A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
Edinburgh Leisure municipal parkland between Murrayfield and the Zoo. Flat, forgiving, and the easiest walk of the city's munis.
Carrick Knowe is the flattest and most forgiving of Edinburgh's municipal courses — 6,133 yards of parkland, par 70, laid out on the plain between Murrayfield Stadium and Corstorphine Hill. Where the Braids throws elevation at you, Carrick Knowe offers wide fairways and an honest walk, which makes it the sensible first stop for a beginner, a post-flight round from the airport ten minutes away, or anyone easing back into the game.
It runs on the Edinburgh Leisure model: no membership required, clubs, trolleys and buggies for hire, and a walk-in guest rate that costs less than two pints and a pie at a stadium fifty yards away. The catch is the word walk-in — guest rates cannot be pre-booked, so turn up, tap a card (the operation is cashless), and take whatever the tee sheet offers.
The Full Scorecard
Fields marked “Contact club” aren’t public-facing in a way we’ve been able to verify. Call the club directly for these — we’ll update the entry when we have it from source.
Conditions This Week
Scored 0–10 for golf — wind, rain, conditions · Full 7-region forecast →
Location
Edinburgh · EH12 5UWOpen in OpenStreetMap →
Plan This Round
Where to Stay
Hotels, lodges and self-catering near the first tee. Map-style search via Stay22 covering Booking.com, Expedia, Airbnb and Vrbo.
How to Get There
Edinburgh (EDI) is 25 minutes away by car. Train + onward taxi works for the carless visitor.
Insure Your Round
Most home contents policies don't cover golf clubs in transit. The picker matches you to the right kind of cover in two minutes.
Played here? Consider
Picked for parkland rounds in Scotland.
Outerwear
The mid-weight option for parkland — fully waterproof but lighter than the wind-spec links jackets. Packs into a back-pocket pouch when the sun comes out.
Layer
Scotland's premium sportswear name. Cut for a swing rather than a jog; the moisture-wicking suits warmer parkland rounds where the wind isn't doing the work.
Tech
Tree-lined parkland holes are exactly the situation where a rangefinder pays for itself. The V6's slope mode is allowed in any non-tournament round.
Stays Nearby
Hotels, B&Bs and self-catering within easy reach of Edinburgh. Tap any property to check rates.
Rates and availability via Stay22. We may earn a small commission if you book — at no extra cost to you. How affiliate links work.
Frequently Asked
Nearby courses
Edinburgh golf hub
Browse all Edinburgh courses →
Twelve courses inside the city — two of the oldest golf clubs in the world, council municipals you can play for under £20, and a clutch of honest parkland members' clubs. And the entire East Lothian Golf Coast is half an hour east.
While they golf — Edinburgh
For the non-golfer in Edinburgh →
The National Museum of Scotland on Chambers Street is free and takes four hours — Dolly the sheep, Mary Queen of Scots' possessions, an Old Town rooftop view.
Read more about Edinburgh
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