Dalmahoy (East)

The Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club is home to two stunning golf courses, with the East Course being the championship offering at the Scottish venue.

It pushes back to more than 7,300 yards from the tips, and has played host to the European Tour, Ladies European Tour, European Legends Tour, and in 1992, it hosted the first ever Solheim Cup on European soil.

A gentler 6,700 yards from the members tees, it is a course that is wide for the majority, with generous fairways. There is plenty of sand to avoid though, along with beautiful tree-lined holes as well.

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Dalmahoy House dates back to 1725, but it would two centuries before golf came to be at the Scottish venue. 1927 saw the conversion to a hotel, with James Braid being drafted in to design the East Course.

A renovation in the mid-2000s saw two new holes added among the trees, with the new 13th and 14th holes bringing a narrow challenge, something different to deal with.

There has been plenty of tournament history on the East Course at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. Tony Jacklin, Bernard Hunt and Peter Thomson were victorious during a three-year spell of European Tour visits in the 1970s, while Dame Laura Davies was among the winners of the Ladies Scottish Open in the 1990s.

The East Course was the host of the first ever Solheim Cup on European soil, hosting the event in 1992. The home side won, two years after losing the inaugural event in the United States. The East has also played host to the Scottish Seniors Open on several occasions – Sam Torrance and Neil Coles among the winners of the tournament.

The East Course at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club is nicknamed ‘The Beast’, and for obvious reasons. The course stretches out to 7,340 yards from the championship tees, and even the member’s teeing option is around the 6,700-yard mark (hole yardages from these tees). However, there are generous fairways to aid with the extra length to this course. Tree-lined fairways make it a lovely walk, and the odd bunker here and there adds to the difficulty.

Both nines on the East Course are bookended with par 5s. The opening hole on Dalmahoy’s championship offering is a 480-yard par 5, and a good scoring chance to get you on your way, providing you can avoid the three fairway bunkers. A total of eight traps lie in wait on this hole, with three more by the green. There is only one on the second hole, but it is the first of two tough par 4s. It is arrow-straight, but at 423 yards, it requires two solid hits to get home. The 3rd comes back in the opposite direction, so make sure to take the wind into account. Two fairway bunkers sit on the right side of this slight dog-leg right, with the longer hitters perhaps thinking of trying to carry them. The green is triangular, with the narrow section at the front.

The 4th is the opening par 3 on the East, and at 140 yards, it is easily the shortest hole on the course. Don’t think it is too easy, though, as the putting surface is protected by six large bunkers. At just 305 yards, the 5th is one of the easier holes on the layout. However, those thinking about going for it off the tee might well think again after seeing the six bunkers that are in the way. Laying up between the traps on either side of the fairway is the best option, leaving yourself a flick of a wedge into the green. 6 is a dog-leg right, a par 4 of 390 yards, and again, avoiding the fairway hazards is the key. The green is long, so make sure you know where the flag is.

The same applies on the par 3 7th, which can range from 155 to 190 yards, depending on a front or back pin position. Like the 4th, six bunkers surround the green, while trees are at the back. 8 is a good scoring chance at just 345 yards. The fairway is generous, barring the bunkers on either side, while the distance should mean it is a low iron or wedge into the green. The front nine ends with a par 5, and it is a tricky dog-leg right. It is only on the card at 468 yards, but the tee shot has to be down the left side to give yourself a view of the green. The second shot is then played over a grass ditch towards the green, but there is space in the form of fairway in front of the putting surface for those that cannot make it in two. Trees surround three sides of the green, with a bunker also on the right side.

The 10th makes it back-to-back par 5s, and the opening hole on the back side of the East is arrow straight. Again, avoiding fairway bunkers is key if you want to take on the green with your second. Four traps by the surface might make you think about laying up, though. You then hit a run of six consecutive par 4s, four of which are over the 400-yard mark, even off the yellows. 11 is one of those, and one of few holes on the course where sand doesn’t come into play off the tee. Just one bunkers protects the green, with trees doing most of the work around the left and back of the surface. 12 is shorter, at 396 yards, and plays as a slight dog-leg left. The right side of the fairway is the line off the tee, with two bunkers guarding a narrow putting surface.

13 and 14 are the two new holes on the course, and you can see how different they are when standing on the 13th tee. The Stroke Index one on the East, this 430-yard dog-leg right par 4 is much narrower than what you have faced over the last few hours. The best line into the green is from the left side of the fairway, but just avoiding the trees might well be enough to keep you happy. The same can be said on 14, with the miss being to the left – even though it would still end up in the trees. There would at least be life over there, whereas anything right off the tee will see you reaching into your bag for a second ball.

Back out into the open, and you come to two 410-yard par 4s. However, 15 and 16 are different. The former is a dog-leg left, with a pair of fairway bunkers to avoid, while the 16 is straight, and has just the one trap by the green. The tee shot is easier on the 16th, with a generous fairway lying in front of you. From the championship tees, the par 3 17th is 245 yards. Thankfully, from the yellows, it is only 181 yards. It is still a small target to aim for, though, one surrounding by sand and trees.

The 18th – named Solheim after its history – is the signature hole on the East Course at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. Your first and only glimpse of water comes on the 18th tee, with a large hazard on the right of the fairway. It also has a split fairway which leads to a long second shot while the historic Dalmahoy House looks on. It is only 450 yards, but thanks to the split in the short grass, reaching in two might not be the easiest, especially with your final approach of the day!

Where is Dalmahoy located?

Dalmahoy is located between Ratho and Currie, on the outskirts of Edinburgh in Scotland. The centre of the nation’s capital is just ten miles to the northeast of Dalmahoy. The venue sits just south of the A71, which runs from Edinburgh across to Irvine on the western coastline of the country.

Unsurprisingly, Edinburgh Airport is the closest to Dalmahoy. It is just a 15-minute drive from the resort, and the airport is the busiest in the country. Both Kirknewton and Curriehill – the two closest train stations to the resort - are on the same train line, the line that connects Scotland’s two biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Both are a ten-minute drive from Dalmahoy, and the train service runs once an hour in both directions.

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Scotland venues nearby?

Two venues around the Scottish capital are on the NCG Top 100s: Scotland list. There are Bruntsfield Links and The Musselburgh (Monktonhall), both of which are within 15 miles of the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club. Glenbervie is also within 25 miles to the northwest, with Lanark a similar distance to the southwest of Dalmahoy. The resort is also home to the West Course, a quirky track which offers something completely different to the East.

What golf facilities does Dalmahoy offer?

Along with the two different golf courses, Dalmahoy’s practice facilities include a pitch and putt with nine holes of differing lengths to allow golfers to practice their distance control. There is also a 12-bay floodlit driving range which is also sheltered from any adverse weather conditions. There is a putting green outside Dalmahoy House, right by the first tee of the East Course.

What are the green fees at Dalmahoy?

The price of a green fee at the Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club 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 Dalmahoy, visit their booking website here.