Reviewed by Peter Wood
Kingdom Of Fife, Scotland
1908
James Braid
Recommended for lovers of links

Course Review

 

The History

The Lundin Golf Club was founded in 1868 and in the early years shared the links with nearby Leven Links GC. The natural links land followed the beach from Leven to the Mile Dyke, and was then extended to reach Lundin. Members of Leven would tee off at their end of the beach, and Lundin members from their end.

Eventually memberships grew and the the links became overcrowded. Both clubs then took action to add to the links on their side of the Mile Dyke, so that each club had it’s own 18 holes of golf.

For Lundin GC the new course was designedin 1908 by James Braid with nine holes of the existing course (on the Lundin side of the Mile Dyke) together with another nine on land formerly the site of the Lundin Ladies GC (which was in turn relocated)

Very little has changed since!

 

The Course

 The first four holes head straight out to the Mile Dyke.  They are classic beachfront links holes with rolling dunes abutting the beach on the left.

You will be immediately aware of any sea breezes! Tees and greens are tucked into the primal dune. 

It is a very impressive start to the course.

The first tee sets the mood with the elevated and exposed tee affording views down the beach and the fairway.

The fourth hole is the last of the holes along the beach, but it may be the best hole on the course.It is a longish par 4 with a green, tight to the beach and the Mile Dyke, and a deep burn protecting the approach. 

Turning from the beach the par 3 fifth hole follows the dyke wall to a green protected by seven pot bunkers and a burn.

Holes six and seven are lovely short par 4 links holes, where local knowledge is mandatory. 

On the seventh the unwary will inevitably find that a nice tee shot over the dunes will find the burn in front of the green

The tenth hole was memorable in that it appeared to have very little fairway! Both the tee shot and approach needed to carry rough broken land. It is a hole you need to play over a few times, but it does have an outstanding green complex.

The course then transitions into higher ground that used to be home to the Ladies club.  With trees rather than gorse framing the holes they would be better categorised as parkland rather than links holes.

Nevertheless the sharply uphill par 3 twelfth hole and the long wandering par 5 thirteenth hole deserve respect and are good holes. 

The course then leaves the higher ground with an elevated tee shot on the fourteenth to a nicely bunkered green adjacent to the dyke. You are back in links land!

 

The last four holes are strong inland links holes running back to the clubhouse. 

Of note is the par 4 sixteenth hole (Trows) which is the hole C.B. McDonald used as his inspiration for the template hole known as Leven. (This hole was one of the original holes on Leven Links before the courses were split at the Mile Dyke) 

I liked the big finish on Hole 18 with the green overlooked by the stylish old clubhouse and tucked between the proshop and the access road.

  Any travelling golfer visiting St Andrews and The Kingdom of Fife should make time to experience Lundin Golf Club.

 

Lundin GC

 

Notable Holes


Hole 1 (High) - a great starting hole, with tee on the dune looking down at the beach on the left and the fairway on the right

Lundin GC- hole 1

Hole 4 (Mile Dyke) - a strong par 4 along the dune overlooking the beach to a green protected by a burn around the front. see below

Lundin GC hole 4 approach drone

Hole 5 (Silverburn) - a delightful short par 3 to a green in a dell surrounded by seven bunkers. see below

Lundin GC hole 5 drone

Hole 7 (Burn) - a short par 4 with a blind tee shot and a burn running across in front of the green

Hole 10 (Thorn Tree) - a mid length par with a particularly undulating fairway wedged between heavy rough which needs to be carried off the tee and for the approach

Hole 14 (Perfection) - a long downhill par 3 surrounded by bunkers

 

Lundin GC- hole 10Lundin GC- hole 10

Lundin GC- hole 14Lundin GC- hole 14

 

Hole 16 (Trows) - a short dogleg par 4 that became the original template for the 'Leven' hole

Lundin GC- hole 16Lundin GC- hole 16

 Hole 17 (Station -  a short par over some rough ground to a partially hidden green

Lundin GC- hole 17Lundin GC- hole 17 

 Hole 18 (home) - a long strong par 4 to a long green in front of the clubhouse (see pic top of page)

 

Golf Tours

Kingdom of Fife

We can put together a fabulous tour in the Kingdom of Fife for you.

Lundin GC is close to many interesting and historic courses including Elie, Leven Links, Eden, Julbilee and of course The Old and New at St Andrews. Plus there are the newer courses such as Dumbarnie and the Castle Course.

Let us put together a tour to the Kingdom of Fife just for you and your golfing friends. 

 

Or we can arrange a game for you at Lundin Links when next you travel to Scotland.

The Travelling Golfer specialises in small group tours and customised self-led tours. We are based in Melbourne Australia and have over 35 years experience organising golf tours to places throughout the world.

Contact us now for a free consultation.

 

Golf courses are our passion, and we make it our business to know ‘all of them’.
Good luck finding a golf course we don’t know something about.

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