Scotland Fife trip advice sought

[Klimski]

Hi all! Just a little intro: I'm a 46 year old 23 hcp Dutchman. Once upon a long ago I played off 12. But you know... Anyway, next May, three friends and I are embarking on a three day golf binge in Fife. I'm looking for some advice and tips! So, anyone who can chip in is cordially invited.

Goals: we are a group of very average golfers, there's me and three hcp 30+ players. We want to have fun and not be punished. Also, we're not rich, so budget is very important. We are a bit golf snobby, so the course have to be pre-1922 (at least 100 years old). We're flying in Friday morning, leaving Sunday afternoon. I assume our hub will be around Aberdour/Burntisland but am not sure yet...

Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

Day 1:
- Musselburgh old links
- Aberdour
Day 2:
- Kinghorn
- Anstruther
Visit St Andrews for foto ops and dinner
Day 3:
- Burntisland
Sunday roast at the Golf Inn

As said, any thoughts or input is more than welcome!

 

[Backache]

If I was going to Fife and visiting the home of golf I would want to play one of the courses, the atmosphere and ambience is great.
You might want to consider the Eden which has a couple of holes next to the Old course, is a decent course in its own right and not too expensive.

PS it's a reasonable distance between Mussleborough which isn't in Fife and Aberdour and timing will depend on traffic round the Edinburgh bypass and the Forth crossing.

 

[pendodave]

Hi all! Just a little intro: I'm a 46 year old 23 hcp Dutchman. Once upon a long ago I played off 12. But you know... Anyway, next May, three friends and I are embarking on a three day golf binge in Fife. I'm looking for some advice and tips! So, anyone who can chip in is cordially invited.

Goals: we are a group of very average golfers, there's me and three hcp 30+ players. We want to have fun and not be punished. Also, we're not rich, so budget is very important. We are a bit golf snobby, so the course have to be pre-1922 (at least 100 years old). We're flying in Friday morning, leaving Sunday afternoon. I assume our hub will be around Aberdour/Burntisland but am not sure yet...

Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

Day 1:
- Musselburgh old links
- Aberdour
Day 2:
- Kinghorn
- Anstruther
Visit St Andrews for foto ops and dinner
Day 3:
- Burntisland
Sunday roast at the Golf Inn

As said, any thoughts or input is more than welcome!

Hi.
We stayed in Anstruther (nice harbour) for our fife trip. Can't say I was over impressed with the 9 hole course.
I would play one of the easy cheap st Andrews courses (can't remember the names) and spend a couple of hours at the Himalayas putting course,which is brilliant, instead.

 

[davidy233]

It's nowhere near 100 years old, but given the info you've provided, I'd be fitting the Strathtyrum at St Andrews into that list - gives a taste of St Andrews without beating up a high handicapper - largely flat and wide it's got the same turf and conditioning of the bigger courses and has really interesting greens and proper St Andrews pot bunkers. It was £35 a round this year in high season.

 

[williamalex1]

Hi all! Just a little intro: I'm a 46 year old 23 hcp Dutchman. Once upon a long ago I played off 12. But you know... Anyway, next May, three friends and I are embarking on a three day golf binge in Fife. I'm looking for some advice and tips! So, anyone who can chip in is cordially invited.

Goals: we are a group of very average golfers, there's me and three hcp 30+ players. We want to have fun and not be punished. Also, we're not rich, so budget is very important. We are a bit golf snobby, so the course have to be pre-1922 (at least 100 years old). We're flying in Friday morning, leaving Sunday afternoon. I assume our hub will be around Aberdour/Burntisland but am not sure yet...

Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

Day 1:
- Musselburgh old links
- Aberdour
Day 2:
- Kinghorn
- Anstruther
Visit St Andrews for foto ops and dinner
Day 3:
- Burntisland
Sunday roast at the Golf Inn

As said, any thoughts or input is more than welcome!

I've played Old Musselburgh, Aberdour and Bur

Hi all! Just a little intro: I'm a 46 year old 23 hcp Dutchman. Once upon a long ago I played off 12. But you know... Anyway, next May, three friends and I are embarking on a three day golf binge in Fife. I'm looking for some advice and tips! So, anyone who can chip in is cordially invited.

Goals: we are a group of very average golfers, there's me and three hcp 30+ players. We want to have fun and not be punished. Also, we're not rich, so budget is very important. We are a bit golf snobby, so the course have to be pre-1922 (at least 100 years old). We're flying in Friday morning, leaving Sunday afternoon. I assume our hub will be around Aberdour/Burntisland but am not sure yet...

