns, the hope is we get on as a 2-some through the ballot or early AM additions. Thinking of driving down to N.Berwick on Tuesday if we don't get on after seeing those pictures!

I highly recommend Elie as a twilight second round if you can walk 36 in a day. It’s not easiest walk ever but not too difficult

 

 

[sheppick.dan]

1 hour ago, noahwein said:

I highly recommend Elie as a twilight second round if you can walk 36 in a day. It’s not easiest walk ever but not too difficult

 

 

Thank you! We moved our kingsbarns to Monday because we wouldn’t be able to get into the Monday draw for singles in time. We will try for Tuesday and Wednesday 

[scott_Donald]

Links courses are very soft and slow right now still. been so wet. 

 

After 2 weeks with no rain it has now rained 3 days of last 7. Yesterday the greens were getting firmer with the wind getting up for the last couple days but still giving pitch marks at this time of year which is very rare indeed. Fairways are slow too, I can tell with more drivers still than I normally would use at this time of year with so little roll.

 

I have Houston friends here next week and was hoping it will firm up but not looking likely now. No rain in the forecast for the next week, it's raining right now just started when I was washing my car last night..... 

Edited May 29, 2024 by scott_Donald

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

 

[rbenjamin88]

This was such a sick read. Need more posts like this. Well done and very jealous. N Berwick looked absolutely pure

[dmbolp]

On 3/13/2025 at 2:22 PM, rbenjamin88 said:

This was such a sick read. Need more posts like this. Well done and very jealous. N Berwick looked absolutely pure

 

Same!  We're heading over in just under 4 weeks, and just booked ELIE because of this thread!

[dmbolp]

On 5/21/2024 at 9:02 PM, ChrisATL said:

Ah I see it now - thanks @noahwein!  I'm going to Scotland next March with my wife (it was the only time for childcare), and Elie is high on my list.

 

Is this trip still on the books?  We're also from the ATL and getting into EDI on WED 4/9