Dumbarnie Links – A Golfing Experience

Dumbarnie Links – A Golfing Experience is a short golf blog post that takes a look at one of the best newcomer Golf Links in Scotland. Dumbarnie Links has quickly become one of the most talked-about places because it offers the whole package. It is located on the shores of the Firth of Forth, which is just 20 minutes away from the centre of St Andrews, the Home of Golf. Dumbarnie Links Dumbarnie Links sits on a 345-acre site that offers stunning views across the Forth Estuary towards North Berwick. David Scott, PGA ‘Master’ Professional and General Manager of the Dumbarnie Links is the perfect host at such a golf course. Always in a good mood and pleased to see everyone who visits this amazing facility. He oversees 35 Full Time Staff, 50 Seasonal Staff and thousands of visitors each year, which is some feat. The Build Ex-Ryder Cup representative, Clive Clark has designed and created an absolute masterpiece. It should be added to every golfer’s “bucket list” of golf courses in Scotland. He was faced with a flat piece of land that was the perfect blank canvas for a course designer. Clive moved tons of sand & earth whilst carving through the dunes, on his way to creating this stunning links course. A Wild Opening Season It opened up in May 2020 in the middle of the Pandemic, not ideal, and has grown and grown in popularity ever since. Dumbarnie Links opened up as and has remained a pay-and-play golf facility, which I believe is part of its success. The other secret to success is that it is only open between April and November each year. It gives the course some breathing space. The Welcome Leaving the car park you are greeted by the Golf Team at The Hickory. They explain where everything is and take care of your clubs whilst attaching a personalised bag tag to your golf bag. Buggies, trollies and Caddies are organised for you here before you enter the clubhouse. The Clubhouse On entering the clubhouse, you are faced with the golf shop on the left, the bar/restaurant to your right and a small reception area. The golf shop is full of clothing and accessories all covered in the Dumbarnie links Logo, ideal merchandise to take back home with you. On walking into the bar/restaurant you can’t help but notice the Country music pouring out of the speakers, not expected, but a nice touch. Food and drink are of a great standard and just what the golfers want, before or after the round. Either sitting outside on a nice day or wrapped up around the fire pit, the outdoor facilities are perfect for all occasions. Locker rooms with shower facilities are more than what’s required for visiting golfers. The Practice Facilities Facilities to practice at Dumbarnie Links are second to none. You will find everything that you need. An excellent driving range with wooden boxes of balls and playing from turf and not mats. A superb short game area and a large putting green. All of the above are found in proximity to the 1st tee, which is often not the case. You can even enjoy a short putting session on the 1st tee because they have cut a hole into the tee box. This is an excellent idea, which I haven’t seen elsewhere, and it measures 10 on the Stimp meter. Dumbarnie Links – A Golfing Experience – First Tee Before reaching the 1st tee you are met by your Caddie and the official starter, who is the perfect guy for the job. You are offered a wee dram of the Club’s own whisky. This is made by Loch Lomond Whisky, my favourite. This sets you up for the day and helps calm those 1st tee nerves. The 1st hole is a short Par4 that plays downhill to the green which makes it a very inviting tee shot. In the Course Guide, it states ‘prominent golf journalist George Peper described the hole as a ‘friendly handshake’. The first tee has spectacular views of the Firth of Forth because you’re on one of the highest points of the course. Dumbarnie Links – A Golfing Experience – The Course Views can be had from almost every hole on the course, that’s if you stop to take it all in. The golf course is perfectly set up for all golfers, from those players who want to enjoy their round and those who want a challenge. Keeping the ball in play is key to a good score at Dumbarnie Links because being in the rough can be a tough challenge. Thinking on every tee instead of just blasting your driver can pay dividends. The fairways are generous in width with dunes left and right. The dunes keep you focused on each hole because of no distractions from other holes. Players are teased because of the risk and reward shots that they are faced with. There are three short Par4s close to reachable, even for the average golfer, if playing from the right set of tees for their handicap. There are plenty of strategically placed bunkers, burns and water hazards on the course. All there to mess up your scorecard if you are not on form. The greens are large enough targets, very inviting, and are well-maintained. They can be tricky in places as some are quite undulating but fair. The stand-out holes are the 4th & 9th on the front 9 and the 13th & 14th on the back 9 because of their design. Greenkeepers Hats off to Grahame Taylor and the greenkeeping staff for their attention to detail because it raises the bar for other courses. Weighing the grass cuttings after every green helps measure their growth. From that, they can work out the amount of treatment that each green needs to have consistency across 18 holes. Their professionalism is to be applauded and after visiting the Agronomy Department myself, I was left speechless. Speechless because I have never seen a cleaner establishment. Conclusion Dumbarnie Links should be on every golfer’s Bucket List because it really is special. It is a fantastic experience which is hard to beat, it’s a joy to play and always exceeds expectations. Check out their website to find out more about visiting Dumbarnie links. What are your thoughts about Dumbarnie Links – A Golfing Experience? Please leave a comment by filling out a Contact Form. To read more of my golf blog posts, click here.