Kingsknowe Golf Club

Overlooking Scotland's capital city from the south-west side, Kingsknowe is a welcoming club set within an attractive suburban setting. Originally designed by 1902 Open champion Alec Herd and later James Braid, the course is laid out over gently rolling hills lined with cherry trees making it particularly inviting in the spring. This parkland course is laid out over and through the valleys of gently rolling hills on which Oliver Cromwell's army gathered to bombard Redhall Castle in 1650. The challenge is in finding and holding the well-guarded and relatively small greens.The course comprises several tough dog-leg par 4s throughout the 18 with the feature hole coming at the 460-yard par 4 16th. Interestingly, it begins with a short hole. The 1st is a 167-yard par 3 where you are wise to take more club than you think and aim at the back left corner of the green. Four bunkers surround the front of the putting surface.

The 15th is an immense par 3, a 225-yard test off the whites. The fairly narrow green is guarded by traps on both side; clubbing up and hitting it up the left side is the play.

The 3rd plays alongside the railway in a fashion typical of the country's classic links and is a par 5 which at 491 yards is reachable for the bigger hitters. Hit your drive up the left and then you have a chance of finding your way through the narrow entrance to the green. One of the strongest holes on the front nine is the 8th, 'Hilltops', which is a 414-yard challenge off the backs. You have to drive it up the right half of the fairway and then thread your approach between the bunkers which guard the front of the green. The back nine begins with a fine two shotter where you must drive up the left of the dogleg and allow your ball to settle in the middle of the fairway, from where you can hit a mid-iron to a green which falls off at the front. The 15th is an immense par 3, a 225-yard test off the whites. The fairly narrow green is guarded by traps on both side; clubbing up and hitting it up the left side is the play. The next is the pick of the closing trio, a 458-yard par 4 where you must hit a solid drive up the right and then a fine long iron or hybrid to hold a narrow green with out of bounds on the right.