Jaw-dropping views highlight Day 4 in Scotland
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – One day after North Berwick West beat us up, we tackled the understated Glen Golf Club East Links.
Despite some solid reviews from friends and locals, none of our foursome was ready for the jaw-dropping vistas the Glen Golf Club provides of the North Sea.
I’m talking Bandon Dunes- or Pebble Beach-like views. Spectacular isn’t being overly dramatic, either. Nearly every hole provides a birds-eye view of the town, beach and sea. Bass Rock is a prominent visual aid.
The Glen Golf Club’s opener is a 333-yard par 4 that is flat at the start before offering up a steep uphill mostly blind second shot. From the tee, the hole looks 600 yards long, but it really is only a drive and short iron. For the next 16 holes you can see the North Sea. That also reminded me of Bandon Dunes.
The Glen Golf Club has several holes that are as memorable as the North Sea views. My favorites, in no particular order, were No. 3, No. 7, No. 9 and No. 13.
The third hole, called Wantin Ways, is a beautifully contoured downhill par 4. Long hitters likely can have a go at the green on this 366-yard dogleg left, but what stands out is the fairway’s natural mounds and moguls the closer you get to the green. One of the best things about playing golf in Scotland is that there has been little, if any, manipulation of the fairways. The contours on No. 3 likely have been there since the course opened in 1906.
The seventh hole – Tantallon – is 375 yards that takes players to the highest point on the course – some 150-feet above the coastline.
The ninth, Quarrel Sands, is straightforward 200-yard par 3 that plays downhill with a beautiful view of Bass Rock. My favorite hole was No. 13, Sea Hole, a wonderful 125-yard par 3 that juts hard against the coastline. From the tee you can see a sliver of green that opens up behind a small hill on the left. Today’s pin was just a few steps from the right side of the green, with the sea looming nearby.
The Glen Golf Club is a par-70 that tips out at 6,275 yards. We played it at 6,048 yards and it was a fair test. We caught it on a benign day – hardly any wind. I can see how it could play two or three shots hard if the wind was howling.
One standout quality we have encountered during our stay in Scotland is how friendly and eager to help the locals have been. We encountered a single out before us today who was waiting the arrival of his buddies for a bachelor party weekend in Edinburgh. Another gentleman came off a green and climbed through some deep heather to give advice on how to play a certain hole. And the golf shop staff couldn’t have been more friendly.
Golf truly brings people together.
Gregg Dewalt is the editor of Alabama Golf News
Have a story idea or a news item to report to Alabama Golf News? Email gregg@alabamagolfnews.com
Featured image of the Scottish coast courtesy of CNN.
