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First in Fife - a pass to the Home of Golf
Scotland - history, tradition and outstanding golf courses. If you're a golfer, there's nowhere else on earth like it - the Home of Golf. And now there has never been a better time to discover its delights, thanks to the First in Fife Golfpass.
Golf was already flourishing here more than 500 years ago, so much so that in 1457 King James II of Scotland felt the need for an Act of Parliament banning football and "ye golf", because the distractions were keeping his subjects from practising military skills such as archery.
The spectacular view at Aberdour of Inchcolm Island across the Firth of Forth |
The 16th century saw the tragic Mary Queen of Scots become a keen advocate of the game, even playing only days after the murder of her husband Lord Darnley and incurring the wrath of the Church. Mary's son, King James VI of Scotland, who became King James I of England in 1603, also did much to popularise the game south of the border.
At St Andrews, where King James IV of Scotland purchased golf clubs in 1506, golf was already being played across country centuries before what is now The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews was founded in 1754 by "22 Noblemen and Gentlemen of the Kingdom of Fife", who presented a silver club to be competed for over the links on May 14 of that year. The course then had 12 holes, ten of which were played both out and in, making 22 holes in all, and it only became the model for the now standard 18 when it was changed ten years later by combining the first four holes into two longer ones.
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The Home of Golf at St Andrews -
Left: The Royal & Ancient Golf Club clubhouse
Right: A reminder that golf in Scotland was traditionally played across open public ground |
So, if you want to experience the thrill of Scottish golf by taking a golf break in Scotland, there’s nowhere better than the Kingdom of Fife – home of St Andrews, and the acknowledged worldwide Home of Golf.
What most golfers don’t know, however, is that playing at the Home of Golf need not be expensive. Yes, the famous Old Course is £130 a round (if you can get a tee time!), but if you base your golf break in Fife on the First in Fife Golfpass, you can play 5 rounds over your choice of 12 excellent courses for less than £100! This represents a very substantial discount on the courses’ normal green fees, and the Golfpass group also has 13 hotel partners who will package the Golfpass into a great value holiday .
Click here for a map of Fife, participating First in Fife golf courses and hotels
A 3 round Golfpass costs £59, with a 5 round Golfpass even better value at £92. Supplements are payable at some courses, particularly at weekends, and the Golfpass vouchers can be used any time up to 31 October 2008 – either on one trip, or several, to Fife.
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Two delightful courses laid out by the first two 19th century Open Champions
Left: Burntisland, designed by Willie Park Jnr - Right: Kirkcaldy, designed by Old Tom Morris |
The courses in the group are Aberdour, Balbirnie Park, Burntisland, Canmore, Charleton, Dunfermline, Forrester Park, Kinross (Montgomery and Bruce courses), Kirkcaldy, Pitreavie, and Thornton. Together, they offer a wonderful mix of seaside and parkland courses, historic and modern, and easy-walking or more challenging. Better still, they include courses laid out by legendary figures such as two great 19th century Open Champions, Willie Park Jnr and Old Tom Morris, who won six Open Championships between them!
They are the first courses you come to when you cross the famous Forth Bridge from Edinburgh, so they’re easy to reach. Edinburgh is close by if you want to fit in a visit to Scotland’s beautiful and historic capital city, as well as many other attractions apart from the golf (click here for some suggestions of places to visit and things to do in Fife). And, of course, St Andrews itself beckons if you do fancy a round on one of the courses with the money you save on your Golfpass!
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| Colourful Scotland - The Kinross Montgomery course |
The Golfpass is now in its 5th year with sales having grown 70% in 2007. Surveys show that 95% of users would recommend the Golfpass to their friends, and the group is now welcoming more repeat customers each year.
For 2008, the First in Fife Golfpass is leading the way in Scotland with an electronic Golfpass you can purchase online and an online tee booking system, so now you can buy your Golfpass and arrange your whole itinerary at the click of a few buttons.
With such a rich variety of courses on offer, you'll be hard pushed to select just five, but below you will find some details to help you choose. And, of course, you can always come back in 2009 and play another five!
Aberdour Golf Club
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| The 1st at Aberdour, looking out over the Firth of Forth |
Aberdour is situated just six miles southeast of Dunfermline, some 30 miles south of St. Andrews on the shores of the Firth of Forth. From a golfing perspective St. Andrews may arguably be the golfing centerpiece for golf in the Kingdom of Fife but throughout the Kingdom there are a number of golfing "Jewels in the Crown". One of these is Aberdour, which gained a Gold Award from Golf Monthly in 2006.
