Few courses have leapt in popularity in the last 20 years like North Berwick’s West Links. It has gone from a quirky course that architecture nerds revered to a universally beloved mecca. It’s becoming an annual tradition to see the world’s greatest golfers, many of whom rarely leave player hospitality, pushing their clubs around the West Links before the Scottish Open. Like most links courses, North Berwick’s design evolved gradually over its initial decades. It features some funky, experimental, and flat-out crazy stuff, and it’s a must-visit during any golf trip to Scotland.

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Take Note…

Town and course. Build some extra time into your itinerary for the town of North Berwick. Take a walk around it: the experience will help you appreciate how well the West Links is integrated into its community. Also, check out the Lobster Shack, a delightful little restaurant on the pier that serves sandwiches.

The burrow. North Berwick has one of our favorite-looking pro shops: a low-slung building tucked into the bottom of a hill. You can’t see it from the course. As with most things at North Berwick, the shop is unassuming, functional, and designed with sneaky intelligence.

A free read for you. On the 16th green, described in more detail below, putts from the front to the back, through the trough, are actually pretty straight.

Protect your windshield. Word to the wise: when parking at the West Links, try to use only the first three spots along the 18th hole.

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