Whitekirk Golf & Country Club

Played Whitekirk on 22 June 2013 with rain showers and a breeze. This course is a place where you need to play again as there are a few blind tee shots, so first time mistakes are made. This doesn't detract form the course lay out or any of the holes. What does detract form the course is the slowness of the greens. We got a good deal £109 for fourball, with a lot of Scottish golf courses charging silly money Whitekirk has to be good value.

Played with my son in mid August for £9 each from an internet offer so for that price it would be hard to complain about anything. On what was a very windy day, consecutive blind tee shots were not to my taste.( At least 5 on the front nine so this is a course to plot your way around and not for trying to smash the driver off the tee ). The greens had been hollow tined so were not at their best but we both enjoyed the round, saw plenty of wildlife, had spectacular views ( you can see the rain coming from miles away ) and would like to play on a still day if that's possible on an exposed hilltop. Well worth a visit

i just played this course today for the first time today 12/11/2011 i really enjoyed it all the holes are really nice i wouldent give a bad word about this gold course at all only thing is if you dont know where you are going and take the sat nav the destonation is on a bit from the place it gives you to all you need to do is drive on past the houses and its on the right hand side bout 5mins drive from where the sat nav tells you deffo cant wait to play this course again 10 out of 10

Played here on Thursday 14 October 2010 as day four of our society trip, my 3rd visit but first since 2006. The course was in really good condition for the time of year, the greens had been firtilized but this did not effect the putting at all, this course is a real test of straight shooting and well placed iron shots. We were not rushed at all on the day, a must play if in the area

15th may 2010 another course that is always on my list 1st when i go up to scotland, it was blowing as well day we played and our scores sufferd through it, some great holes on this course, on my prevoius reports i have mentioned alot of the holes and there still the same,great test of golf ,play it you will be going back beleave me,all the courses i have played this is 1 of my favourites, on the 17th par 3 around 190yrds i had to aim 30 yards out left over the gorse and let the wind bring it back ,finished just short of green,great challange

Played it in a strong east wind but also bright sunshine. This is a VERY challenging course with undulating fairways and greens which were all in fine condition. No two holes were the same, the variety kept us on our toes throughout. All the members of our group agreed this is a superb test of golf and I'd highly recommend a round here. Plus the green fees are very reasonable too.

Played a bounce round with friend Iain on Sat 11th October, spur of the moment decision after our home course was rained out. What a stroke of luck! We both agreed it was a superb course and one we'd visit again over the winter. Consistently good fairways, the best and most challenging greens I've played other than Gullane, outstanding natural beauty, each hole having its own character ... and all for £25 per head, thanks to an exceptionally generous member of staff. No wonder East Lothian has such a good reputation for championship standard gold courses - here's one of the best ones I've tried so far. Simply superb!

20th may 2008 day 2 of the scotland tour,we were booked in for 36 holes with buggys which we were glad of,great value course, and tough challange, we voted this as our best course over the 5 days,its abit like an inland links course you can see bass rock prob about 3 miles away,everyhole gives you something different,1 of our group budgie played some ov the best golf i have witnessed birdied 1st 3 holes he finished front 9 2under,not bad for a snap hooker playing off 5,its a tight course with alot of holes with gourse either side,the 3rd is nice hole trying to stop the ball down hill on a green which slopes away from you, the 5th is stroke 1 good drive needed the long 2nd over massive gully to green surroundedby gourse,this is were we heard boom booms massive cry of oh stanley man in his best scotish accsent as he stuck it in the gourse,9th a cracking dogleg,10th par 4 stoke 2 elevated tee you can reach the green here with a good hit,11 and 12 nice holes with well placed bunkers,13th weak par 5 down hill i got on in 2 prob just a big par 4,from 15th its a tough finish,17th long par 3 were we heard boom booms crys of stanley again 18th nice down hill hole in front of clubhouse,big nev looked very tired and ready 4 for bed after 36,sausage had consumed that much water he nearly drank the firth of fourth dry,fat tiger took the money with an outstanding display of links golf,ex champ silver fox was left scratching his head could he come back from this far down the league table,budgie got the wig for lowest score after a great round in the morning,walshy won the smoking competition with a good 40 fags done in