Founded in 1896, Aberdour did not begin developing a course at its present location until 1905. Like most courses established at that time, Aberdour was a nine hole course, with a further nine being added in 1914. Today, its 18 holes cover 5,460 yards and have been laid out on land made up of ancient sea cliffs and raised beaches. The unusual result is a parkland course set close by the sea.
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| The magnificent second at Aberdour |
The course allows some room for errant drives, but rewards those who are straight and long. It is unusual in having two stunning par 3 holes for openers. They may be short but they are far from straightforward. The first is from an elevated tee down to a green set on a rocky promontory. The second is at least as daunting. Teeing off from the rocky platform by the first green, the shot required is across a bay to an elevated green set into a steep hillside.
From the 3rd tee the course takes on its parkland character as it rolls and undulates across the raised beach. Take care to savour the greens - all are beautifully sculptured with some very attractive bunkering, the 12th being a fine example.
With its fine views and testing holes, Aberdour is great fun to play and a popular course with visitors coming from many parts of the world. Truly a 'Jewel in the Crown' of the Kingdom of Fife.
Aberdour Golf Club
Seaside Place,
Aberdour,
Fife
KY3 0TX
Tel: +44
(0)1383 860 080
Email: manager@aberdourgolfclub.co.uk
Website: www.aberdourgolfclub.co.uk
Balbirnie Park Golf Club
Situated in Markinch near Glenrothes in central Fife and set within 140 acres of beautiful woodland, Balbirnie Park is regularly chosen by the Scottish PGA for tournaments. One of the longer courses in the group at 6,334 yards and a par of 71, Balbirnie Park is a true test of golf for all abilities.
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| The delightful woodland setting for Balbirnie Park's new clubhouse |
Using the natural contours as the inspiration for the layout, the course is a fine example of the best in traditional parkland design, where visitors can also enjoy the splendid new clubhouse. It is also only a short distance from St Andrews, making it an ideal stop on a tour of the Kingdom.
Balbirnie Park Golf Club
Balbirnie Park,
Markinch, Fife, KY7 6NR
Tel: +44 (0)1592 752 006
Email: craigfdonnelly@aol.com
Website: www.balbirniegolf.com
Burntisland Golf House Club
Historians say that golf has been played at Burntisland since 1688 and the Burntisland Golf Club (the "Old Club") was established in 1797 - one of 10 founded before 1800 and the 9th oldest in the world.
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| A breezy day by the sea at Burntisland |
The Golf House Club followed a century later in 1898 after local businessmen bought the ground at Dodhead for £4,000 to meet rising demand to play "gowf" and move away from the congestion on the town links. Burntisland was first surveyed by the legendary Old Tom Morris and is the only course in Fife to be designed by Willie Park Jnr of Musselburgh, twice Open Champion in 1887 and 1889.
Old Tom reported " I went over the ground at High Bents and my opinion is that it would make a first class golf course". He recommended that Willie Park design it and the first 9 holes opened in autumn 1897, and the full course on 1 May 1898. James Braid also made some alterations in 1922, giving this lovely Club a magnificent pedigree of no fewer than three Open Champions!
The course is parkland in style, set above the coastal fringe of Fife and, like Aberdour, has splendid views across the Firth of Forth towards Edinburgh and East Lothian. At 5,965 yards it is not long, but offers a good test of shotmaking and nerve, and although the rest of the course is largely flat, the 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th are much hillier and well worth the effort of climbing to take in the magnificent views. It's all part of the fun of this historic Club.
Burntisland Golf House Club
Dodhead, Burntisland, Fife, KY3 9LQ
Tel: +44 (0)1592 872 116
Email: infoBGHC@aol.com
Website: www.burntislandgolfhouseclub.co.uk
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| The 'hidden' 11th green at Canmore |
Canmore Golf Club
One of the lesser-known courses in the group, Canmore is well worth a visit – Thomas Bjorn certainly thought so, when he helped the club celebrate their centenary in 1997. He shot 65, which you may find hard to match on what is a relatively short (5,376 yards), but very pleasant parkland course on the outskirts of Dunfermline, with some lovely par 3s.
Suitable for all levels of player, it is a good test of accuracy and the short game and 36 holes can be comfortably played in a day, with an excellent lunch in the clubhouse in between!
Canmore Golf Club
Venturefair Avenue, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 0PE
Tel: +44 (0)1383 728 416
Email: canmoregolfclub@aol.com
Website: www.canmoregolf.co.uk
Charleton Golf & Country Club
Located further east in Fife, close to the historic East Neuk, Charleton joined the Golfpass group in 2007. A fairly new (opened in 1994 by former President George Bush Snr) and spectacular golf course, it is set in stunning parkland surroundings, and can offer a short par 3 course and grass driving range, as well as its full 6,446 yards course.
