Where's My Mountaineering Gear? (Glen Golf Club (Scotland))

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Glen Golf Club (Scotland)
Date:	18/09/08 (224 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Spectacular views.

Disadvantages: Too hilly. No electric caddy carts.

Wherever I go on holiday each year I always thoroughly research the surrounding golf courses to ensure that I'll be able to indulge my favourite passion in life to the full on good quality links. However, I didn't have that problem when I visited my home county of East Lothian in Scotland for a week's break back in August, (2008) as I already know the golfing terrain there like the back of my hand.

The other thing I always do is to research whether or not there are any "Open Competitions" scheduled during my visit, as this always gives you not only the chance to play golf competively (always the best way) but the competition entry fee is always cheaper than purchasing a full price green fee.

Thus I found myself on the "other" golf course in the seaside coastal town of North Berwick, about 20 miles or so south of Edinburgh. When I say the "other" golf course I refer to the Glen Golf Club (the East Links) as distinct from the more famous and world renowned North Berwick Golf Club (the West Links) which I played often as a boy golfer, it being the venue for the annual Scottish Boy's Championship for many years.

I had a very vague recollection of having played the Glen Golf Club once before when I was a teenager some 40 years ago, but to be honest could only fully recall a couple of the holes. So I was going in to the competition (a Senior Open for over 50's) virtually blind, apart from the course planner that I purchased in the professional's shop before my round. (Gives you the course layout and yardages)

I have to say I was thoroughly looking forward to the game, having read great reviews of the course from various sources, not least the club's own website.

"The Glen Golf Club is a delightful links course which enjoys panoramic views and offers a round of spectacular golf. It is one of the most under-rated and best-value courses in Scottish Golf."- Golf Monthly

"The East Course not only offers great golfing holes but glorious vistas, especially on a late summer's evening." - Alex Hay (Sky Sports, BBC, and the Scotsman)

"I first played at the Glen when I was commentating for BBC Radio at the Open at Muirfield ... I loved the course right from the start." - Ron Jones BBC Radio 5

"Few holes in golf can match the 13th, the Sea Hole" - Ronan Rafferty (Former Ryder Cup player turned golf commentator)

I'm sorry to say that I have to disagree with all the above luminaries as this was (unfortunately) not my impression of the golf course at all. Don't get me wrong; the Glen has some fine golf holes and there's no such thing as a truly *BAD* golf course, but my overall feelings about the Glen weren't all that favourable.

For starters, I never take my electric golf trolley on holiday with me because it takes up too much space in the boot of the car, relying instead on hiring a trolley for the round wherever I am playing. At the Glen it's not possible to hire an electric trolley (or ride on golf cart) so instead I had to make do with an old-fashioned pull trolley. In normal circumstances this wouldn't have been too much of an imposition, but the Glen just happens to be a hilly golf course, with some very steep inclines, and some holes where you'd nearly need mountaineering equipment to reach the hole!

The very first hole is the start of it. At only 336 yards you'd imagine it to be a fairly simple and straightforward par 4. And indeed it's just that, if you discount the practically vertical incline directly in front of the green. (OK, I'm exaggerating a little, but you get my drift) By the time I'd traversed this hill my lungs were just about fit to burst, and my wee legs felt like two packets of Chivers jelly!

The course continues in a similar vein as it winds its way around the cliff tops overlooking the Bass Rock, a rocky outcrop in the North Sea just off the East Lothian coastline which is world famous as a bird sanctuary. While this certainly affords the golfer "panoramic views" (Golf Monthly) and "glorious vistas" (Alex Hay) it certainly didn't inspire me to play spectacular golf, as most of the time I was simply doing my best to get my breathing and pulse rate back to some sort of normal level in order to play my next shot.

A lot of this pain is totally needless. All that is required is for the Glen Golf Club to rent or buy a few electric trolleys to hire out, which would make a *HUGE* difference to the enjoyment of the round for a lot of players who simply aren't inclined (or able) to carry round a heavy golf bag on their shoulder or lug it behind them on a pull type caddy cart.

It's not *ALL* bad news at the Glen. There are some very good golf holes, in particular the long par-3 ninth (207 yards) where you shoot from a tee perched on the top of a hill down towards the cliffs with the Bass Rock providing a magnificent focal point at the back of the green. The other hole that sticks in my memory is the Glen's "signature" hole, the short 144 yard par-3 thirteenth. It's called the "Sea Hole" and you are once again playing from an elevated tee, to a small postage stamp of a green perched precariously on the side of the ever present cliffs. Problem is, you can't actually *SEE* the green from the tee, and even if you select the correct club the green then slopes savagely from left to right, which tends to throw your ball off towards the edge of the aforementioned cliffs. I managed to shoot a par-3 here, but to be honest it was more good luck than good guidance!

No other holes really stick out in my memory, and my litmus test for a good golf course is that I can recall nearly all the holes and shots I played there even years afterwards. Unfortunately, this isn't the case with the Glen Golf Club, and I won't be rushing to play here again on any subsequent return trips to East Lothian. Especially not when you consider that you have the world famous North Berwick West Links only a mile or so away at the other side of the town, where you can play for only a moderately higher price than they charge at the Glen!

You couldn't fault the club when it comes to facilities however. They have just completed building a brand spanking new two storey clubhouse, with fantastic changing facilities, bars and restaurants. I had a couple of very tasty breakfast rolls before my round, and a marvelous main meal after I had played (beef olives) and all at a very reasonable cost. (About £12 for the main meal including dessert and coffee) My table was overlooking the beach which was only a stone's throw away, and the Bass Rock, Firth of Forth and the Fife coastline again provided a magnificent vista on the horizon.

The Glen Golf Club recently celebrated their centenary (founded in 1906) and have an excellent website where you can browse to your heart's content and gives you all the information you'd ever want to know about the Club and the golf course. (http://www.glengolfclub.co.uk/) So I won't go into huge detail about the prices and various deals they have on offer; you can go their website and find out for yourself if you are sufficiently interested in playing the course. Suffice to say a round here will not exactly break the bank at £37 for 18 holes or £52 for the day. (Midweek) They have reduced rates for the winter season, and for a "twilight round" started after 4PM.

Personally speaking I wasn't overly impressed with this golf course at all, and on a star rating out of ten I would only award it a measly four! But each to their own, and more famous golfers than me rave about the place.

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© KenJ Sept 2008

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CONTACT DETAILS

GLEN GOLF CLUB,
EAST LINKS,
TANTALLON TERRACE,
NORTH BERWICK,
EAST LOTHIAN, EH39 4LE

PHONE: 01620 892726 FAX:01620 895447

EMAIL: SECRETARY@GLENGOLFCLUB.CO.UK

WEBSITE: http://www.glengolfclub.co.uk/

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Summary: Overall a fairly uninteresting golf course.