Here's what I've narrowed it down to:

Day 1:
- Musselburgh old links
- Aberdour
Day 2:
- Kinghorn
- Anstruther
Visit St Andrews for foto ops and dinner
Day 3:
- Burntisland
Sunday roast at the Golf Inn

As said, any thoughts or input is more than welcome!

I've played Old Musselburgh it's only a 9 hole course , Aberdour and Burntisland are quirky , not the greatest of courses but all 3 are usually in good condition in summertime, enjoyable and cheapish.
As said Mussellburgh to Aberdour will take about an hour depending on traffic.

 

[CliveW]

Personally, if I was inviting friends to play golf in Fife, I would look at playing Leven Links, Crail Balcombie, and St Andrews Eden

 

[davidy233]

Personally, if I was inviting friends to play golf in Fife, I would look at playing Leven Links, Crail Balcombie, and St Andrews Eden

OP said budget was very important - Crail was just a couple of quid under £100 in May this year

 

[CliveW]

OP said budget was very important - Crail was just a couple of quid under £100 in May this year

I never realised Crail had become so expensive. Definately not worth that in my opinion!

 

[Backache]

Having had a second look at your post, I hadn't noticed your travel plans.
If you are arriving on a Friday and travelling to Mussleburgh I wouldn't plan on playing a Fife course the same day as getting round the bypass and over the bridge can be very time consuming and you may not make the tee time.

You could consider playing somewhere in East Lothian and travelling later. Gullane No3 is a lovely small course always very well kept, though no longer as cheap as it was.
Gifford is a course I have heard very high opinions of though I've not played it myself.

You may also find tee times very difficult to get on Saturdays and Sunday mornings at members clubs as these times are often reserved for members.

You may be lucky at the smaller country clubs but enquire well in advance.
You should find it straightforward at St Andrews providing you book well in advance. Weekend golf is popular.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Don't miss theee fish and chip shop in Anstruther [ps locals call it Ainster]
Lovely town and harbour.

 

[Klimski]

Wow, what a great community here! Many thanks for the tips. I hadn't considered traffic (I know Musselburgh is pretty much the opposite direction from all the other courses I mentioned). Perhaps, reconsidering, I will swap Musselburgh for the Eden course - looking at our skillset - play a Scottish scramble there. Hmm. Lots to ponder. To be honest I'm really set on Kinghorn and Burntisland - read about both courses in Tom Coyne's book and I'm itching to play there myself (I love history and off beat/quirky golf courses).

Please keep the tips coming! Be it fish and chips or pubs or anything else that comes to mind!

 

[IanM]

As said already, the fish & chip shop in Anstruther is legendary. I quite liked the 9 hole golf course too, the former pro at one of my old clubs was born there, a junior member and his name is on the Honours Board as club champion some time back. Couple of quirky holes and one of the toughest par 3s you'll ever play.

Many of the Fife courses are expensive as on the St Andrews tourist trail....so you know your budget!

Remember St Andrews Old Course is closed for play on Sundays, so you can walk the whole course without restrictions... (unlike the Saturday you have planned) get your photos on the Swilcan Bridge etc. Leave time to play the Himalayas putting course (as said above) ...it lots of fun! St Andrews golf museum next to the R&A Building might be something to consider and Tom Morris' grave is in the Cathedral graveyard.

Tourist Info sites are very helpful too...

 

[Yorkshire Hacker]

OP said budget was very important - Crail was just a couple of quid under £100 in May this year

This year, we booked Crail, Scotscraig, Ladybank and Lundin Links through a company called "Links with History". A lady called Janie Dias got us booked on for £63.00 per person for each course. I would recommend them to anyone.

 

[Deleted member 23270]

If you make it to St Andrews then make sure you have a beer in the Dunvegen and the Jigger Inn.

 

[williamalex1]

OP said budget was very important - Crail was just a couple of quid under £100 in May this year

They'll probably be going dutch

 

[Klimski]

Definitely going Dutch - in fact, the whole trip will be a Dutch treat haha

 

[peld]

first point - Musselburgh Old Links will is not in Fife, and a LONG drive! So suggest you skip that (and its not worth the drive)
Elie/Earlsferry is one for your list.
You might be able to get a deal at Crail
I know you said you want old courses, but splash out and try something else for a treat like Dumbarnie!

 

[IanM]

Elie is great fun, and is £90 a round. Not sure what the budget is. (Elie would be about £30 if not near St Andrews! )

 

[gopher99]

Just sent you a pm Klimski, I have a voucher for sale for Crail. It will get you a great deal £27.50 per person?????

 

[Rlburnside]

I played Aberdour after posting on here asking for a fun course I could take 2 visitors coming to Edingburgh, it is a quirky fun course not to hard or long and is not too expensive.