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The East Links golf course has
the most picturesque setting in East Lothian. 
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Most
visitors regard the West Links as the course to play, but they are
missing a hidden gem. A short climb to the first green reveals unbelievable
views of the rugged coastline, with every hole affording the golfer
a different perspective over the Firth of Forth.
Above:The
13th green on the East Course |
By Douglas
Seaton, Local Correspondent
The ground east of
the Millburn (Glen Burn) was originally known as Haugh Park, where the
1st and 18th on the East Links are now laid out. This area was first discussed
by the Town Council in April 1893, when it was minuted that the more youthful
inhabitants had requested a piece of ground suitable for football and
other games.
The public park
did not materialise, but within twelve months a nine-hole private course
was laid out on the coastal strip of the Rhodes farm which then included
the 'Sea Hole' (now 13th) designed by the landowner, Sir Walter Hamilton-Dalrymple.
The Rhodes Links
measured 2310 yards - par 35, and was formally opened in April 1894
with a match between Ben Sayers and the former Open Champion Hugh Kirkaldy
from Oxford, both of whom had just returned from Machrihanish. After
a close game of two rounds or 18 holes, the match went in favour of
the Oxford professional by 83 to 87.
The Rhodes Golf
Club was instituted in 1894 for play over the new course and Sir Walter
Hamilton-Dalrymple was elected captain, with Joint Hon. Secretaries-
R. M. McKechnie and C. L. Blaikie.
Haugh Park was the
site of the town's celebrations for the 1902 Coronation of King Edward
VII.
With the increase
in the popularity of golf at North Berwick, overcrowding of the West
Links became a major problem and it was proposed by the Town Council
to acquire additional land for the provision of a new 18 hole Burgh
Course
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A
tournament was held to celebrate the opening of the new course
and Harry Vardon alone took over a 1,000 people with him off the
first tee.
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A public meeting
was held on 8th March 1905 in the Carlton Hotel chaired by Edinburgh's
Lord Provost Sir Robert Cranston with the purpose of forming a limited
company to raise funds to purchase 129 acres of land to the east of
the town which included the nine-hole Rhodes course. Mr. D. Deuchars
chairman of the North British Railway Company offered members of the
new club special rates on return fares from Edinburgh; first class 3/6d
and third class 2/6d. Local cab drivers could now provide a motor car
service from the railway station to the first tee, overcoming one of
the difficulties associated with the original Rhodes Links.
The Town Council then proceeded to apply for a 'Provisional Order' empowering
them to purchase land out with the town boundary for recreational use.
This was granted by Royal assent on 29th May 1906 and the boundary was
moved to encompass the new golf course.
James Braid was
employed to supervise the extension of the Rhodes Links to 18 holes
in 1906. The new course stretched inland over the Rhodes and Castleton
farms, with the first six holes skirting the Rhodes steading, passing
the disused lime kilns and out towards the shooting range of the Volunteer
Rifle Corps. The green then took an angular direction towards the eleventh
and eighth holes.
A turn was made
from this point and the inward play was along the cliff top back to
the Millburn, where the eighteenth hole was situated, embracing the
ground of the original nine-hole Rhodes Links. The course measured three
and a half miles with the longest hole 530 yards whilst another six
holes were 300 yards or over. The club house was to have been an iron
pavilion but was constructed of bricks and mortar increasing the total
cost to £10,850 which included the purchase of a horse and tools.
By August 1906 the first nine holes were ready and open to the public.
James Braid (1870-1950)
was often to be found teaching the game at North Berwick, and during
his career was five times winner of the Open Championship. He also made
a major contribution to golf architecture; Carnoustie, Dalmahoy, Rosemount
and the King's Course at Gleneagles all bear his stamp.
The North Berwick
Corporation Links Club was founded on 9th June 1906 when George Dalziel
was elected captain and Andrew D. Wallace appointed secretary and treasurer.
The entry fee was 17/6d and the club had 233 members including 10 ladies.
The original Rhodes Golf Club continued with 50 members and the former
Amateur Champion Robert Maxwell was their Honorary President.
The 18 hole East Links course was opened in July 1907 and the Corporation
Links Club played their first competition in October that year with
separate prizes for the ladies. In the 1930s, the club adopted the name
'Glen Golf Club'.
To celebrate the opening of the new course an anonymous donor gifted
300 guineas towards prizes for a professional golf tournament. Played
over the East Links in July 1909 the field included five Open Champions;
J.H. Taylor, Arnaud Massy, Sandy Herd, Harry Vardon, Willie Auchterlonie
and two future champions in Ted Ray and George Duncan. Among the local
professionals were Ben Sayers, Willie Watt, David and Andrew Grant,
James Souter, Ben Sayers Jnr. and Robert Thomson.
A huge crowd watched
the tournament including many spectators who arrived on special trains
from Edinburgh. Harry Vardon alone took over a 1,000 people with him
off the first tee. George Duncan won the tournament with a four round
total of 290, including a brilliant 70 in the third round, setting a
new course record. Duncan received £125, the largest sum ever
offered for a first prize in a professional tournament.
In 1947 the majority
voted against golfing on the Sabbath. Golf was first played on a Sunday
on 11th March 1958. - Town Council Poster
Sandy Herd was runner-up
with Vardon third, while local favourite Robert Thomson finished tied
for sixth place. Thomson had previously finished in the top six in the
1903 and 1905 Open Championship. In 1904, he replaced James Braid at
Romford and in 1909 was Scottish Professional Champion.
Robert Thomson's father Alexander was a fisherman and the family lived
in the Harbour Terrace. Robert's brother James Thomson was also a golf
professional at North Berwick. The Harbour Terrace produced four golf
professionals including James Souter (Tuxedo Park Country Club - New
York) and George Livingstone (Belle Meade Country Club Nashville).
The East Links have
changed little since the halcyon days of Braid, Taylor and Vardon, with
the islands of Fidra, Lamb, Craigleith and the famous Bass Rock less
than a mile offshore. By the 8th tee the view of Tantallon Castle gives
the visitor a sense of history, while the course meanders back along
the cliff top, with the salty spray of the sea from the waves crashing
on the rocks below and sea birds of every species flying overhead. One
of the most dramatic holes is the par three 13th, with its elevated
tee and partially hidden green at sea level, giving problems with club
selection. The closing holes offer panoramic views of the town, harbour
and beaches, which alone is well worth the green fee. The 18th tee situated
on a plateau with the fairway dropping away eighty feet below, has ruined
many a good score with out of bounds and the beach to the right. But
by now the clubhouse is in sight, and the 19th hole beckons. The combination
of inland turf with a links setting will appeal to all levels of skill,
measuring 6089 yards S.S.S. 69.
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