20/06/08 day 2 of scotland tour,any early start due to some1 putting bread on caravan roof at 5.30am thought i was getting kidnapped by the sas but it was just a crowd of seagulls fighting on the roof, most of the lads voted this course as the fav over the 5 days we did 36 holes here,personally i thought it was great, good mixture of holes great views of bass rock,lovely clubhouse were you can sit and have lunch while watching them come in on the 18th, the course its self is pretty tight playing in gullys with gourse either side lots of gullys b4 greens what you have to hit over,good 1st hole par5, 3rd good hole down hill you have to land it 40yrd short and let it run out ,4th nice hole,5th is the stroke 1 all on the drive if you can get it long enough and tricky 2nd in2 green,9th great dogleg,10th driveable par4 stroke 2,12th open par5 then narrows up to very tight green surrorounded by gourse,13th was a weakish par5 i reached both times drive rescue club, 17th tough par3 ,18th good finishing hole,really enjoyable day and a defo on list next time ,the wind got up in afternoon and change the course again, got an inland links feel 2 it,special mention to gavin birdied 1st 3 holes finished front 9 2under gross,3 birdies back 9 aswell i think he finished 1 under gross playing off 5 great knock for a snap hooker,boom boom took the money poor front 9 then 24points back nine,but this was just the start of boom booms wayward drives more to come,sausage king had bit of a rough day kept lagging up,big nev well it just wasnt happening for the big man,dad came 2nd but cost him more than he won in balls,fat tiger was 3rd with a great knock considering he got dropped 2 shots,great course your loss if u dont play it not to hard but defo not to easy

Played Whitekirk as part of a golf break in East Lothian. Very friendly Clubhouse and excellent facilities. The course is in great condition with small fast greens and a variety of good blind tee shots. The wind conditions changed during our two rounds so that an approach shots of a wedge in the morning round became a 5 iron in the afternoon round. Watch out of the clubhouse when approaching the last green. The money spent on toughened glass was an excellent investment. Excellent Value particulary using 2 Fore 1 vouchers Recommend this course to anyone

We have just come back from a golfing holiday in east lothian. Whitekirk was our first taste of the local courses.While it was a testing course it was a pleasure to play. This is one course that will be first on our list to play again.The hospitality and the friendly help we recieved from the green staff and clubhouse was top class.

My first visit to whitekirk had me preparing to call a body shop. The rationalisation stems from the driving range beside the driveway up to the clubhouse!Any hook (or power draw!) can result in an unhappy visit!Apologies to lefties. Aside from this, the clubhouse is immaculate. The building retains the wooden panels, so typical of the older clubs, while blending in a well lit, well decorated casual bar. Pre - round snacks are a must, the food is fantastic. The driving range facilities need updated in my opinion. On the first tee there is a relaxed feel as the prying eyes of those in the clubhouse are out of sight. The first requires a steely nerve. A player with a natural draw may struggle as would those with a fade. The fairway is tight. On the left a drop, on the right a small cliff face. The front 9 is a fairly enclosed affair. The drives are blind, making placement very difficult. Throughout the course, the greens are small, fast and well contoured. On the front 9, the standout hole is the 5th. A good drive, hit right of the marker, allows the ball to roll untill it hits something!I average about 270 and hit a drive of around 340!!My brother hit his drive into the gulley with a 3wood!!The test is not in the drive but in the approach. The second shot must be hit over a massive gap to a small green. Anything long will require either a delicate chip, or mountain goat footing. Anything short will require guesswork! The 9th offers a large fairway and a blind approach, with the green hidden behind the contours in the course. The back 9 begins in true style. The 10th is a fantastic risk and reward hole. The elevated tee is accessed by the "Stairway to Heaven". Once on the tee the player is subjected to phenomenal views of east lothian and the subsequent hole. The tee suggests a safe play, bringing the water feature into play. Many players would take the driver. The bunkers are about 270-80 to carry leaving many players trying to play left or right. A shot drilled down the left of the traps can leave a wedge to the elongated, two tiered green. After this hole is complete the player is faced with a transitional walk through a woodland area. The course now opens up and introduces some water features. The 11th, 12th and 13th are gems. The 11th is a dogleg right par 4 with bunkers at around 260 and water up the right. The 12th is a par 5 demanding a drive between bunkers and a confident strike with a long iron/FW. The 13th is a massively elevated hole with bunkers on the right and O.O.B on the left. The approach shot punishes anything right with a water hazard from 60 yards in. The next hole is a par 3, nothing out of the ordinary, an uphill approach. The 15th is a marvel. Overlooking the village of Whitekirk, the drive demands accuracy. Anything left is caught by a bunker, anything right could damage the 15th Century church!The ideal drive is between the mound and the OOB, on a small landing spot. There is very litte chance of hitting over the gulley and on the green in two. The second shot should be played into the gulley, leaving a wedge to the green. The next 3 holes are fantastic as well. The course is well laid out and accomodates all levels of ability. I played this course for the first time last year. I am now a country member!

