Craigielaw Golf Club

The verdict

Craigielaw proves that a links built in the modern era can feel as natural as one a century older. Donald Steel routed it over genuine seaside ground at Aberlady, hard by the Firth of Forth in the heart of East Lothian, and opened it in 2001. There is no artifice here: firm turf, open horizons, gorse and revetted bunkers, and greens that run fast and true in summer. It is a thoroughly authentic links, and it slots in among the legendary names of this coast without apology.

For the visiting golfer Craigielaw is one of the smart picks of Scotland's Golf Coast, more readily booked than the famous neighbors and a true test in its own right. It works as the opening round of an East Lothian trip or as the standout of a quieter day, with a fine clubhouse and lodge on site. Play it for the modern links experience done right, then string it together with Gullane, Luffness and the rest. It earns its place on any itinerary along this matchless stretch of coast.

The holes worth the trip

Craigielaw rewards the player who reads the ground. Steel set the course over rumpled coastal land where the ball runs and the wind off the Forth is always a factor, so the smart play is low, controlled and aware of the firm turf. The bunkering is classic links, deep and revetted, positioned to catch the lazy line, and the greens are large, fast and full of subtle movement that punishes an approach left in the wrong quarter.

The routing keeps you honest from the start, with holes that change direction to use the breeze in every guise, and a sequence of strong par 4s where position off the tee dictates everything that follows. The short holes are excellent, exposed to the wind and protected by sand and run off, while the par 5s offer a chance to attack only if you commit to the right line. There is width to enjoy, but the scoring sits with the player who keeps the ball beneath the wind and trusts the run.

What stays with you is how complete the experience feels for a course barely two decades old. It looks, plays and tests like an established links, with the sea air, the firm fairways and the demand for imagination that define the genre. On a coast crowded with history, Craigielaw earns its keep on merit, and many a traveling golfer leaves planning to come back.

Where to stay nearby

Craigielaw has its own lodge beside the links, and the villages of Aberlady, Gullane and North Berwick add inns, hotels and seaside guest houses within minutes of the tee. East Lothian is one of the most efficient golf trips in the world, with a dozen first rate links inside a short radius, so a single well chosen base puts an extraordinary amount of golf within easy reach. Edinburgh is close enough for a city stay too.

Craigielaw belongs in the heart of a Golf Coast circuit. The natural pairings are the celebrated trio at Gullane No 1 next door, the seaside classic of North Berwick West Links, and the fine links at Luffness New and Kilspindie just along the shore.

Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts around East Lothian and the Golf Coast.