Goswick Links
Once known as Berwick-upon-Tweed but rebranded as Goswick Links not so long ago, this top-notch course is both blessed and slightly cursed by its gloriously remote location. Here, you can enjoy a classic links in wonderful solitude with big skies and the freshest air, but for most of us, it's quite a trek!
Any effort made to get here, however, will be more than amply rewarded as you enjoy one of the finest such courses in England (only just, though). A few miles south of the Scottish border, this ever-improving design made it into the top 200 of the Golf Monthly UK&I course rankings about 15 years ago.
Back to the very beginning
The club was founded in 1890 and its initial nine-hole course was designed by Tom Dunn, a professional from North Berwick, 40 miles or so up and around the coast, with which it is regularly and easily confused. It was soon extended to 18 holes, and James Braid played an exhibition match here in 1901, the year of the first of his five Open victories.
This sowed some early seeds for his return almost three decades later when he changed every hole, most of them significantly. Such was the strength of his design that it remained largely unchanged until very recently, barring some 1960s tweaks by Frank Pennink.
Now, work is continuing on a Tom Mackenzie masterplan to upgrade the whole front nine. Improvements have been made to the 2nd and 3rd green surrounds; the 4th has new tees and a resculpted green; and the 5th and 6th holes are now longer with new back tees.
The star of the changes, though, is the new par-3 7th, which opened in April and allowed for the removal of the tough but less appealing short 9th hole. A further benefit of this work is that the 1st can now be rerouted, so there is no need for internal white stakes or the slightly out-of-keeping copse that sat on the corner of the dogleg.
A game of two halves
The front nine at Goswick Links runs over land to the north of the clubhouse, and the current changes will enable these opening holes to match the more exciting and distinctive holes that fill the back nine, which heads south-east then back again.
Highlights include the bunkerless par-4 12th with its tricky approach over no man's land, and the gorgeous 14th to a green nestling in the dunes. This hole is bookended by two lovely par 3s. The 17th is a fine three-shotter, while the closing hole is an exciting and very visual risk-reward short par 4, protected by no fewer than nine bunkers. This already first-class links continues to up its game and is certainly one to watch.
- W: goswickgolfclub.com
- Stats: par 72, 6,645 yards
- GF: round: £100-£135 all week
