Golfing in Fife Scotland

Fife in Scotland is home to the famous golf course at St Andrews , widely regarded worldwide as the home of golf.

The “old course”  here , where the modern game was first played and developed and where the first Open championships were played  in the middle of the 19th century, has now grown into a cluster of courses catering for a world wide interest in the game and a booming golf tourism business. It is particularly popular with visiting American golfers.

But the peninsula is also home the numerous golf courses which have been here for as long as St Andrews. Their active membership still celebrate the trailblazing qualities and history of Scottish golf.

These include the courses at the small fishing towns of Crail and Elie.

Crail was founded in 1786 and its links was laid out by old Tom Morris, the father of modern golf course design. Morris also worked on the course at St Andrews and his designs follow the characteristics of many traditional links courses here – the contours of the coastal landscapes, with blind holes, ridges , deep bunkers. ,elevated tee positions and sloping greens,

Nearby Elie was the home of James Braid , another famous Scottish golf course designer.

Like Crail it’s signature holes follow the coastline. It’s famous first hold is a blind hole up a steep slope. The starters’cabin here was fitted with an old submarine periscope in the 1960s so the starter could see the progress of golfers over the hill . It is still used today.