Crail (Balcomie)

The Balcomie Links is one of two courses at Crail, and the oldest of the two by far. It dates back to the end of the 19th Century, with Old Tom Morris the designer behind the layout. 

 

The club itself is the ninth oldest golf club in the world, going back all the way to 1786, with the Balcomie Links being opened just over a century later. 

 

The course plays on the northern side of the property, with a run of holes along the coastline. It runs around Constantine’s Cave and along the beach. 

 

  

Visit the Crail Golfing Society's website here. 

Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage. 
 

You have to go some way back for the start of Crail’s golfing history... 

 

The Crail Golfing Society was established in 1786, making it the ninth oldest golf club in the world. The Balcomie Links would come more than a century later. 

 

Old Tom Morris was the designer of the original nine holes, which were opened in 1895. Five years later, he came back to extend the Balcomie Links to an 18-hole course.  

 

2019 saw the course play host to the Scottish Amateur Championship, alongside the Craighead Course at Crail. 
 

The Balcomie Links at the Crail Golfing Society is a true Scottish links course, played along the coastline of the North Sea. The theatrical drama includes clifftop tees, pot bunkers, blind shots, turf walls and the constant threat of the swirling wind off the sea. The Par 69 layout plays under 6,000 yards from the tips so it is not the longest course that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list, but that doesn’t mean it is without its challenges.  

 

A generous fairway greets you off the first tee, but a large green could see you come undone early. The 2nd is the first hole to play directly along the coastline. The North Sea is to your right off the tee on this 490-yard par 5. It is reachable in two, but you cannot push your approach shot. The same is said of the tee shot on the par 3 3rd, and the par 4 4th. The latter is driveable for the longest of hitters, but most will play safe to the left and away from the coast. 

 

The 447-yard par 4 5th, aptly called Hell’s Hole, is the headline act in a collection of magnificent holes. It’s the hardest hole on the course and rightly so. You have a daunting decision to make off the tee. Do you play safe, go straight and probably take three shots to reach the green, or do you cut off as much of the corner as you dare and risk coming up short on the beach? It’s a beautiful hole but beware its bite. 

 

6 is the second short hole, but at 188 yards, it will still require a decent hit! The 7th has a very generous fairway, and at only 340, it should be a comfortable par. The 8th and 11th holes share a double green, with the former being a 410 yard par 4. 11 is a short par 5, and another chance for birdie. In between are a pair of short par 4s, while the 12th makes it back-to-back par 5s at the start of the back nine. It is the longest hole on the course and the last of the three par 5s on the Balcomie Links. 

 

There are then four par 3s in the last six holes, including back-to-back short holes at the 13th and 14th. The pick of the par 3s is the 14th, the Cave. Here, the tee box is high on the hillside and you presented with glorious views of the rest course, the golden sands and sea. Once you put the camera away, the green looks a dot below and it’s fraught with danger. Not only is the out-of-bounds beach on the right side an imminent threat, but the green is encircled by pot bunkers.  

 

At just 264 yards from the tips, the 15th is a short par 4 that is definitely driveable. The penultimate hole is the only other par 4 remaining on the Balcomie, and it is the longest of the lot at more than 450 yards. There is a wide landing area, but the green is the guarded by the water’s edge at its back. Anything long is in trouble. The closer on the Balcomie is a 205-yard par 3 played to a long green. It is a tough finisher, and a par is always welcome on 18. 
 

Where is Crail Golfing Society located?  
Crail Golfing Society is located at on the eastern coastline of Fife in Scotland. Golfers playing at Crail will enjoy views over the North Sea to the east. It is just a few miles south of Kingsbarns, and within half an hour of St Andrews. Dundee is 25 miles to the north, while the Scottish capital of Edinburgh is around 55 miles southwest of the venue. 

 

The nearest major international airport is also Edinburgh, which is slightly closer to Crail than the capital city. More than 15 million passengers travel through Edinburgh Airport annually. For those travelling by train, the nearest station is in Leven, but that is more than ten miles from the venue.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?  
The Balcomie Links are Crail is one of several stunning golf courses in the region of Fife. Kingsbarns is just a couple of miles to the north along the coastline, with the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews five miles beyond that. The plethora of layouts at St Andrews - including the Old Course, New Course and Castle Course, are also within 12 miles.

What golf facilities does Crail Golfing Society offer?
Along with the two courses – the Balcomie Links and the Craighead Links – Crail has plenty to offer in terms of its practice facilities. There is a driving range with nine bays, along with a beautiful short game area to allow golfers to practice their chipping and putting with those incredible views of the region.  

What are the green fees at Crail Golfing Society?  
The price of a green fee at Crail Golfing Society changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Crail, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Crail Golfing Society's website here. 

Go back to the NCG Top 100s Homepage.