A Journal for the Thrifty Gowfer
Edinburgh
Portobello, Edinburgh
Plate II — Parkland course — tree-lined fairways, year-round play
9-hole Edinburgh Leisure municipal in Portobello Park — the cheapest golf in the capital.
Portobello is Edinburgh's shortest and cheapest golf course — nine holes, 2,566 yards, par 32, in Portobello Park with Arthur's Seat as the backdrop. The signature hole is the ninth, a 177-yard par 3 with bunkers pinched in at 150 yards and a sloping green that has ruined plenty of tidy cards at the last moment.
It is exactly what a park nine-holer should be: walkable in ninety minutes, kind to beginners, cheap enough that a duffed opening tee shot costs nothing but pride. The £10.50 walk-in loop is the cheapest golf in the capital, and doubling round for £17.50 still undercuts every other eighteen in the city.
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
Portobello, Edinburgh · EH15 1JJOpen 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 Portobello. 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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