Braid Hills No. 1, Hole by Hole

Here for green fees, booking and visitor info? All of that lives on our Braid Hills Golf Course page — current Edinburgh Leisure rates, how to book, and the practical stuff. This piece is the hole-by-hole guide.

The short version

Braid Hills No. 1 is one of the best municipal courses within easy reach of Edinburgh city centre. It is also the most exposed, the most testing, and the most likely to take your scorecard apart. Views that embarrass most private clubs. Fairways narrower than they look on the card. It's the pick of the courses in our Edinburgh golf hub.

Getting there

The car park by the clubhouse at Braid Hills Approach is small, so arrive early at weekends. Bus 11, 15, 23 or 38 from the city centre drops you within five minutes of the pro shop. The first tee is a short walk uphill from the shop.

Hole by hole

1st — par 4, 335 yards

Downhill, dead south-west. The tee sits at the highest point of the course and the fairway drops away in front of you like a ski jump. The line from the tee is the left edge of the clubhouse below. A good drive runs on after landing; a bad one runs into the gorse on the left. The green is below the fairway, protected by two modest bunkers. A punishingly public opening hole — half the walkers in the park can see you tee off.

2nd — par 3, 152 yards

Across a small gully. Mid-iron. The green slopes back to front more than it looks; anything short spins away to the front apron. Not a stand-out hole, but a useful breather after the exposure of the first.

3rd — par 4, 421 yards

Uphill all the way. In a westerly this becomes a driver-and-long-iron hole for most handicap golfers. The fairway is honest but the approach is not — the green is set into a bank and won't hold anything played long.

4th — par 5, 498 yards

The signature hole, in our view. Plays across the shoulder of the hill with the Pentlands on your right and the Forth on your left. The fairway is generous but the second shot is blind over a crest, with a marker post showing where the green is. Laying up leaves a straightforward third; a four is available if you trust the blind second.

5th — par 4, 378 yards

Into the prevailing wind. Dogleg left around a stand of gorse. The brave line clips the left edge and leaves a short iron in; the safe line leaves a mid-iron. Playable even in a strong wind, which is saying something on this hill.

6th — par 3, 183 yards

Across a valley onto a tabletop green. Downhill, so it plays shorter than the yardage. The green is tiny. Anything long is dead. Two bunkers short-right catch the bailed-out shot.

7th — par 4, 345 yards

The wind hole. Exposed, elevated, facing south-west. Into a south-westerly it plays far longer than the card says, and many handicap golfers will not reach in two.

8th — par 4, 402 yards

Back towards the clubhouse, usually with the wind behind. A good drive leaves a short approach. The easiest hole on the front nine.

9th — par 5, 510 yards

Finishes the outward loop along the top ridge. The tee shot is the widest on the course and the second is played to a crest. A three-shot hole for a handicap golfer, and a good scoring opportunity.

10th through 13th

Four holes on the far side of the hill, mostly sheltered from the prevailing wind. None individually remarkable; all par 4 or par 3. The course rewards you here for surviving the front nine.

14th — par 3, 169 yards

A memorable short hole, played across a small burn to a green hung above it. You can see the Forth bridges from the tee on a clear day.

15th — par 4, 387 yards

Sharp dogleg right with a blind tee shot. A drive on the right line leaves a short-iron second to a green protected by a single deep bunker front-left.

16th — par 4, 352 yards

Uphill — the last real climb on the course. The second shot is longer than it looks, so take more club.

17th — par 3, 208 yards

The one hole we would redesign if given the chance. Plays uphill into what is usually the wind, so for many handicap golfers it is a fairway wood or driver. The green is small and tilted, with no satisfying way to play it.

18th — par 4, 331 yards

Finishing hole back towards the clubhouse. Downhill and welcome after the 17th, with a short iron second. A gentle close.

Practical

• Fee: from 1 April 2026 the walk-in guest rate is £41, cashless, with pre-booked rounds priced separately — current rates and booking on our Braid Hills Golf Course page.
• Booking: online via the Edinburgh Leisure website. Walk-ups accepted outside peak.
• Dress: muni rules — collared shirt and trousers, but no formal code enforced.
• Buggy: not available (terrain prohibits).
• Clubhouse: basic. Don't expect anything grand.
• Where to eat after: The Braid Hills Hotel, a short walk away.

Verdict

Would not suit a true beginner — the wind and elevation will punish them — but for anyone with a steady handicap it's a proper test on a proper hill. The 4th is the best hole. The 7th is the one you will want to skip.

Yardages from the white tees on the 2026 scorecard.