Carnoustie Burnside

The verdict

Everyone comes to Carnoustie for the Championship Course, and rightly so, but the Burnside is the round that the locals and the canny travelers make sure to play. Dating to 1892, it shares the same hallowed linksland and the same fearsome companion, the Barry Burn, that snakes through the property and gives the course its name. It is shorter and more modest than its famous neighbor, a par 68 of just over 6,000 yards, but it carries genuine championship pedigree as an Open final qualifying venue, and it has a place in the game's history all its own.

For the traveling golfer the Burnside is the smart play: a fun, feisty links at a fraction of the Championship Course fee, ideal as the second round of a Carnoustie day or as a memorable round in its own right. It was here, in 1953, that Ben Hogan qualified for the only Open he ever entered, the championship he then won down the road, a piece of history that adds real resonance to a walk around these holes. On an Angus trip it is a course to relish rather than to skip.

The holes worth the trip

The Burnside packs a great deal of character into its modest length. The defining feature is the Barry Burn, the same winding watercourse that torments players on the Championship Course, and here it is integral to several of the holes, threatening tee shots and approaches and demanding careful thought rather than blind aggression. The fairways are narrow, the terrain laced with heather and dotted with daunting pot bunkers, and the small, contoured greens are hard to hold, especially when the summer ground firms up or the wind gets to work off the North Sea.

This is a course that proves links golf does not need length to challenge. At a par of 68 the Burnside relies on precision, position and judgment, with a clutch of testing par 3s and short par 4s where a slightly errant shot is quickly punished. It rewards the golfer who plays within themselves, picks the right line and respects the burn, and it can humble those who treat it as an easy warm up for the big course. The qualifying pedigree is no accident: under pressure, the Burnside asks searching questions.

What stays with you is the blend of fun and history. There is a lightness to the Burnside, a sense of enjoyment that the intimidating Championship Course does not always allow, yet you are still walking ground that decided an Open qualifying place and where one of the game's greatest players earned his spot. It is a thoroughly satisfying links that punches well above its yardage.

Where to stay nearby

Carnoustie has hotels right beside the links, including the landmark hotel overlooking the closing holes of the Championship Course, and Dundee a short drive away adds a full range of city accommodation and dining. The Angus coast is one of the most efficient golf trips in Scotland, with several championship quality links within minutes of one another, so a single well chosen base puts a remarkable amount of golf within easy reach.

The Burnside is best played as part of a Carnoustie and Angus circuit. The obvious pairing is the legendary Carnoustie Championship Course on the same site, while the fellow Open qualifiers at Monifieth Medal and the ancient links of Montrose complete a rich few days on the coast.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around Angus.