Northeast England/Scotland - course feedback and club shipping advice needed!

[doctorgriffo]

I have a complicated family trip coming up in July, and am looking for the wisdom of this forum to help with good golf, reasonable club shipping and keeping my wife happy (like many things in life, 2 out of 3 might be possible…)

I’m taking my son on a college tour of England, Scotland and Ireland (we live in CA) and we have 9 days before my wife and daughter join us in Edinburgh. Golf potential ends then until we get to my folks in Cornwall. Here are the main questions:
- I found this offer for the NE - https://www.goswickgolfclub.com/offers

Does anyone have experience/opinions on these courses? Looking for fun, reasonably priced golf between Durham and Edinburgh.
When we hit Edinburgh, we need to ship our clubs to Cornwall - any advice on best way to ship clubs within the UK? I don’t want to subject them to the cost and abuse of budget airlines on flights from Edinburgh to Dublin, then Dublin to Newquay.

The other option is to rent clubs - this quickly adds up and no guarantee of clubs that fit.

all advice gratefully received!

[hammergolf]

2 hours ago, doctorgriffo said:

I have a complicated family trip coming up in July, and am looking for the wisdom of this forum to help with good golf, reasonable club shipping and keeping my wife happy (like many things in life, 2 out of 3 might be possible…)

I’m taking my son on a college tour of England, Scotland and Ireland (we live in CA) and we have 9 days before my wife and daughter join us in Edinburgh. Golf potential ends then until we get to my folks in Cornwall. Here are the main questions:
- I found this offer for the NE - https://www.goswickgolfclub.com/offers

Does anyone have experience/opinions on these courses? Looking for fun, reasonably priced golf between Durham and Edinburgh.
When we hit Edinburgh, we need to ship our clubs to Cornwall - any advice on best way to ship clubs within the UK? I don’t want to subject them to the cost and abuse of budget airlines on flights from Edinburgh to Dublin, then Dublin to Newquay.

The other option is to rent clubs - this quickly adds up and no guarantee of clubs that fit.

all advice gratefully received!

Where are you arriving BEFORE your wife joins you? 

[El Gringo]

I don’t know what your idea of reasonably priced is, but here are the courses I have a lot of time for, or are exceptional value or are cracking courses

 

Alnmouth Village 

Musselburgh Old

Gullane 3

Winterfield back 9

Seaton Carew

Muirfield

North Berwick

Seahouses back 9

Kilspindie

Bamburgh Castle

Goswick

Gullane 1

Renaissance

 

Below are other good courses

 

Northumberland

Gullane 2

Dunbar

Luffness New

 

Best of the rest 

 

Cleveland

Dunstanburgh Castle

Warkworth

Hartlepool

Longniddry

 

Courses which are ok

 

Alnmouth

The Glen

 

Others I haven’t played, but have good reps

 

Brancepeth Castle

Close House

Archerfield x2

 

Craigielaw generally has a poor rep. I never played it though.

 

You should be able to find a good mix of courses among this lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21 by El Gringo

[doctorgriffo]

1 hour ago, hammergolf said:

Where are you arriving BEFORE your wife joins you? 

Flying into LHR, then visiting colleges in London, then to Cambridge, then to Durham. Have 3-4 days without college visits after Durham, before we have to pick up wife and daughter from Edinburgh airport. Visiting Edinburgh and St Andrew’s Unis, then Trinity in Dublin. Never played golf in the northeast before (grew up the other end of the country).

[hammergolf]

16 minutes ago, doctorgriffo said:

Flying into LHR, then visiting colleges in London, then to Cambridge, then to Durham. Have 3-4 days without college visits after Durham, before we have to pick up wife and daughter from Edinburgh airport. Visiting Edinburgh and St Andrew’s Unis, then Trinity in Dublin. Never played golf in the northeast before (grew up the other end of the country).

Ok, are you wanting to play around London, Cambridge, and a Durham while visiting colleges? Or only for the 4 days after you are done visiting colleges in Durham?