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| Charleton Golf & Country Club |
Commercially run, it has more availability for Golfpass visitors at weekends than do some of the members’ club courses. It is also the closest of the twelve First in Fife courses to the town of St Andrews, so why not go along there and visit the fascinating British Golf Museum - just a stone's throw from the Royal & Ancient clubhouse - while you're in the area?
Charleton Golf & Country Club
By Colinsburgh, St Andrews, Fife, KY9 1HG
Tel: +44 (0)1333 340 505
Email: clubhouse@charleton.co.uk
Website: www.charleton.co.uk
Dunfermline Golf Club (Pitfirrane)
Known locally as Pitfirrane, the Dunfermline Golf Club was founded in 1887 and had three different locations before finally settling at Pitfirrane in 1953, where the estate provides an historic clubhouse and a very fine golfing landscape.
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| The magnificent 600 year old Scottish tower clubhouse at Dunfermline |
The course architect was J.R. Stutt and his layout of five par 5s and five par 3s is quite an unusual combination, but gives the course great variation in length from hole to hole, and makes it a fine test of all departments of the game. His par 3s in particular are exquisite examples of the genre. A number of dog-legs also add interest, mostly favouring a fade, with the 6th and 7th being lovely examples.
The wonderful 600 year old Scottish tower house clubhouse forms the backdrop for several of the holes. The course itself measures 6,121 yards and is set in beautifully mature and gently undulating parkland, making it an established favourite with First in Fife Golfpass visitors.
Dunfermline Golf Club
Pitfirrane, Crossford, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 8QW
Tel: +44 (0)1383 723 534
Email: secretary@dunfermlinegolfclub.com
Website: www.dunfermlinegolfclub.com
Forrester Park Resort
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| The 2nd green at Forrester Park Resort |
Forrester Park is set in the heart of 350 acres of some of East Central Scotland's most beautiful parkland. Having once been part of the great Keavil Estate, it was mainly used as pastureland servicing the needs of the nearby ancient town of Dunfermline, and offers views stretching out over the Firth of Forth to Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond.
Fairly new and commercially run, Forrester Park is a big and quite hilly course. At 6,818 yards and par 72 off the medal tees, it was constructed to full USGA specifications, providing a course of Championship quality which has already hosted a number of tournaments – and where many visitors appreciate a buggy! The course has good weekend availability for visitors, and boasts a palatial clubhouse that offers everything from a filled roll to seven course fine dining in its choice of four restaurants.
Forrester Park Resort
Pitdinnie Road, Cairneyhill, Dunfermline, Fife, KY12 8RF
Tel: +44 (0) 1383 880505
Email: info@forresterparkresort.co.uk
Website: www.forresterparkresort.com
Kinross Montgomery and Bruce courses
Both of the Kinross golf courses lie in beautiful parkland with views out over Loch Leven to the hills beyond. The Montgomery at 6,452 yards is generally regarded as perhaps the more testing of the two courses, with every hole presenting a different challenge and often culminating in a raised green with wicked contours - an excellent test of golf for players of all standards.
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Left: The challenging Kinross Montgomery course - Right: The Kinross Bruce course, a slightly gentler test |
Although positioned as the junior of the two courses at Kinross and perhaps the slightly gentler challenge, The Bruce at 6,231 yards remains a thoroughly enjoyable test of golf - indeed many members and visitors prefer playing it. Unusually, par for the opening nine holes is 39, including a sequence of four par 5s in the space of six holes - punctuated by the infamous pond hole at the 6th.
The Kinross courses joined the Golfpass group in 2007 and are in the same ownership as the adjacent Green and Windlestrae hotels, under whose name they used to operate. Easily reached along the M90 motorway from Edinburgh, Kinross offers splendid and easy-walking parkland golf on its two courses and a choice of fine accommodation in its two hotels.
Kinross Golf Courses
2 The Muirs, Kinross, Fife, KY13 8AS
Tel: +4 (0)1577 863 407
Email: bookings@golfkinross.com
Webiste: www.golfkinross.com
Kirkcaldy Golf Club
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| Kirkcaldy Golf Club - looking back down the 1st |
A traditional club with a splendid modern clubhouse, Kirkcaldy’s course was originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1904 and is set in fine rolling countryside.
Quite hilly in parts, though not long at 6,086 yards, the course offers an enjoyable challenge right from the uphill dogleg 1st to the par 3 18th with its well-guarded green.
One of the many features is a traditional Scottish burn which meanders its way along five holes around the course.
To complement the golf, players can sample the wonderful clubhouse facility, which provides excellent food and beverage in a friendly environment.
