North Berwick West Links: 2026 Access and Booking Update
On the East Lothian shore of the Firth of Forth sits one of the most original rounds in golf: the West Links, played since 1832 and home of the Redan, the most copied par 3 on earth. Here is where it stands in 2026, what green fees to expect, and how a visitor actually gets on.
Photo: North Berwick West Links.
The news: the original links on Scotland's Golf Coast
East Lothian is the densest stretch of championship golf in Scotland outside Fife, and in 2026 it remains as sought after as ever. Within a short drive of one another sit Muirfield, Gullane and North Berwick, and the summer tee sheets on all of them fill many months ahead. North Berwick's West Links is the one with the longest unbroken history and the most copied architecture, and for travellers the question every year is the same: how do you get on, and what does it cost.
The headline for 2026 is that the golf is timeless and everything turns on the tee sheet. The West Links has run along the same shore since 1832, a par 71 defined not by length but by stone walls crossing fairways, the beach in play, the Pit and its wall at the 13th, and at the 15th the Redan, the par 3 imitated on great courses from Long Island to Melbourne. There is only one of it, and that is exactly why it sells out.
The course, and the town around it
The West Links plays like nothing else in golf. It runs out and back along the Firth of Forth with the sea constantly in view, the turf firm and fast, and hazards that no modern architect would dare build: a beach you can be on, walls you must carry or skirt, blind shots, and greens tucked into folds of the old ground. The Redan 15th alone is worth the trip, but the run for home from the 13th is among the most distinctive finishes in the game.
The setting is the other half of the appeal. North Berwick is a lively seaside town with beaches, a working harbor, restaurants and the Bass Rock on the horizon, which makes it a better base for mixed groups and families than the quieter golf villages nearby. Gullane is ten minutes away, Muirfield sits on the same short coast, and Edinburgh is about forty minutes west with a direct rail line into the town.
How to play it in 2026
Access is simpler than at the private estates nearby but the constraint is real: the West Links is a single tee sheet and it books out months ahead in season. Visitor times are available most days, but mornings and weekends go first, so the rule is to fix your dates and secure the West Links round before you build anything else around it.
On price, indicative 2026 visitor green fees are around 220 pounds in March and 320 pounds from April to October. Treat those as indicative and confirm directly before booking, as seasonal rates move. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. If you want the West Links folded into a Muirfield and Gullane trip, build the itinerary months ahead and secure this round first.
Our take
Our take is that the West Links is a non negotiable on any East Lothian trip and, for many golfers, the single round they will retell forever. It is not the longest or the toughest test on the coast, but it is one of the most original and most enjoyable, and the town around it makes North Berwick the most rounded base on Scotland's Golf Coast.
If you are building a 2026 East Lothian week around Muirfield and Gullane, base in North Berwick, take the West Links on a prime day secured early, and travel between April and October for the firmest conditions. Confirm the current rate directly before you go, and book the tee sheet the moment your dates are firm.
Plan your East Lothian golf trip
From the West Links and the Gullane links to Muirfield on the same short coast, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play North Berwick West Links in 2026?
Yes. The West Links is a public links with visitor tee times most days, but it runs a single tee sheet that sells out months ahead in season, so book the moment your dates firm up. Mornings and weekends go first.
What are the green fees at North Berwick for 2026?
On 2026 visitor days the West Links is around 220 pounds in March and 320 pounds from April to October. Treat these as indicative and confirm directly before booking, as rates move with the season.
What is the Redan hole at North Berwick?
The 15th on the West Links, a par 3 to a green angled away behind a fronting bunker and named for a Crimean War fortification. It is the most copied hole in golf architecture, with Redan versions on great courses worldwide, and playing the original is a large part of the North Berwick pilgrimage.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, access and fee details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.