Longniddry Golf Club

Longniddry Golf Club was designed by Harry Colt in 1921, on coastal land between the Firth of Forth and the village of Longniddry, roughly midway between Edinburgh and North Berwick. Colt — responsible for Sunningdale New, Eden at St Andrews, and work at Royal Portrush — brought his characteristic combination of strategic bunkering and interest in the second shot to a site that is neither fully links nor fully parkland. The front nine works through woodland and meadow; the back nine opens up to the coast and the coastal wind. The result is par 68, which makes it shorter than a championship links but not shorter than the golf requires you to think.

The club plays as a members' club with visitor access; green fee is £65–£95 depending on day and season, with weekday mornings the most available. The course is compact enough to walk in three and a half hours without rushing, which makes a round at Longniddry a good bookend to a morning or afternoon at a longer neighbour — Gullane (10 minutes west) or North Berwick (15 minutes east) being the natural pairings.

Longniddry railway station is a five-minute walk from the first tee. The train from Edinburgh Waverley takes 25 minutes. For visiting golfers without a hire car, Longniddry is one of the most accessible clubs on the East Lothian coast — no taxi required from the station, and a full round completed and back to Edinburgh in time for dinner. The Longniddry Inn, a short walk from the 18th, covers post-round food and drink without requiring a drive.