Kirkcaldy Golf Club
Balwearie Road, Kirkcaldy, Fife, KY2 5LT
Tel: +44 (0)1592 203 258
Email: enquiries@kirkcaldygolfclub.co.uk
Website: www.kirkcaldygolfclub.co.uk
Pitreavie Golf Club
Opened in 1922, the 6,032 yards Pitreavie course was designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, the architect of the great Bobby Jones' beloved Augusta National, and it shares with that illustrious course the trademark undulating MacKenzie greens which will test any golfer’s putting skills.
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Pitreavie Golf Club, designed by Dr Alister MacKenzie, architect of The Masters course at Augusta National
The climb up to the clubhouse is reminiscent of the 18th at Augusta, while the greens bear his trademark undulations |
Although born in Yorkshire in 1870, Alister MacKenzie was a great enthusiast of Scottish links. He declared when he took up golf course design that he wanted to "imitate the natural features characteristic of the only golf courses that are worthwhile", meaning links courses. He set about bringing such features to all his course designs, no matter what their proximity to the sea. He was a particular admirer of the Old Course at St Andrews, bringing this passion for the "Old Lady" into many of his designs.
MacKenzie's other stated objective was to create golf courses that were interesting to play for the "average golfer" as well as the "scratch man". Pitreavie is a fine parkland example of this philosophy, as well as affording fine open views across the surrounding countryside and towards the Firth of Forth.
Pitreavie Golf Club
Queensferry Road, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 8PR
Tel: +44 (0)1383 722 591
Email: info@pitreaviegolfclub.co.uk
Website: www.pitreaviegolfclub.co.uk
Thornton Golf Club
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| The River Ore at Thornton Golf Club |
Situated in the heart of Fife, Thornton Golf Club was established in 1921. It is a scenic and wooded parkland course renowned for the superb condition of its greens.
At 6,177 yards and a par of 70 the course provides a challenge for the serious golfer - especially if he has a tendency to hook - yet offers a pleasant golfing and easy walking experience for all.
It has a particularly fine finishing stretch of five holes beside the River, which will focus your attention to the very end, starting with the testing 197 yard par 3 14th - the 'Burn' hole.
The club also now boasts a well-appointed modern clubhouse built in 1996 (the fourth in the history of the club, having started life in an old railway shed), and prides itself on the warm welcome extended there to Golfpass visitors and the excellent food served in the dining room looking out across the course.
Thornton Golf Club
Station Road, Thornton, Fife, KY1 4DW
Tel: +44 (0)1592 771 111
Email: thorntongolf@btconnect.com
Website: www.thorntongolfclub.co.uk
Things to do and places to see in Fife
The ancient Kingdom of Fife manages to combine a huge range of attractions for visitors into a compact area – and with Scotland’s wonderful capital city of Edinburgh on its doorstep. Dunfermline in Fife was Scotland’s ancient capital, and has the history and buildings to prove it, while St Andrews, at the other end of this small Kingdom, is the worldwide ‘Home of Golf’.
In between are the traditional fishing villages of the East Neuk that grace many a calendar (don't forget to take your camera), ancient castles, historic houses and museums for the days when you're better indoors than out. There is also a host of activities and entertainment for all tastes and age groups, a network of over 300 miles of cycle routes - with much of it linked by a unique coastal path.
For further information we recommend the excellent www.visitfife.com website (part of the Visit Scotland official tourism site), which has a complete guide to the Kingdom, a weekly calendar of events, brochures to download and a host of good ideas for things to see and do in Fife - not forgetting the other 30 or so golf courses!
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First in Fife Golf Courses
- click below or on a green flag above for details:
1. Forrester Park Resort
2. Dunfermline Golf Club
3. Canmore Golf Club
4. Pitreavie Golf Club
5. Kinross - Montgomery Course
6. Kinross - Bruce Course
7. Aberdour Golf Club
8. Burntisland Golf House Club
9. Kirkcaldy Golf Club
10. Thornton Golf Club
11.Balbirnie Park Golf Club
12. Charleton Golf & Country Club
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First in Fife Partner Hotels - click below or on a blue circle above for details:
1. Aberdour Hotel, Aberdour
2. Kingswood Hotel, Burntisland
3. Express by Holiday Inn, Dunfermline
4. Pitbauchlie House Hotel, Dunfermline
5. Best Western Keavil House, Dunfermline
6. Lomond Hills Hotel, Freuchie
7. Gilvenbank Hotel, Glenrothes
8. Green Hotel, Kinross
9. Windlestrae Hotel, Kinross
10. Dunnikier House Hotel, Kirkcaldy
11. Inn at Lathones, Largoward
12. Crusoe Hotel, Lower Largo
13. Lundin Links Hotel, Lundin Links
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Photo credits: © First in Fife - Mike Williamson - GolfToday
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