Number 100. Played winter 2012. Traditional links designed by Tom MacKenzie.


Craigielaw is another of East Lothian's many excellent golf courses on the self-proclaimed "Scotland's Golf Coast". I was fortunate enough to have a voucher to play the course after attending the Scottish Golf Show 2012. However, I suspect that due to this offer the extra rounds by visitors have had an adverse effect on the condition of the course. The course was on full tees, greens and not on mats. The greens weren't too bad - a bit of top dressing but given the winter we have had they were pretty decent. The fairways were a different story - as you will see from the pictures below they clearly had taken alot of punishment last season and in my opinion a few more weeks of mats may have helped the fairways to recover. They weren't as bad as the Carrick at Loch Lomond (possibly the most overplayed course in Scotland?) but they did look as though they could do with less rounds. Aside from these minor issues, I thought the course was a decent enough track. The upturned greens weren't nearly as bad as I had heard and in fact were reasonably soft so allowed you to attack flags. I suspect at the height of summer this will not be possible but I liked the fact that there was a route into the green and this seems to be a course which would grow on you the more you play it. One word of advice if you have never played the course before - make sure you know where to go, the course routing isn't the most intuitive! The course has some very stiff local competition but it is a reasonable addition to the area.

Thanks. Thanks to the Scottish Golf Show for the voucher and to Stephen MacDonald and Gordon Blackwood for joining me. It was a fun day with the highlight being the first time I have beaten Mr Blackwood in a match play competition. So for that reason Craigielaw will hold a unique place in my affections!