This was the first course we played on our 4 day trip and the second time I have played it, the 1st being a couple of years ago. The course hasn't changed much in that time although it played completley diffrently because of a lack of wind during the first round! There's a lot of really good holes and it can be a real challenge if the wind gets up! The staff are really accommodating and friendly and the club house feels homely. Highly recommended, but if its windy take several golf balls!!!

Played here again on 24th April 2006, again the course was in good nick. Food before in clubhouse very nice, staff very friendly, a must play if in the area.

Played on Sunday 07 March 04. Lovely Clubhouse when arriving. Course can be quite tricky especially when it is your first time as we found out. There are several holes where you are hitting blind shots too. Course was in good nick. First few holes are easy walked then you start to feel the slight hills kick in (pleased i had a trolly). No holes really stood out for me as they all had something different about them. plenty of gorse bushes and rock. Camerons test was much talked about, but when we stepped on the tee i thought it was poor, little did i realise tat it is your 2nd shot that is the test, over a huge gully (take your time going down this hill) it is quite steep, watch out for the closing hole, slice the ball and you could end up in either the clubhouse or car park as I did (still got down for 5 though). All in all a nice course which Groups & Societies would really need to play 27 or 36 holes to benefit from knowing where to place shots. Will play again, was worth the Hour and a Half trip.

Played the course on Friday 18th July on a 2-4-1 voucher. Course was in excellent condition and the greens very good. There is a few climbs but the views over the surrounding area make it worthwhile. Highly recommended and the clubhouse has a warm greeting.

A good challenging course and definitely worth playing. LAYOUT Although a new-ish course, it is a heathland/hillside course with plenty of ups-and-downs, good rough and gorse and gives some good traditional Scottish golf! (In fact, reminded me a lot of Edinburgh's Braid Hills which is also worth playing). PLAYING Definitely need to go canny (translation: you need to think!) and a course on which a bit of course knowledge goes a long way! Some hole descriptions and a bit of advice will illustrate: 1st (long narrow par 5): take a FW wood or a long iron off tee to keep in play since v. narrow and with the massive drop before green you're not going to reach in 2 anyway! 2nd (short par 4): beware the patch of rough on the downslope in the middle of the FW! So don't hit a sensible iron... 3rd (par 4): big right hand dog-leg - not sure that I would drive straight over marker in FW because I think you would run out of FW! 9th (par 4): drive has got to be RH side of FW to have view of green. 10th (par 4): just got to be seen! Go canny and (off yellow tees) take a long iron onto FW short of bunkers. Finally, watch the bunkers; they have v. light sand - knife through butter - and my father and I (both pretty reasonable bunker players, honest!) both just blasted straight out of the bunkers and over the green! My old man into a field of corn and me into a farm building!

...oh, and I forgot to mention the views: absolutely stunning views in all directions over East Lothian and the coast! The downside is that it is very exposed!