[hammergolf]

Seaton Carew in Hartlepool is a great links that’s in the top 75 in England. 

Goswick is great as well

Dunbar is one of my personal favs

Then you have many other options in Fife:

North Berwick ( worth every penny and my highest recommendation), Muirfield, and Gullane would be top tier.

Glen Club, Craigielaw, and Kilspindie would be the next tier a bit more reasonably priced.

 

You could just follow the coast and these courses would fit in very well logistically.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 20 by hammergolf

[doctorgriffo]

10 minutes ago, hammergolf said:

Seaton Carew in Hartlepool is a great links that’s in the top 75 in England. 

Goswick is great as well

Dunbar is one of my personal favs

Then you have many other options in Fife:

North Berwick ( worth every penny and my highest recommendation), Muirfield, and Gullane would be top tier.

Glen Club, Craigielaw, and Kilspindie would be the next tier a bit more reasonably priced.

 

You could just follow the coast and these courses would fit in very well logistically.

 

 

 

 

Unlikely to get a tee time at Berwick at this stage - this was my first thought (green fee made more palatable by 50% discount for juniors). Maybe able to get a late tee time given the time of year. Could just play all 3 courses at Gullane, but this seems to be a waste of being in the area. Hopefully I can persuade him to go to one of these schools and have 4 years to sample them all. Tight schedule from London to Durham, so the only real golf window is between Durham and Edinburgh (first week of July). Will play St Enodoc and either Trevose, West Cornwall or Perranporth when I get home to Cornwall.

[hammergolf]

1 hour ago, doctorgriffo said:

Unlikely to get a tee time at Berwick at this stage - this was my first thought (green fee made more palatable by 50% discount for juniors). Maybe able to get a late tee time given the time of year. Could just play all 3 courses at Gullane, but this seems to be a waste of being in the area. Hopefully I can persuade him to go to one of these schools and have 4 years to sample them all. Tight schedule from London to Durham, so the only real golf window is between Durham and Edinburgh (first week of July). Will play St Enodoc and either Trevose, West Cornwall or Perranporth when I get home to Cornwall.

Send them an email, you never know they may have a twosome that has a tee time and has room for two other players. Gullane #1 is a good choice, but dint sleep on Dunbar.

[El Gringo]

If I had four days of golf between Durham and Edinburgh, but didn’t organise Muirfield or North Berwick my ideal trip would look like

 

Seaton Carew (if you don’t mind an industrial background)

 

Alnmouth Village/Goswick

 

Dunbar/back 9 Winterfield (the other course in Dunbar)

 

Kilspindie or Gullane 3/Musselburgh Old

 

People cruise by 9 holers such as Alnmouth Village and Musselburgh Old. IMO this is a mistake. Very historic and cool courses. They are also highly affordable in a land of so called cheap green fees being easily over 100 quid a pop. They add rich variety to trips which too often are simply a tour of courses from top 100 lists. 
 

It’s worth keeping tabs on North Berwick. Tee times sometimes aren’t used, often late in the day. If bad weather is forecast be especially vigilant. The weather can turn on a dime and be fine. 
 

Ciao

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 21 by El Gringo

[Hawkeye77]

LOL, all the info you’re sharing and the cost of rental clubs is an issue? “Budget airline abuse” - oh my.  I enjoy my clubs on a dedicated golf trip but this seems to cry out for playing a few courses and renting clubs absent some unusual physical situation which hasn’t been mentioned. Don’t assume you can’t get on at North Berwick. Kilspindie and Dunbar would be great options. And few mention The Glen - elevation changes are a challenge and views are the among the very best. Fun course. 

Edited January 21 by Hawkeye77

[jatrain]

When I was there in September, the North Berwick starters were really helpful in getting people on.  I went out as a threesome with two other singles who just walked up that morning (I booked mine 10 months in advance)

 

I also LOVED Kilspindie, might have been the most fun I’ve had on a golf course. 

Edited January 24 by jatrain