Speak to anyone who has played Elie and you will find yourself caught in a monsoon of adjectives that will make you desperate to play there. You see, this is a special golf experience and one of those timeless clubs that oozes charm at every turn.
Not many, if any, golf clubs are named after their clubhouse but in 1875 The Golf House Club, Elie came to life. Like many an old course, Elie began life as a nine-holer and grew to eighteen with Old Tom Morris completing the final holes to make it pretty much the course we see today. The links at Elie is still used by a few golf clubs who share the wonderful course.
As you make your way to the property you see a stunning clubhouse and a starter’s hut with a high mast sticking out of it. This is one of the first things that will make you smile about Elie, the high mast is actually a salvaged periscope from HMS Excalibur. The wonderful piece of naval paraphernalia is used to make sure the 1st hole is clear for play and you can even have a look through it yourself.
The opening hole is a great start and sets the scene for your round beautifully. You face a wall of fairway and your opening shot is blind. As you walk up the hill the hole reveals itself and you know you have started a round of golf that you are going to remember.
If that big reveal wasn’t enough for you, as you get up to the 2nd green you get a glorious vista of the towns of Elie and Earlsferry. You get to enjoy this view of the Firth of Forth for longer as you stand on the 3rd tee and look down on one of the most picturesque par threes you will ever see. This is a course that sets its stall out early and doesn’t disappoint.
Elie just continues to deliver those “wow” moments and just as you regain your breath it is taken away from you again. The 6th hole has you play down towards the water, you get another big reveal as you climb over the camber of the fairway and the panorama comes into view. You wouldn’t be judged for taking a moment here to just savour it. Don’t get too distracted though, this hole is well protected by various hungry bunkers awaiting you ball.
The back nine starts with a flurry. The 10th hole, Lundar’s Law, is out on a rocky peninsula of sorts, don’t over-hit your drive here or your ball will end up in a sandy or watery grave. The hole is named after the large stony mound that sits to the left of the treacherous green.
