Known as Scotland’s Golf Coast, scenic East Lothian, with its 30 miles of stunning coastline and sandy beaches, is one of the most well-known and one of the best golfing spots in Scotland, making it an ideal location for a golf break near Edinburgh. According to scotlandgolfcoast.com, East Lothian is a perfect spot for golfers and has “the Greatest Concentration of Championship Links Courses in the World”. Many of the East Lothian golf courses are links courses making them ideal for the links-loving golfer. There is an East Lothian golf course to suit every budget or golfing handicap. This beautiful rural region is less than 20 miles from Edinburgh, and only 2 hours from both Glasgow and Newcastle airports and is sometimes known as Edinburgh’s Coast and Countryside. If you are looking for a golf course near Edinburgh Longniddry is the closest links golf course, but there are plenty of other golf courses around Edinburgh, within a 30-45 minute drive. 

With a wide range of accommodation options, Drummohr Camping and Glamping Site in Musselburgh is an ideal location to sample one or more of the 21 East Lothian golf courses available and with all the courses being within 30 miles of the campsite, Drummohr is an ideal spot to base yourself for your Scotland golf break in East Lothian. Check out our webpage for details of all 21 courses.  

East Lothian is home to one of the world's oldest golf courses - Old Links at Musselburgh, set inside the famous race track. Here you can hire old hickory shafted clubs if you want the experience of playing golf as your ancestors did.  

At Drummohr we are lucky enough to have a parkland golf course on our doorstep, The Royal Musselburgh, the sixth oldest golf club in the world. A James Braid classic, a weekday twilight round is a favourite of our golfing guests. Contact us at Reception or on 0131 665 6867 for details of guest discounts available. If you would like a golf break in Edinburgh or a golf holiday in Scotland, we can also book tee times for you at some of the 21 East Lothian golf courses if you would prefer subject to availability and course membership restrictions. 

Golf In East Lothian

So - what are the best golf courses East Lothian? 

Muirfield 

Probably the most famous on Scotland’s Golf Coast, but also one of the hardest to be allowed to play on, Muirfield is a links course of golfing legend. Muirfield has hosted The Open Championship sixteen times, most recently in 2013 when Phil Mickelson lifted the trophy. Other Open winners at Muirfield include Nick Faldo in 1987 and 1992. Muirfield hosted the first of its sixteen Opens in 1892 and was the first Open to be played over 72 holes.   

Despite being the best golf course around Edinburgh, for the majority of golfers, exclusive Muirfield is probably not be an option, both in terms of expense but more so availability, with allocated visitor tee times booking up well over a year in advance. So what are the other hot spots for golf in East Lothian to enjoy on your Scotland golfing holiday at Drummohr?  

North Berwick West Links 

The East Lothian coastline is home to some wonderfully scenic links golf courses, including the West Links at North Berwick Golf Club, where golfers can enjoy amazing views across the Firth of Forth and Bass Rock. The first green overlooks the beach. West Links is home to the famous "Redan" hole, a short par 3, hole number 15, that has been copied all over the world. A Redan typically ranges from 180-215 yards and features a 45-degree right-to-left oriented green protected by a deep bunker along the left side. Redan means “fortress” or “guarding parapet” and the term is now synonymous with golf courses worldwide.  

One of the best holes at North Berwick West Links is Par 4 Hole 13, known locally as “Pit”.  An ancient three-foot-high stone wall runs the length of the green, obscuring the putting surface and, paired with the gorse-covered sand dune on the other side, forms a narrow punchbowl—that is,  the “Pit.” 

Gullane – 3 golf courses in 1 

Gullane is a village in East Lothian steeped in golf and Gullane Golf Club features three links courses, with Championship Course No 1 (1884) being the most challenging. Hole 7 is played from the top of Gullane Hill, where golfers are treated to a 360-degree panorama featuring some of the best golf courses in the world, the Lammermuir Hills to the South and the stunning, rugged coastline of the Firth of Forth to the North, East and West. It is regularly referred to as “one of the best views in golf”. The whole golf course winds up and down the dune, providing a wonderful selection of uphill and downhill tee shots and provides an excellent golfing challenge and taste of Scottish Links golf. The No 2 Course is cheaper and may be less punishing for golfers with a higher handicap.  

Gullane is also home to The Bonnie Badger, owned by the famous chef Tom Kitchin, so you can treat yourself to some gastro food after your game of golf. 

Kilspindie 

Whilst not amongst the “Big 3” normally associated with East Lothian, Kilspindie is often a favourite and referred to as a Scottish hidden gem of a golf course. Located next to Aberlady Bay, a nature reserve with mudflats and salt marshes supporting a huge range of plants and wildlife, the views across the Firth of Forth are once again spectacular. 5,480 yards from the medal tees, the course is one of the shorter Scottish links courses making it perfect for golfers with a higher handicap. 

For golfers who prefer non-links courses there are other options including Royal Musselburgh, Musselburgh Golf Club, Haddington and Gifford.  

Please remember that there is so much more to East Lothian than golf, making it an ideal location for families. Some of our golfing guests will play one or two 18 holes, walk, sightsee, visit, eat, drink, then maybe play a few holes at the end of the day.